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Here and There on the Turf Rancocas Stud Farms Calamity. Procession of Meetings Here and Coming. Opening of New Yorks Campaign Not Far Away. The disaster at Rancocas Stud Farm is akin 1 in deplorable results to that which brought about the practical destruction of the Camden 1 and Milam racing forces last year. For one thing, it seems to point out that the barns at such great breeding establishments should ■ b? constructed of less inflammable material. . Fireproofing is well within the resources of such wealthy establishments. The Rancocas j loss was greatest in nobly bred brood mares. The two stallions Inchcape and Cirrus had yet • to prove their worth as sires. They might have proved failures or successes, but that was 5 a matter still in the hands of time for demon stration. Besides, in Mad Hatter. Grey Lag r and others of great fame and approved blood 1 lines Rancocas possesses splendid horses to take their places competently. But replacement of the grand collection of destroyed 1 brood mares is a much more difficult problem. That it will be solved in the long run is not to be doubted. But it will cost much in the way of time and money that fireproofing or a more rigid system of daily inspection would 1 have saved. Probably the incident will lead ■ to some anxious overhauling of stabling at I . many of our other leading stud farms, as it certainly should. Bowie has wound up its twelve day meeting and the Harford Association has begun 1 its thirteen day meeting at Havre de Grace. . The racing season is swinging along and it t will not be long before Jamaicas gates are e opened in New York and Lexington begins I its spring meeting. Time was when the real racing season opened d in th? East on the New York tracks, while e Lexington had the real opening of the campaign - in the West. Lexington still holds its s place and raises the curtain in the middle e West, but Maryland has come to such racing g importance that it now furnishes the eastern n opening. Havre de Grace will find the horses that it idled in the winter closer to racing condition n than was the case at Bowie, while the winter f campaigners that have been earning their r way at New Orleans. Havana and Bowie, will II begin to become jaded and stale from constant 1- racing. Thny will gradually fade out it from the picture and it will be fresh horses ■ that will come into the spotlight. There are e many of these ready to take up the ta-k and, 1. before the end of the meeting just begun at it the beautiful little course on the bank of the e Susquehanna, a good line will be had on not t a few that are intended for the big things of f the racing year. There is charm to the racing each spring g in watching ju.-t what good two year olds have e become good three year olds and how three f year olds that have been graduated into the ie handicap division acquit themselves. These ;e are things that lend zest to each new year ir of the turf. The fast two year old may only b a sprinter r after all, while there come to the front as is 1 . it t e I d e - s e g n it n f r II 1- it ■ e 1. at it e t of f g e f ie ;e ir r as is three year-cld champions some that attracted little atention the year before. One of which high hopes have been entertained proves to be utterly unable to shoulder weight success fu.ly, or another will demonstrate that weight makes little difference. Then there are those with mud running or dry track proclivities. All of these likes and dislikes are discovered in the spring and that is one reason for addi tional interest in such racing. With the granting of licenses to the trainers and jockeys by the Jockey Club there remains little to be done before the opening of the New York racing season. There have been some reinstatements of those that offended and doubtless the lifting of suspensions have been merited. Some of the=e offenders have served a long term and it is to b? hoped ban ishment has taught its lesson. But there still are some whose offenses keep them on the ground. Some of these punishments appear to some a bit severe. It does not do to loosely criticize the action of governors of racing in withholding reinstatement of this or that j jockey. The jockey that, as far as public an nouncement is concerned, appears to be under suspension for rough riding, may have been guilty of much more serious offenses, There are obvious reasons for not making all the evidence public. Ccltiletti and Yeargin. two that have been restored to good standing. were barred for offenses that richly merited the punishment. The fact that they have been granted a renewal of licenses should give some few others a reason to expect favorable action in their cases in time.
