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Here and There on the Turf Laurels Big Race Next Saturday. Back Bay and Other Old Racers. There is considerable interest in the weights for the 5,000 added Washington Handicap, to be decided at Laurel Saturday, the closing day of the Maryland State Fair Association mesting. This is a mile and a quarter race and will be run for the first time Saturday. Though it is under handicap conditions, it is intended as a test to define, if possible, a championship. Of course, its being a handicap does not make it an ideal contest to determine the bast horse of the year, but the prize is one that promises to bring together the best of those in the three-year-old and over division. Already it is assured that a representative field will come out of the sev-enty eligibles. In assigning the weights there was the advantage of having both the Latonia Championship Stakes and the 0,000 Laurel Handicap as guides to the present condition of the candidates for the rich prize and the i estimate made by J. B. Campbell is decidedly interesting. Exterminator and Grey Lag are at the same notch on top with 132 pounds as the burden of each. Then comes Mad Hatter and Thunderclap, stable mates of Grey Lag, with 128 and 127, respectively. Paragon H., the English handicap horse that races for John San-ford, is in under 121 pounds. This is four pounds less than he carried in the Laurel Handicap when he finished second to Exterminator only to be disqualified for a foul. That was i the only time Paragon II. has been raced in l this country, but his English racing would make it seem that, to say the least, he is . treated leniently when only asked to take up the same burden as the three-year-old Kai-Sang. . This same Kai-Sang, victor over both t Bunting and Rockminister in the Lawrence , Realization Stakes, is rated as best of the , three-year-olds and under his burden of 121 pounds he gives away a pound to Lucky Hour. But Lucky Hour, after having been beaten under equal weights by Montfort Jones Rock-minister . in the Latonia Championship Stakes, is asked to concede a pound to his conqueror, for Rockminister is handicapped at 119 pounds. Bunting is in the same notch with the Jones colt, whib Whiskaway, the next three-year-old . of the eligbilcs, is in under 119 pounds. Little Chief has to shoulder 113, the same weight as J. S. Cosdens hgih-priced Snob II., and then comes Missionary with 112 as his burden. These are the top-notch eligibles, but there will be a considerable weeding out before post time. To begin with, Kai-Sang has had to dodge several of his recent engagements by reason of an injured foot. Bunting came out of the Latonia Championship Stakes so lame that no effort will be made to bring him to the post Saturday. Whiskaway is out of training for the year, as is Snob II., and, of the cider horses, it is doubtful if Grey Lag will be brought to the post. By Mr. Campbells estimate Lucky Hour is i i l . . t , , . . still a better colt than Rockminister. That is to say, he considers him a pound better colt over a mile and a quarter. He might rate the son of Friar Rock on top if the Washington Handicap was over a mile and three-quarters route, as the Latonia Championship was, in which Rockminister decisively beat the Simms champion. It is probable the pair will come together at Laurel Saturday. Of course, if they do they will still have Exterminator to reckon with. The pace may be fast or the pace may be slow, it is all one to him. If he does not like the pace he makes it himself. If, in his riders wise opinion, it is a bit fast, he will let the others show the way, but they all have to hurry when he stretches out in the stretch. Exterminator would be a still more wonderfully popular champion if he should carry his 132 pounds to victory Saturday. But, win or lose, he will still be rated as champion by his vast army of admirers who have watched him mow the best of them down time after time. Back Bay, the fourteen-year-old son of Rubicon and Genna, is still able to win an occasional race. While this old fellow was never a brilliant performer except in sprinting, there are few horses in training that have had a more strenuous experience and now he is still delivering when properly placed and racing frequently. It can be remembered when Peter Sheridan and Back Bay were characters wherever they raced. Peter Sheridan had Back Bay when he amounted to something among good sprinters. There never was a better "rooter" than Sheridan. Back Bay had a fashion of running in front and, when he was right at himself, it took a good horse to catch him. Sheridans invariable cry of encouragement to his thoroughbred was "Stand your ground, Back Bay, stand your ground." And it was usual that Back Bay would stand his ground. He was a hard horse to beat when he took the lead and he was capable of taking the lead from many of the best sprinters. His defeats of Pan Zareta, when that remarkable mare was in her racing prime, speak eloquently of what Back Bay could do in his own days of real glory. There have been many other remarkable old racers which have gone on year after year as has Back Bay. Borrow was a good horse at ten years of age. Old Rosebud was winner until he was a nine-year-old. Roanier was a good horse at his unfortunate taking off when he was a seven-year-old. Roseben, Superstition, Stromboli, Jimmy Lane, Logan, Raceland, Shannon River, Robin Hood, all ran year after year until they reached a ripe old age and there have been a legion of others that went on winning year in and year out like veritable iron horses. There still is an abundance of these old timers in training. We do not see so many of them on the big tracks of New York, Maryland, Kentucky or Canada, but on the smaller circuits will be found many a one that began with the best of them. They have drifted to the smaller courses, but they are still going along earning their way honestly in more modest company. It is surprising to see the number of thoroughbreds that arc ten years old, or older, that are still in train- ing and thoroughly dependable and useful racers. That is a reason for some of the smaller tracks. It affords occupation for these old horses. They have lost the fira of "youth that permitted them to appear in better com-3 pany, but they are not through. There is a place for them and their endeavors. They are winning their way and making a good living.
