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ARDENT KENTUCKY HOPES Augury of Remarkable Season Based on Lexington Opening Whitney Headquarters to Be in inthe the West Good Showing of ofPluribus Pluribus Saturday BY J L DEMPSEY DEMPSEYLEXINGTON LEXINGTON Ky April 24 Yesterdays record breaking opening of the Kentucky racing season indicates a banner spring season of the sport in these parts Tlie inaugural at the Lexington tract usually furnishes the barometer for all the courses under the control of the Kentucky Jockey Club In yesterdays big assemblage were numerous first timers who came from afar and with the intention of staying throughout the meetings to come at Louisville and Latenia LateniaAccording According to the applications for stall space made by owners there will be more horses to race this year on Kentucky tracks than ever before ind will include seme of the most prominent stables in the country James Rowe trainer for tlie extensive Harry Payne Whitney establishment lias signified his intention of bringing the main divison to Lousville shortly and make Kentucky his main base of operation reversing his former order of sending an occasional horse from New York to run in Kentucky stake races He will bring all the stars from the Whitney farm in New Jersey to Churchill Downs shortly and from time to time send one or two of them back to fill an engage TOtut in New York His string will also campaign at Latonia Tryster and Exodus were shipped back from Havre de Grace to the Whitney farm last night and will come from there with the other horses that Rowe will bring to Louisville LouisvilleThe The failures of all the Kentucky Derby stars yesterday with the exception of Careful has in ¬ jected more hope into the breasts of owners with lesstnlkedabout eligibles and should Leonardo II fail tomorrow there may be more carded starters in the Kentucky Derby than there is room for tlie track to hold comfortably comfortablyBon Bon Hommes failure was the most outstanding and the only reasonable explanation for it is that jockey Tarvis could not make the rugged but slug ¬ gish horse extend himself fully Bon Homme also had the worst of it in traveling fifteen feet from the rail where the going was decidedly heavier than that portion nearer the inner rail railPluribus Pluribus really ran an impressive race in the Ben Ali Handicap in which he followed Best Pal and Ginger home He was a sufferer to some extent from interference when he attempted to move up to the leaders at the halfmile ground but re ¬ covered piomptly and finished resolutely He struck himself at some time during the running and came back to the scales with a limp but showed no traces of it after cooling out His admirers have not weakened in their estimate of him and he will have added friends if he reaches the post on May 7 His victory in the Derby would spell a huge loss for tho winter book operations who at the outset quoted 50 to 1 against him himHEAVY HEAVY BACKING FOR LEONARDO II IIProbably Probably the worst horse for the winter books is Leonardo II He has been backed consistently though not at long odds There was a bet of 30000 to 3000 recorded against him here Fri daj T W OBrien the owner of Pluribus is one of those who do not regard Leonardo II with fear and has laid 10 to 1 against him frequently The contingent who witnessed some of Pluribus work jjt New Orleans before his departure from that point to Kentucky are wagering evens that Pluribus will finish in front of Leonardo II IIJaincs Jaincs McClelland continues confident that Leonardo II will give a good account of himself in the Derby The colt has been training in excep ¬ tionally good style and will make his threeyear old debut tomorrow here He is opposed to a some ¬ what ordinary band and he should take their measure in easy style styleSuperintendent Superintendent Keegan has the Lexington track in the best condition that it has ever been in Tlie racing was inaugurated over a heavy track but before the final race was decided the course almost bordered on fast The numerous improve ¬ ments also instituted at tlie plant make for added comfort of patrons here herePresident President J N Camden of the Kentucky Jockey Club entertained Matt J Winn Col Andrew Ven nie Charles F Grainger James B Brown and sev ¬ eral other higherups of this organization at lunch at his Portland place near Versailles Ky today todayNot Not only will the jockeys riding on the Kentucky circuit have to hew to the line during the racing here but their deportment at all other times will have to come up to a high standard Racing secre ¬ tary W II Shelley delivered a brief address to the riders and valets yesterday advising them as to just what is expected of them A breach of de ¬ portment at night which might cast a reflection on racing will be considered just as serious as if it occurred at the track and the offending rider or valuet will be punished accordingly accordinglyMany Many of the horsemen racing here who left part of their establishments at Louisville went to that city this morning Few stables came here from the falls city in their entirety entiretyPractically Practically all of the noted thoroughbred breed ¬ ing farms came in for considerable attention from the turfmen and racing enthusiasts here today A large number made the trip out to Ilinata Farm to get a glimpse of Man o War and this seemed to be the most popular destination of all
