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Here and There on the Turf Foreign Jumpers of 1924. Steeplechases at Belmont. Pimlicos Stake Dates. Plans for New Orleans. When Basil Jars-is brought Papyrus to this country for his race against our 1923 champion, Zcv, he brought along a travelling companion in Bar Gold. This is a brown son of Son-in-Law and Baronda, by Carbine, and it was admitted that he was more of a travelling companion than a trial horse for the winner of the Epsom Dsrby. Bar Gold galloped with Papyrus at Belmont Park, while the three-year-old was making ready for his engagement with Zcv, but was utterly unable to make the son of Tracery extend himsslf. When Papyrus had fulfilled his engagement and was shipped back home, Bar Gold was left in this country. He was started once and gave a good account of himself when he was second to Nedna. This year Bar Gold will be seen in the steeplechase field and by reason of his association with Papyrus there will be interest in how he progresses. This horse is one of several that John Hastings is fitting at Belmont Park and he has already shown aptitude for jumping. Most of the others that Hastings has in his care are made jumpers so that Bar Gold will not want for "lead horses" for his education. Hastings has long since made a reputation as a conditioner of jumpers and if Bar Gold is to make his way as a steeplechaser, he could not be in better hands.. Of course, it may be that Bar Gold will not achieve any greatness in the steeplechase field, but he is not the only foreigner whose progress will be watched. There will be a greater number of foreign jumpers racing in this country than ever before in ths history of the American turf and much depends on just how they perform. The ones that were seen under silks last year ably upheld thz fame of foregn jumpers and now it remains to be seen if these to race this year are up to the samples that were brought over. As a matter of fact, good judges have already pronounced many of them belter than the best that were shown in 1923 and, if that is the case, it is assured that there will be other importations this year. There ara other excellent judges who will always maintain that there is no reason to go abroad to find jumpers. They insist that the American-made jumper is a better horse and they have in a measure resented the fact that the subscription money . to purchase jumpers wa3 spent abroad. Of course, this might be looked upon as just a phase of patriotism, but there is every chance to make jumpers out of American thoroughbreds just as soon as. horses of substance and quality are put to that branch of racing before they become worn out on the flat. The stecplechasing of 1924 will go far to decide whether or not it is worth wh!le to make jumpers out of our sound horses of. good class that may show an aptitude for taking the jumps. If a horse does not, to a certain extent, take to jumping kindly, it is a waste of time to try and develop him into a steeplechaser. While the steeplechase stakes that have already closed have not attracted the number of entries that were confidently expected, many of the best values are still to close, when the response will doubtless be much more satisfactory. The cross-country fixtures of the Westchester Racing Association, to be decided at Baknont Park, will close Monday. These include the Charles L. Appleton Memorial, with 0,000 guaranteed, as well as the Grand National and ihe Meadowbrook, each with ,000 added. In addition to thes?, which are to be decided at the spring meeting, there will close at the same time the Brook, an autumn stake with 0,000 added, and the most pretentious of all the New York cross-country races. The turfmen will also respond liberally to the stakes of the Saratoga Association, for during the month of August it is expected that steeplechasing" will be better than ever before. But it will not be necessary to wait for the New York season to see the jumpers in action. At Havre d2 Grace they will have opportunities and then at the Pimlico meeting of the Maryland Jockey Club in the early days of May there will be still better chances. Steeplechasing has ever been the popular style of racing at Pimlico and preparations for cross-country " racing this year are more elaborate than ever before. Announcement of the dates for the running of the stakes of the Maryland Jockey Club at Pimlico this spring has been made and it is surely a happy arrangement of the fixtures. It is not expected that many of the three-ycar-clds that have Prcakness Stakes or Ken-I tucky Derby aspirations will be put to such a severe test as the Dixie Handicap as a part of their preparation, but should any trainer so desire, the dates make such a training campaign possible. The Dixie, which is over a mile and three-sixteenths distance, is to be run Saturday, May 3, while the Preak-ness Stakes is not down for decision until Monday, May 12. Then with the Kentucky .Derby following on May 17, it becomes possi-bte for a three-year-old to fulfill all three engagements, as far as the dates of running arc concerned. There have been some important change made in the plans for the 1925 racing of the Business Mens Racing Association at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans. One of the most important of thesa changes is a reduction in the price of admission to .00 for men and .00 for women, as against the charge this year of .00 for men and .50 for women. There were many complaints of the price of admission this year and it would seem that the directors have acted wisely in making the reduction. Another important change is the ftaging of six races daily instead of the seven that have made up a program. This is a change on which the association is to be commended, for six races, particularly for the winter, makes an ideal program and is greatly to be desired instead of a more cumbersome card. The Business Mens Racing Association lost money at its most recent meeting, but that was inevitable with the weather that prevailed and the loss has in no measure alarmed the directors or made them reduce the value of the purses that will be offered in 1925.
