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Here and There on the Turf A Courageous Minister. Intolerance. Epinards Withdrawal. Advance of French Breeding. Something of an heroic figure is the Rev. Thomas L. Settle, pastor of the Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopalian, of Lexington, Ky. This minister of thz Gospel attained national prominence by his courageous stand against the "reform" element that attempted to legislate racing out of existence in Kentucky recently. The Rev. Settles broad-minded remarks at a public hearing on the Bennett bill undoubtedly influenced the final vote which killed that pernicious measure. For his services in this regard liberty-loving Americans everywhere will accord him due honor. But the Rev. Mr. Settle did just as much for his church by his courageous acts as he possibly could have done for racing. This was shown last Sunday when his church at Lexington was crowded with people, many of whom had not been inside of a church for a long period of years. These people will go to the Rev. Mr. Settles church again, because they heard him denounce in no uncertain terms the very elements which they themselves opposed. The Rev. Mr. Settles subject was "Intolerance," and there will be no quarrel generally with his diagnosis of this malady as the result of egotism and ignorance. If the "reformers" were content with foregoing the pleasures which he considers sinful, without attempting to enforce his views upon all others of his community, he would not be a menace to society. But he is too deeply impressed with his own importance to tet it go at that. In his ignorance of his own limitations he is entirely too much inclined to feel that the welfare of society depends on enforcing his ow. narrow views on his fellow citizens. "There is no doubt whatever that the Rev. Mr. Settles views in many particulars would clash sharply with those of many people in his congregation of last Sunday, but, so long as he maintains his attitude of "live and let live," there will be no quarrel with him on such a score. Criticism of this minister and his views will come from the narrow-minded "reform" element and not from the public at large. What a different picture is presented by Attorney Helm Bruce, one of the leaders of the lobby that attempted to push the Bennett bill through the Kentucky legislature. He was the legal representative of the corrupt gambling interests that dominated Kentucky racing bfore the sport was re-established on a sound and honest basis. There is sound reason to believe that his sympathies arc still with those interests, in spite of his high-sounding and altruistic utterances since he joined the "reformers." The Bennett bill would have laid the foundation for a return to con- ditions that threatened the entire turf structure of Kentucky some years ago. Attorney Helm Bruce probably knew that, but he did not bother to say anything about it. There is a trite saying that "politics makes strange bedfellows," but these "reform" movements go politics one better in this respect. The "enemies of the devil" that helped Attorney Bruce in his fight for the Bennett bill apparently cared little about his previous connections. Pierre Wertheimers Epinard has been scratched from the Lincolnshire Handicap, for which he had been assigned the crushing weight of 140 pounds. This move was undoubtedly wise, as preparing a wonder horse, as Epinard is supposed to be, for such a weight-carrying stunt so early in the racing season, would endanger his racing future. Trainer Eugene Leigh undoubtedly knows just how much he can expect Epinard to do, and he is too wise to try the horse thus early in the year beyond his powers in his preparation. The plans for Epinards 1921 campaign arc entirely too ambitious to justify jeopardizing his later rich engagements by a premature four-year-old debut. An English turf commentator recently characterized the Lincolnshire Handicap as a "race for unfit horses," pointing out that almost every running of the fixture is won by a horse which could not be conceded a chance on form. In other words, fitness and not form is the deciding factor. Reports from France as to the progress of Sir Galahad III. in his preparation for the Lincolnshire have resulted in making him the future favorite for the race. Sir Galahad III. is owned by Captain Jefferson Davis Cohn, the Franco-American owner and breeder. The colt is a son of Captain Cohns stallion Teddy, which led the sires in France last year. Sir Galahad III.s reputation would have been as great as Epinards but for his inconsistency. After a triumphant march through his two- year-old and early three-year-old engagements, .he failed miserably in most of his later races last season. Now in his early preparations he is apparently showing a return to the form which made him so formidable early last year. The victories of Rose Prince and Epinard in England last fall have apparently caused the English price quoters to consider French form much more seriously than before. France is undoubtedly making remarkable progress in breeding and that nations proximity to England geographically makes it possible for French stables to send horses to English courses for big races without interrupting their training. The -International match between Zev and Papyrus did not affect the English blood stock market adversely, as the English alarmists had predicted, but the advance of French thoroughbred production appears to be a real menace to British dominance in the breeding industry. Even if the International Match Race should become an annual affair, England would have little fear in this respect from the United States. One racs a year, whatever its result, will never affect the bloodstock market seriously, but the French are in a position to make a bid for every one of the English classics. A series of French victories in these world-famous fixtures might well shift the center of the thoroughbred market across the channel in a few years.
