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Here and There on the Turf Vigilant s Asinine Wails. No Sportsmanship There. Another Turf Scandal. Zev at His Best. Time was when the writings of Vigilant in the London Sportsman on matters of the turf had some value. They were honest and well thought of. But that Vigilant is no more, and in his place has sprung up a writer who evidently knows little of racing and of thoroughbred horses and a writer whose point of view is, to say the least, decidedly yellow. Just how the London Sportsman can afford to publish such asinine outbursts as have come from this same Vigilant anent the international event is hard to understand. The London Sportsman has long been an accredited authority on matters of the turf. It may continue to bs an authority on this side of the Atlantic, but Vigilant has put himself outside the pale as an authority, and outside the pale as a sportsman, not according to American standards, but according to the standards of anyone worthy of the name of sportsman. This Vigilant at first pointed out the fear that the defeat of Papyrus would mean the loss of thoroughbred markets to the English breeders. Truly this was a weak objection to the race. If better horses are bred in America than in England, then America is entitled to the market. If England leads, then England should never be afraid to pit her horses against any thoroughbreds in the world. So much for that end. of his wail. But that was not all Vigilant has seen fit at long range to become abusive and to predict that Papyrus will not be accorded a fair show by the American crowds. He admits that all he knows was told him by a friend "intimately acquainted with American life." From the beginning this Vigilant has been a whining critic of the match in all of its angles, and if there has been one line that suggested sportsmanship in anything he has written it cannot be uncovered. Fortunately this same Vigilant does not speak for the sportsmen of England. Undoubtedly they must be just as disgusted with his tirades as they are laughable on this side of the Atlantic. Our sportsmen need no defense from such attacks as those of this Vigilant, and this does not intend that a defense of the unfounded yellow charges wil be offered. As a matter of fact the Vigilant writings would only be looked upon as the yapping of a foolish pup, except for the fact that they appeared in the London Sportsman. That is a turf publication of a standing that gives some excuse for taking exception to what has been written. It is fortunate indeed for the English sportsmen that they and their views are not reflected by such a writer. There was another breath of nasty scandal down at the Jamaica track Wednesday when before the running of the fifth race there was a paddock report that James MacManus Jacqueline Julian had been tampered with and would not run her race. This rumor was so persistent that James MacManus had a veteri- narian examine his filly before post time. No sponge was found in her nose, the old inhuman way of "stopping" a horse, and there could not be discovered any evidences of poisoning. After this examination the filly was permitted to start. Her race would tend to show that there must have been some grounds for the charges made. This evil of the turf that crops up from time to time is a hard one "to combat, but it would seem that a proper policing of race courses through the night, as well as in the day, would work a great good. With the proper policing it would be impossible for anyone not connected with the stable to tamper with a horse, and it surely would be a simple matter to run down any "inside job." Some of the race courses have a system of policing that has made the tampering with horses next to impossible without inside "help, and it would be easy to have a like night patrol for all of the New York tracks. The mils and a quarter move of Zev in 2:06 at Belmont Park Wednesday was ample to demonstrate that the son of The Finn and Miss Kearney is rapidly coming to the top of his form for the International match with Papyrus on October 20. Hildreth is a past master at having a horse ready at any given date, and he has trained his colt with an idea that he will be right at the top on the day of the race. This is high skill, for it is just as fatal to have a horse ready too soon and have him go stah as it is to have him short a good work to tighten him up properly. There need be no fear that Zev will not be better than he ever has been when he parades to the post a week from Saturday. Papyrus will have another chance to show himself at a better pace Thursday morning, and Basil Jarvis has promised that he will permit the son of Tracery to show speed. It may be that the watchers will be disappointed again after it is all over, but with tha date of the running of the International match rapidly approaching it is a sure thing that Papyrus is not far away from a good trial. Stephen Donoghuc is now on the Atlantic heading for New York to keep his engagement to pilot the challenger in his race, and the plan is for him to ride in at least the final workout. It is probable that for this workout the suggestion of Daily Racing Form will be carried out and the son of Tracery will have adequate trial horses to force him along.
