Here and There on The Turf: Exterminators Recovery. Keogh May Ride in France, Daily Racing Form, 1922-09-02

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Here and There on the Turf Exterminators Kecovery. Keogh May Ride in France. When Exterminator flashed across the finish line winner for the fourth successive time of the Saratoga Cup Thursday he accomplished a feat unprecedented in turf annals. There have been many horses which have won the same Saratoga race twice and a correspondingly smaller number which have won a big stake race elsewhere twice, but never before in the records of really important fixtures has there been an owner who could boast of four consecutive victories in a great race by the ; same horse. But more important even than this enviable record was the fine display of form which the Kilmer gelding gave. One short month ago a fagged-out shadow of the star of the early racing season, Exterminator went down in a conclusive defeat before Grey Lag and others in the Saratoga Handicap. The pessimists, as usual, were ready with their doleful predictions. Exterminator would never run again, they said. Too bad. He was such a good horse, but no horse at his age could recover from such a slump. And all the rest of it. Trainer Eugene Wayland said little, but kept the old gelding at work, lightly at first, and when he began to show a return of his old snap and dash, more heavily. The old fellow, with his sound muscles and stout heart, recovered rapidly from the ravages of that strenuous early campaign, and his work-outs for the Cup were as impressive as ever. When Exterminator went out upon the track Thursday he was the center for thousands of appraising glances. Well filled out and fresh as a spring breeze, his appearance was such that experienced horsemen knew at once on whose sideboard the Saratoga Cup would rest once more. And the race that he ran amply justified that judgment. French racing will have another valuable recruit in the riding division next year if Frank Keogh goes across, as has been announced, to ride for J. E. Widener and Frank R. Hitchcock there. Keogh is one of the best judges of pace in our racing and only the fact that he can not longer ride at less than 115 pounds keeps him from being up among the leaders in the jockey list. His ride on Goshawk in the Hopeful Thursday was the subject of much comment among horsemen at the Spa. Although Goshawk did not win, the fact that he was able to finish second to the more lightly weighted Dunlin was largely due to Keoghs riding skill. The son of Whisk Broom II. and Dovelet left the barrier swiftly and set a terrific pace down the backstrctch. He ran the first quarter in 23, but when Zev began to force him at this point Keogh took a steadying held on Goshawk and eased him back a full length behind the Rancocas colt, following in that position to the last eighth. At this point Keogh called on Goshawk, brought him up slowly and took the lead. About forty yards out his 130 pounds impost began to tell on Goshawk and he was forced to give way to Dunlin, but his defeat detracted nothing from Keoghs fine horsemanship.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1920s/drf1922090201/drf1922090201_2_5
Local Identifier: drf1922090201_2_5
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800