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Here and There on the Turf Thorndales Quality. Jock Scot Retires. Marylands Schedule. Tijuana Suspensions. Every once in a while Benjamin Blocks Thorndale has shown flashes of form to suggest almost top notch ability, but they have only been flashes. His race in the Prince George Handicap at Bowie Saturday was one of these occasions. He won with ridiculous ease and some were prone to give the son of Sir Martin an altogether extravagant place among the three year olds. But Thorndale, during his New Orleans campaign, frequently flattered by his races. For a time he seemed to have the Louisiana Derby at his mercy, but never consistently made good on his promises and it is remembered how thoroughly he was beaten in the Louisiana Derby. Taking a hnc through Black Gold it is impossible to bring Thorndale within ten pounds of the top class three year olds. It is hardly possible that Fred Burlew or Mr. Block has any illusions regarding Thorndale. He is useful and well calculated to make his way, but does not belong in the first or second division of the three year olds. Mortimer Murphy has made good his promise to retire old Jock Scot and he will be sent to Joseph L Donahays place at Freehold, New Jersey to be used as a stock horse. Jock Scot is a ten year old son of Ogden and Frankie and he has many qualifications to make him a good stock horse. In the first place, he is richly bred and he is also a good looking individual. Never better than a high class selling plater, he paid his way well in his long career on the turf, but in recent years has become mean tempered. This temper only came when the old fellow was in hard training and when not being drilled he was a perfectly rafe horse about the stable. When being lightened up he became a dangerous savage, as Murphy will testify after one attack he suffered from his stallion. Mr. Donahay is to be congratulated on obtaining Jock Scot and the coming of the son of Ogden to Freehold is bound to increase the thoroughbred interest in that section of New Jersey. It is at Freehold that racing has been brought back by Mr. Donahay and some associates and the plans for this year are for a more pretentious mpcting than ever before. The using of the two off days between th? closing of Bowie and the opening of the meeting at Havre de Grace has slightly upset the date schedule for the Maryland season cf racing. It was unusual that there should be "off time between these two meetings, but it fitted in fortunately and prevented Bawie from losing any time by rea?on of the snow storm that deferred the opening for two days. There may be some other changes in the schedule as announced by the Maryland Racing Commission, but they cannot come for the M ring meetings. There are no open diys be tween the closing of Havre de Grace and the opening of Pimlico and the meeting of the Maryland Jockey Club brings the Maryland spring racing season to a close on May 13. Any change that would be made would have to come in tht fall allotment and it would easily be possible, should the commission so rule, to provide for open dates for the thort five day meeting at Marlboro. It is not known that any such change is contemplated, but that little course u entitled to such recogn: tion. Its racing has been improving each year and open time would be greatly appreciated by both horsemen and the racing public. Time is rapidly drawing near when the racing season of 1924 will open in Kentucky. Lex ington will be the scene and the opening will be April 26. It is already assured that this opening will be a brilliant one. The stake entries have testified to that and the stable reservations, together with the horse3 already on the ground, leave no doubt of the importance of the meeting. The stewards of the Jockey Club have honored the ruling of the stewards of the Tijuana meeting by withdrawing the licenses issued to Stephen ODonnell and A. Claver. This action was taken on the report of the Tijuana stewards who had suspended these two riders for the rest of the meeting at the Mexican track. The ruling against ODonnell and Claver came some time ago at Tijuana and they had been granted licenses by the stewards of the Jockey-Club at the recent meeting, but these bcensesj were revoked on the later report from the Tijuana stewards. This upholding of the ruling of the Tijuana meeting stewards is to be commended and it is just as the turf should be governed. Ti juana is a long way from New York and the racing across the border is in no manner und:r: the jurisdiction of the Jockey Club, but there was enough in the report from the far West course to warrant the continuing of the sus- j pension of these licenses and if either one of i these jockeys is to ride over the Jockey Club tracks he will first have to make his peace with the stewards that imposed the punish ment. This ruling will be honored in Canada. Both Kentucky ar.d Maryland will also refuse to license either jockey. ODonnell was the riding sensation of the Tijuana meeting and his fall from grace right at the beginning of his career is to be r? gretted. He must have offended seriously to be banished, for the stewards at Tijuana are thoroughly fair and capable officials. With Claver it does not m"an so much, for Claver has been in trouble before. He is and, grown man and he knows. ODonnell was just at the beginning cf what promised to be | a brilliant career in the saddle and to have earned such a punishment might readily bring, to an end the career that hardly begun. Too often the brilliant young apprentice falls from grace and it is always regrettable, but it is also worth while to remember that ability to ride, or future opportunity, cuts absolutely no figure in the dealing out of punishment. When ODonnell has paid the penalty for his offenses that brought about his suspension it may be that he will have learned his lesson. If such is th? case, the punishment will be a blessing to him and to the turf in general.
