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Here and There on the Turf A Maiden in the Derby. Promising Three -Year -Olds. Pimlico Stakes Close. Vanidosos Showing. It is hard to make a maiden win a Derby. It is not done as a general proposition, but just now there is a maiden that is working for the big race of the Kentucky Jockey Club that may measure up to that task. This one is John E. Maddens Polo Ground, the son of Omar Khayyani and Prude. At the moment this colt is much in the public eye by reason of a recent fast workout and, should he con tinue to train satisfactorily, he must be accorded serious consideration. Polo Ground is probably a maiden only because of the fact that sickness last year kept him away from the races for a considerable time. He had shown exceedingly well in his two year-old trials, but was out of training for so much of the time that he was not brought to the races. This Louisville gallop of a mile in 1 :45 is of particular merit from the manner in which it was accomplished and it gave an illuminating idea of how the colt is progressing. The last eighth of the workout was the best and it would have been possible to show a much faster run gallop had it been desired. With a first quarter in 26 and a second at the same turn of speed. Polo Ground ran his fifth furlong in 13%. The sixth was covered in 13. Then there was a breathing spell when it took him 14% to reach the seven-eighths mark. There he was permitted to run fast and the last eighth was covered in 12%, the fastest of the eight. That 12% was what told the tale of the work and it would seem that Mr. Madden may have a truly high class eligible in this son ol Omar Khayyam. The Kentucky Derby is not to be run until May 17 and Polo Ground is so well advanced that only an interruption in his training can prevent his being thoroughly fit for the engagement. Anything that pertains to either the Preak-ness Stakes or Kentucky Derby is of absorbing importance to the followers of the turf at this lime and the work of Polo Ground is another indication that the running of these big races may be of great uncertainty this year. It was natural that at the close of the racing last year that most of the interest in three year old possibilities centered about Wise Counsellor, the unbeaten gelding Sarazen and George D. Wideners St. James, the handsome son of Ambassador IV. and Bobolink II. But others have come into the limelight in a con deration of the changes of eligibles and it is do longer agreed that the three named will dominate the three year old racing. H. G. Bedwells Senator Norris has forced his way into serious consideration as a possible champion. Mad Play of the Rancocas Stable is considered as strictly right up in the front division. Both Mr. Mutt and Comic Artist, in the H. C. Fisher string, are taken seriously while Mrs. Hoots Black Gold, by his impressive victory in the Louisiana Derby, came to the fore with a rush. At the same time a few others that were looked upon as possible contenders have slipped back, but each day as the candidates progress in their training it is brought home forcibly that the fields should be of the best that ever contested for either the Preakness Stakes or the Kentucky Dei by. Entries for the Preakness Stakes, as well as the other rich stakes to be decided at the Pimlico spring meeting, are to be closed today and in a few days the Preakness list of nominations will be made public. It is known now that the response has been a particularly liberal one and the fact that it has been made a weight for age race has added greatly to its interest. It was expected that John S. Ward would have completed his arrangements for a shipment of both Wise Counsellor and Worthmore to Maryland before this time, but both of these colts have improved in their Kentucky training and the trip may be deferred some days. Mr. Ward has announced that he intended sending one or both of them to the post in the Preakness Stakes and there is no reason to believe that he has changed his plans. Senator Norris is meant for both of the big races and there are several others that are! intended for a similar experience. Some were prone to jump to the conclusion that Vanidoso, the high-priced daughter of I Hillhampton and Smirk, was an exploded ! "phenom" when she was so thoroughly beaten at Bowie Saturday. It is admitted that 1,000 appears to be a big price for any two-year-old filly that only had a New Orleans reputation on which to be i sold, but this same filly is much better than her race behind Single Foot would appear on paper. , No filly that raced as Vanidoso did in New i Orleans is a bad filly and her showing Satur-! day can be put down to the fact that she does not like the going at Bowie. There have! been other good ones that have failed at Bowie for the reason that they could not master the peculiarities of the track surface. It develop? i ! now that in her preparation for the race there I was a maiden in the Burlew Stable that out-worked i Vanidoso and that was an index to the ; fact that she did not run freely in the going. i Then, in extenuation for the showing of Vanidoso, it must be pointed out that Single ! Foot hung out a track record over going that, j | whde it was fast, was not the best that had I prevailed on occasions at the same course. I Single Foot raced like a high class colt and [ his race demonstrated that he has extreme speed, but it may be that he was benefited j i by the Bowie going just as Vanidoso was handicapped. Possibly he will do the same thing at Havre de Grace, but it would be well not to put too much stock in Saturdays race, either in condemning the filly or extolling the colt.
