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Here and There on the Turf Exterminators Cup Defeat. Gallant Gelding Not at His Best. Bad Riding Played a Part. Pimlico Track Inadequate. Some Bowie Suggestions. There were many contributing reasons for the defeat of Exterminator in the running of the two miles and a quarter of the Pimlico Cup at Pimlico on Saturday, but it was evident when the old son of McGee and Fair Empress appeared in the parade to the post that he was not altogether himself. Marinelli, in his foolish fast pace forcing with the old fellow gave him scant chance to show to advantage had he been right at the top of his form, but he was far from behind at the top of his form. It was the race that would have put him well over Man o "War as a money winner with its net value of ,100. The 1922 racing season was rapidly drawing to a close and it seems now that the old gelding was started in the hope that he would reach the goal for which he had been trying so earnestly. It is quite probable that earlier in the season he would have dodged the race, but there was none other to come of like importance and value. Then the Pimlico Cup had belonged to Extermmator since its inaugural in 1919. That was in the year in which he had defeated Royce Rools, the horse that had won the Bowie Handicap of the same year. Then he had defeated Boniface twice afterward. On each of these occasions he had taken the measure of the Bowie Handicap winner. Captain Alcock had won the Bowie Handicap, but that meant nothing in other years. The cup had belonged to Exterminator. This one meant more than any of the others, for he was just ,249 short of the Man o War figures of money earned in turf battles, and first money in the cup was ,100. It meant that he would not only continue his unbroken cup-winning record, but he would become the greatest money-earning thoroughbred of American turf history. This is what it meant for Eugene Way-land, under whose training Exterminator has won more than in any other one year of his racing career. Willis Sharpe Kilmer was particularly anxious that his marvelous old gelding should reach the top of the heap, and he had failed them so seldom, he was raced when he was not up to the grueling two and a quarter miles race. With the careful riding Exterminator would have received from a rider like Earl Sande, or like Albert Johnson, his regular rider, he probably would have given an altogether different account of himself in the running of the Pimlico Cup. He even might have been the winner, but he was plainly not at the top of his form in the race. Johnson was on the sick list and unable to ride Exterminator in the Cup, but just why Marincllli was chosen is not disclosed. In the running of the Bowie Handicap he made about every mistake he could in his ride on Oceanic, .and on various other occasions he had shown some ability to ride well over considerable distances of ground. It is in a race such as the Pimlico Cup that jockeyship plays a most important figure. Knowledge of pace and a knowledge of how to conserve the strength and speed of the horse was absolutely essential. Probably Exterminator never needed more help from a jockey than he needed Saturday, and it was just the time when he was ridden with less intelligence than at any time in his six years of racing. Marinelli was desperately eager for the mount. He was the proudest boy on the grounds when he was signed for the race. And why should he not be proud? He had never ridden this old champion that had carried so many other riders to well-earned victories. It meant something to have your name go down in American turf history as having ridden Exterminator in a Pimlico Cup victory. His name will be remembered in turf history for his ride in the Cup, but it will be remembered as a ride that contributed something to the first defeat of Exterminator in the Pimlico Cup. Summing it all up, it would seem that Exterminator was not treated fairly. In the first place he was not up to such a race. That in itself was just about excuse enough. Then, on top of that, he was ridden in a manner that would have brought about his defeat if he had been at the top of his form. Marinelli was to blame, but more blame attaches to his being selected when there were many riders of better riding experience over a long route available. With the close of the tremendously successful meeting of the Maryland Jockey Club at Pimlico Saturday, the conviction is forced that the old plant is altogether too small to keep up with the progress the club has made in racing. The stand, which from time to time has been enlarged and remodeled, is inadequate to take care of the immense crowds that are attracted to the track by its excellent racing and the track itself is not suitable for the big fields that are raced. This was made apparent frequently, but it was brought home with particular force in the running of the two Pimlico Futuritys and the Walden Stakes, the big two-year-old fixtures over a mile distance. In each one of these three races the horses which were unfortunate enough to have drawn outside post positions were at a distinct disadvantage. This held true of the races at a mile for older horses, but, of course, the importance of the stake races and the size of the fields that contended made them stand out over the ordinary races. These same two-year-old races are bound to grow in importance and there is every reason to expect other big fields for a race with 0,000 added. To prevent crowding on the first turn and in the hope that outside horses at the post would have a better chance the races over the mile distance have been started a sixteenth of a mile above the finish, the finishing line being moved up the stretch a like distance. This did some good, but the handicap suffered by outside horses at the post is still a severe one, while moving the finish line up any farther would make the race through the stretch altogether too short. It would seem that the only remedy would be a track of a mile and an eighth at least and preferably a . mile and a quarter in circumference. This i would make possible both a good distance to i the first turn and a stretch of adequate length for the rush home. This, and a considerable ! widening of the track, is imperative to keep i up with the vast progress racing has made, as conducted by the Maryland Jockey Club. It is not expected that such work would be done at the present track, but there have been various plans for the building of a new course , and it is to be hoped that it will be accomplished before long. With the closing of the Pimlico meeting there was not the same running off to other scenes of endeavor that has been the rule so i 1 often. Many of the best horses will remain , over for what is to be offered by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Association at the Bowie meeting, which is to open Saturday Already the entries that have been made at Bowie for the stake races make certain the participation of several of the topnotchers and it is possible that Exterminator will be seen under silks there again in the Thanksgiving Handicap. Mr. Kilmer is determined to keep the old campaigner going in nn effort to pass the Man o War figures this year, and should he not be able to do so during the Bowie meeting it is possible the old son of McGee and Fair Empress will have to do some winter racing. He is now less than ,000 away from the Man o War record as a money winner and, unless he should finally break down in his long and arduous campaign, it seems certain he will reach the goal. The Pimlico Cup did the old son of McGee and Fair Empress no good, but he is an iron horse and tho chances are that it did him no serious or lasting harm. On a few other occasions it has been suggested he was all through only to have him come back, and he will doubtless come back again. With the ,500 that was earned by his being third in the Pimlico Cup it brought the Exterminator earnings this year to the abundant total of 1,575, almost 0,000 more than he won any other year of the six he has raced. This brings his grand total to 44,716, and he is just ,754 short of the Man o War record. This may be made up at the Bowie meeting.
