view raw text
Here and There on the Turf Jamaicas Opening. Kings County Handicap. Green Spring Valley Weights. Wise Counsellor at Pimlico. "Probably rain today; tomorrow fair; westerly winds." That is what the faithful found as the promise for the opening day of the New York racing season at the Jamaica course of the Metropolitan Jockey Club. And the weather man did not say it all. He forgot to mention a cold raw wind that had a real sting of winter. But racing folk are a hardy lot and the opening of the season was auspicious. The weather did not help a bit, but the weather has played some queer pranks with racing this year. Bowie had to defer its opening for two days by reason of a heavy snowfall and it went through its meeting under the most unfavorable weather conditions. What was of importance, and the big thing, was that the thoroughbreds were back to New York, and the card that was offered by the Metropolitan Jockey Club made the enthusiasts forget the chilling blasts that came from Jamaica bay. The hope is that all the unseasonable weather will soon be exhausted and there will come real spring weather, so much to be desired. It takes just such days as the opening of the New York season to emphasize the popularity of the sport. No stress of weather can dampen the ardor of the real dyed-in-the-wool sportsman when it comes to racing. The Jamaica opening was a big one. It naturally would have been bigger under more favorable weather conditions, but it served to indicate what may be expected under more favorable weather. Racing is enjoying a popu larity never before enjoyed in this country, and the prospects for a big racing season could hardly be brighter. While the Paumonok Handicap will always hold a peculiar importance from the fact that it is the opening handicap of the New York season, there is a fixture of really more racing importance in the Kings County Handicap, which is to be decided at Jamaica on Satur day. This has more racing importance for the reason that it is over a mile and a sixteenth distance, while the Paumonok is only a three-quarters sprint. Handicapper Walter S. Vo6 burgh has announced the weights for the Kings County and placed Zev at just the same weight he required him to take up in the Paumonok, 130 pounds. Under this burden he has to give away six pounds in actual weight to Little Chief and eight pounds to Mad Hatter, Bud Lerner and Enchantment. George D. Wideners St. James heads the three year olds, with 116 pounds as his burden, and under this weight he is rated as four pounds better at a mile and a sixteenth than over three quarters. In the Paumonok Han dicap his weight was 112, against the 130 on Zev. It is a notable array that is engaged in the Kings County Handicap, and under the weights there will doubtless be a representative field go to the post on Saturday. Frank J. Bryan has assigned the weights i.ir the Green Spring Valley Steeplechase Han dicap, that is one of the Pimlico features for *e racing next Saturday. That is a race over the two-mile course and to which ,000 has been added by the Maryland Jockey Club. It Attracted a larger number of nominations than were ever before received for a cross-count ry race in this country. In these weights Mr. Bryan pays a high compliment to the imported jumpers, for of the eight horses in the handicap that are asked to take up 160 pounds or a greater weight, four are foreigners. J. S. Cosdens Dan IV., one of the imports tions, shares the top of the handicap with A. C. Bostwicks great mare Sea Tale under 158 pounds. Next, with an impost of 156 pounds, come Ophime. a five year-cld mare imported by Tom McCreery to race for Julius Fleischmanns Middle Neck Farm Stable. Not Much, still another importation that races for the Queen City Stable, is at the same notch with Xophime and then comes Samuel D. Riddles Brigadier General under 152 pounds. Joseph E. Wideners Duettiste and J. S. Cosdens Bullseye are each handicapped at 151 pounds and are followed by another importation in The Red Knight, from the Queen City Stable, under 150 pounds. Mr. Bryan in formed himself thoroughly of the performances of these jumpers on the other side of the Atlantic before he assigned the weights and the handicap tells eloquently of the big part he expects these horses to play in our steeple-chasing this year. Year after year John E. Madden has been bringing good two year-olds to the races. It is seldom they go through a year under the cclors of their breeder, for he has sold some of the best of our American horses, but he has long stood at the top as the breeder and developer of champions. His latest sensation is Young Martin, a big chestnut son of Sir Martin and His Sister, by Uncle. It is not usual that a victory at a meeting of the United Hunts Association would establish a reputation, but there was something about the victory of Young Martin that was decidedly impressive. In the first place he ran the fastest half mile ever shown in competition over the Belmont Park course when he was officially timed in :45i4# and even the private time of :46, caught by some horsemen, clipped the previous track record. But it was not the time alone, but the manner in which the colt won. He was running his best through the final eighth and has action that did not suggest the speed at which he was running. Young Martin is a colt of immense bone and altogether a rugged young horse that should go on to big things before the end of the racing season. John S. Wards Wise Counsellor has arrived at Pimlico for his engagement in the 0,000 Preakness Stakes of the Maryland Jockey Club. Some time ago Mr. Ward made it known that he would send his champion on from Kentucky in the hope that he would j repeat the performance of Sir Barton by taking j both the Preakness Stakes and Kentucky-Derby, but now that the celt is actually at j Pimlico there is great added interest in the j big race to be run May 17. Wis3 Counsellor will not be opposed by I Sarazen in the Preakness Stakes and it is generally thought that the unbeaten gelding is his mo6t serious rival, but there will be ! many a good one racing against him at Pirn lico and the Preakness Stakes promises to have a notable renewal.
