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Here and There on the Turf Stakes for Woodbine. Death of McLeans Horgan. Some National Prices. Another Zev Triumph. - Just about a year ago the Canadian turf was threatened with a serious curtailment of its racing season by reason of excessive taxation. There was a doubt if many of the associations would hold their meetings, and one, the Windsor Jockey Club, called its meeting off. But now Windsor is back for 1924 and the other associations have all had their dates allotted. Not only that, the Ontario Jockey Club, the oldest of them all, that conducts its meatings at beautiful Woodbine Park, is out with a stake list that shows increased value in its offerings. The Ontario Jockey Club has ever shown the way to the other Canadian racing associations, and this year it will follow its liberal policy of rich values for the races that mean much to the sport. The first Woodbine Park meeting will begin May 17 and continue for ssven days. That is the beginning of the big circuit that is under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Racing Associations. For the opening day, as usual, the big offering is the Kings Plate. This is the oldest race run continuously on this continent, and this year it will have an added money value of 0,000, in addition to the fifty guineas the gift of King George V. The Kings Plate is for three-year-olds and over, foaled, raised and trained in the province of Ontario, and no Canadian race has done as much for breeding interests in Canada. This year there has been an important change in the Plate, with the reduction of the distance from a mile and a quarter to a mile and an eighth.. May 17 is an early date to have a horse ready for a mile and a quarter race, when he must b2 trained in the cold Canadian clime. That appears to be reason enough for a reduction of the distance and it is a change that is generally commended by horsemen. This action was decided upon early last year. So that it was merely carrying out a well thought out change and one of which horsemen had been notified. It is impossible to overestimate the far-reaching good that has been done for the thoroughbred industry of Canada by this famous eld Kings Plate, but there are many other races that have a wider purely racing appeal. These are the fixtures that are open to horses from both sides of the Great Lakes. It was the Ontario Jockey Club that first made its programs so attractive that many of the best horses from the "States" were sent over the line, and these races have grown into a value that pays well to make a trip into Canada. But the trip must be made with the best, for they are races that bring i out the best. j In the present announcement of stakes that i are to close March 14, the principal attractions! for all comers is found in the steeplechases, J and, as usual, the Ontario Jockey Club pro-j 2 3 4 5 C i j i J poses to devots considerable money and at- I tention to cross-count ry racing. During the I seven days of the meeting there will be both a 0,000 and a ,000 steeplechase, and each other day will see a race through 1 the field with ,000 added. 1 It is such liberality that year after year has induced many of the New York and Maryland steeplechase stables to campaign in Can- 1 ada rather than try for what is offered at Belmont Park and Aqueduct. This year, with the assured increase in the number of sportsmen and horses in cross-country racing, there will be plenty of material for all, and it behooves the Long Island tracks to make adequate bids for the best of the horses; Woodbine Park is setting a pace that has a strong appeal and it remains for the New York associations to in some measure meet this liberality to obtain their share of the good horses. Edward B. McLean has suffered a serious loss in the sudden death of his good three-year-old Horgan. This colt, which was looked upon as a potential candidate for the Kentucky Derby, died as a result of lockjaw at the Hinata Farm in Kentucky. Horgan was a son of Troutbcck and Apparition, by Sweeper, and was bred by Edward Ccbrian, who recently disposed of his thoroughbred holdings by public auction. He was purchased as a yearling by T. P. Haye3 for ,100, and his trials were so impressive that Edward B. McLean bought him from Hayes for 2,000 and turned him over to i Charles E. Patterson to train. Horgan was not brought to the races until October, and at Latonia. On October 6 he finished second instead of winning, only bscause he raced a bit green. His only other start was at Latonia on October 27, when he was an easy winner. The son of Troutbeck had shown so much i i in private that he was not hurried as a two-year-cld, as this campaign will indicate, and he was intended for the rich stake races of 1 I I 1 1 1 i i i 1 this year, to which he was eligible. His untimely death is to be deplored. In a recently published future book on the Grand National Steeplechase, Major Dewhursts Conjuror II. is made the favorite at odds of 12 to 1. Shaun Spadah, winner of the 1921 race and one of the top weights of the race, is second with 14 to 1 his quotation, and Gerald L., second in the weight list with 174 as his burden, is third in demand at 16 to 1. Stephen Sanfords Sergeant Murphy, winner of the race last year, is at 20 to 1, and Hugh Kershaws Music Hall, winner in 1922 and the top weight this year, is offered at the same price. James Corrigans James Pigg, another that is to race for an American sportsman, is quoted at 33 to 1, while Drifter, a second entry by Mr. Sanford, is in a group that are rated at 25 to 1. . Pierre Werthcimers Epinard, in spite of his crushing weight of 140 pounds in the Lincoln Handicap, continues equal favorite with Jarvie at 14 to 1. In the various statistics that have been pub-Iiihed for the 1923 season of racing it has been shown how Zcv, by his brilliant career, dominated every money list, and there is another that has not been mentioned. It was the Zev winnings that made Miss Kearney, his dam, the most successful brood mare of the year in the mon;y-earn:ng column of her progeny. Besides Zev, the others of the produce Gf the daughter of Planudes to contribute to her total of 81,311 were Neddam, War Mask, Kremlin and Clarissa Ann. What a small figure they cut in comparison with Zev is shown when of the S1,311 total he contributed 72,008. And just consider what a lead Zev gave Miss Kearney over the other brood mares in 1923 when Enchantress II., second on the list, only showed an earning of 0,712, and it was In Memoriam, the greatest rival of Zev, that gave her the place when he accounted for 6,732. And Enchantress II. did not beat out Bobolink II. far when St. James and Caveat Emptor gave the daughter of Willonyx a total of 0,205, with St. James contributing 9,385 of the total. On through the list it is found, with few exceptions, that one brilliant performer accounted for most of the success of each matron whose name appears, but there is an exception with Bold Girl when Firm Friend shows an earning of 7,943, while Audacious added 3,650 to the score. Another with two sterling perforniers was Bettie Landon when My Dear earned 9,495, while her brother, My Own, accounted for 6,140. Just where the brood mares fitted into tha statistics of 1923 is interesting, and it is well that they should be given full credit for the success of their progeny.
