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Here and There on the Turf Wise Counsellor Double. Three -Year-Old Importance. Many in the Handicaps. Pimlico Oaks Prospects. Johs B. Ward promises to make a strong bid for both the Preakness and the Kentucky l erby with Wise Counsellor, his sterling son of Mentor and Rustle, by Russell. Considerable has been published recently of how both Sara zen and St. James have been progressing at Belmont Park, but in the meantime the Kentucky trainers have not been idle and Mr Ward has the star of the candidates from the section in this colt. Wise Counsellor was only started five time3 last year and his only defeat was in his first race, when he was second. His four victories were in the Harold Stakes. Cincinnati Trophy, Queen City Handicap and the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. The last two named stakes were both at a mile and were races run for Mr. Ward, while in his other races the son of Mentor bore the colors of T. C. Bradley. This spring Wise- Counsellor has been training in a manner to indicate that he will be an even greater ihrpe year old than he was a two year old. His most recent move of a mile in 1 :44 at Churchill Downs was accom plished with such ease as to create a decided impression, since it is not the Ward habit to work his horses at a fast clip. Shipping arrangements have already been made for the trip to Pimlico and, barring accidents. Wise Counsellor will surely go to the fiost in the Preakness Stakes and. after that race, be returned to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby. It is apparent that the three year-olds are destined to play an important part in th handicaps of the year and probably a more important part than in many a year past. This conviction is forced by looking over the entries received for the big handicaps for three-year-olds and over that have be?n closed. The Brooklyn Handicap gives a fair idea of the three year old nomination when, of the seventy nine entries that were received in February, thirty four were three year-olds, a like number from the four year olds and just eleven of a more mature age. The proportion in some of the other stakes gives three year -olds a greater numerical im portance and it looks more and more like a great year for three year olds. The eleven older horses that have been named for the Brooklyn are Exterminator, Mad Hatter, Hephaistos, Cherry Tree. Dr. Clark, Littl* Chief, Modo, Flying Cloud, Thun derclap. My Play and Prince James. It is always interesting to see the old horses come back and Grey Lag will be missed, as well as some of the other sterl ng performers that have finaHy gone into retirement, but the four year olds are of a class to keep the best of the three year olds busy, if they come back in the form of last year. In this division it is cheering to know that Carl Wiedemann1; In Memoriam and the Ran cocas Stables Zev have another chance for a meeting in the Brooklyn Handicap, as well as in several of the other New York stakes. The Kentucky champion has been liberally engaged in all of the big New York handicaps. Indications are that the Pimlico Oaks this year will bring about one of the best contests in its history. This mile and a sixteenth dash for the three year t Id fillies is to be run May S, just four days before the running of the 0,-000 Preakness Stakes, and it is probable that some of the fillies will b? seen in each event. The Pimlico Oaks was first run in 1919, when it fell to J. K. L. Ross Milkmaid. The other winners have be?n W. R. Coes Cleopatra, Walter J. Salmons Careful, Willis Sharpe Kil mers Dinahmeur and Ham- Payne Whitneys Gadfly. For the first thre? years the condi tions fixed the weights at stake weight for age, but since that time there have been penalties and allowances, Dinahmeur winning under 111 pounds, while Gadfly carried 113 pounds to victory. This year the conditions grant an eight pounds allowance for non winners of ,500, while maidens are allowed ten pounds. Sixty fillies are eligible to the Oaks and probably the best, on last years showing, was Happy Thoughts, the filly that will bear the Xalapa Farm Stable colors. W. R. Coe is represented by Elvina and Lady Belle. Walter J. Salmon has two eligibles in his string in Haiy Dawn and Flirtation. Initiate, Miss Whisk and Margin are a trio of eligibles from the stable of H. P. Whitney and August Bel- j mont is represented by Bevy. The Salubria Stables Fluvanna and George D. Wideners Salacia, Parasol, Radiancy and Anticipation are others of the notable eligibles. Altogether the Oaks promises to furnish rare sport and a big field should go to the post for the race. , There is always a degree of satisfaction in an acquittal, and it comes with the granting of a jockey license to Clarence Turner. His original application was tabled, but a further investigation resulted in the license committe?? granting the licence Tuesday. Turner is a rider of ability and of several years experience and when he is exonerated, as he has been by the license committee, both he and the turf are to be congratulated *.
