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Here and There on the Turf Influence of Stephen San fords Success SuccessMay May Benefit Steeplechasing on This Side SideFleet Fleet ThreeYearOld Fillies This Year Old Sergeant Murphy by his gallant vic ¬ tory in the Liverpool Grand National Steeple ¬ chase Friday under the colors of Stephen San ford may have done a beneficial thing for crosscountry racing in this country Ameri ¬ can owners have previously endeavored to take this most prized of steeplechases and will be encouraged to try to emulate the success of Mr Sanford SanfordThere There have been various indications that steeplechasing in this country is in for a boom in 1923 and the victory of this gallant old fencer will do more to encourage owners than anything else that could have happened Mr Sanford though a youthful owner has a rich traditional racing inheritance inheritanceThe The late General Stephen Sanford his grandfather after whom he is named raced a number of highclass horses He also brought fame to New York as a thoroughbred nursjry with his Hurricana Stud at Amster ¬ dam Then his father John Sanford has bril ¬ liantly carried on both the breeding and racing fame of the old purple and gold stripes But it remained for Stephen latest of the old clan to jump into instant prominence with a Liver ¬ pool Grand National NationalThe The influence of the victory of Sergeant Murphy on the sport in this country can hardly be overestimated coming when it did at the beginning of our racing season when there has been a material increase announced in money for crosscountry racing Even had the wonderful old son of General Symons and Rosegraft not been the winner at Aintree our racing seemed sure to be better than it had besn for many years but now with an Ameri ¬ can owner taking the big race of the steeple ¬ chase turf it is easily understood that such racing will probably be more popular on this side of the Atlantic AtlanticAlready Already there arc several commissions abroad placsil by American owners for the pur ¬ chase of promising jumping material in Eng ¬ land Ireland and France Then within a short time it is expected that the sample jumpers ordered by Joseph E Davis Joseph E Widener and Robert L Gerry will be in this country A study of the sixty entries for the Ken ¬ tucky Oaks will reveal that the threeyear old filly division of 1923 is particularly rich in highclass aspirants to fame Some good judges arc of the opinion hat when the his ¬ tory of this year is written it will be found that a filly rather than a colt will stand at the top of them all allOf Of course when talking about the fillies tht first one that must come to mind is Willis Sharpe Kilmers Sallys Alley She beat both colts and fillies so impress vclj last year that she will at least begin this year at the top by right of her record recordMr Mr Kilmer also has such fillies as Sun Fey Sun Thistle Contour Sun Doll and Sun Quest to help Sallys Alley along during the coming campaign and while they may be far away from the queen of the stable each has shown speed that warranted many nominations in filly stakes And some of the other good fillies of last year that warrant the prediction that this is to be a good year for the threeyearolds of gentler sex are Montfort Jones Oui Oui Ed ¬ ward R Bradleys Blossom Time and Betty Beall Walter M Jeffords Miss Smith J 0 and G H Keenes Alice Blue Gown J H Louchheims Kitty Williams E B McLeans Comixa John E Maddens Best Love J C Milams Dust Flower and Anna M Humphrey Victor Vivadous Miss Star H P Whitneys Fly by Day the Greentree Stables Solisa and Untidy These that have been named here are all eligibles to the Kentucky Oaks and while it has attracted most of the best ones there are some not named for that race that would properly belong in the list of the most promising threeyearold fillies of the year yearAltogether Altogether it seems like a good filly year yearBenjamin Benjamin Block at this time last year felt decidedly easy over the outcome of the Ken ¬ tucky Derby He had his unbeaten Morvich to depend upon and he could not conceive conceiveof of any horse beating him doing anything He was eminently correct as far as the running of the Kentucky Derby was concerned This year he is going after the same race and it was to make his hand just that much stronger that hs purchased Aspiration at the Hewitt estate dispersal sale saleFred Fred Burlew the man who developed Mor ¬ vich for Mr Block is decidedly sweet on the chances of Better Luck the other Block can ¬ didate that is training at Jamaica but nat ¬ urally he will welcome Aspiration as a second string to his bow Aspiration went into win ¬ ter quarters a decidedly promising threeyear old prospect and the reoorts of how he has been going along in his preparation thus far would indicate that Mr Block obtained a bar ¬ gain for the 27000 he paid paidMr Mr Block decided to reave Aspiration in Kentucky for his Derby training but he will be brought East after the running of the big Churchill Downs race and become a member of the Burlew menage
