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Here and There on the Turf Heed for Good Eiders, Sande in Class by Himself. Spic and Spans Showing. Some Classic Candidates. The crying need for better jockeys has already been shown this Beason at each of the courses where the racing has begun. Too often there has been a lack of riders of ablLiy. but this year there seems to be a particubxri y bad crop and no new ones seem to be under development. The racing at Jamaica Thursday was marred greatly by this lack of good riders, while there were other happenings of the day that resulted in several of the runners having practically no chance. This began in the opening five furlongs dash for maiden two-yeai-oldE. H. C. Fishers Bright Idea, one that had worked exceedingly well, was so green at ths barrier that rhe wheeled sharply as it rose and was left at fhe pott, while Gipsy Fryer was off so badly as to have scant chance. Then in the second Missionary was bumped and knocked off his stride at the atari and ridden with such poor judgment by Lsvin? that he was beaten by Flannel Shirt, though the race he ran, under Buch riding, suggested that under more intelligent riding he would have b?en the winner. In the Highland Claiming Stake race it was only the carelessness of M. Fator that brought defeat to the Rancocas Stables Sherman, while in the same race Forest Flower was virtually left at the post under the inexperienced W_ Harvey. M. Fator is a rider of experience and ability and there was no good excuse for his bringing about the defeat of Sherman. It was merely a case of stupid overconfidence that permitted Cano to get up and beat the Ban-cocas Stable colt in the last stride. But it was a cas? where the jockey and not he horse was to blame. Then in the last race the Greentree Stables Briony. considered one of the surest winners of the day. was left at th? post. She was ridden by ColtUetti and probably it was the fault of the filly and not the rider, but altogether these many untoward happenings prevented the Jamaica races from being truly run. There must be -c. development of riders for the good of the turf. Earl Sande continues to stand out alone among the New York riders that have thus far been shown and his masterly riding of Top Sergeant Thursday was an evidence of his skill over the other jockeys. Top Sergeant war an easy winner, but he was an easy winner because of the fact that Sande carefully .voided the early rush and. picking the best going all the way, made his dash at the right moment with the weak-legged plater. A rider of less skill would have invited defeat by attempting to race along with Anne through the early running. One reason for the lack of riders is that green boys are u«d for race riding long before they have had tho education that is needed. They may show a flash, largely through luck, and they are hailed as jockey finds, but they know little of riding. The fact that they are permitted to ride in races long before they have served out an apprenticeship in galloping horses in the morning prevents them from ever becoming proficient. | There is altogether too much hurry in the i making of jockeys and until more time is taken i in their riding education the turf will be under the handicap of unskilled riders. , _ Another of the good three year-olds made his I first appearance Thursday when Gifford A. * 1 i | i i , I * Cochrans Spic and Span was started in the Merchants Handicap, at a mile, at Pimlico. I j He was beaten by Martingale, but his per ■ formance was a truly good one and should do j him much good in his preparation for the i Preakness Stakes, in which he is engaged. The j son of Whisk Broom IL made the pace and it was only at the end that he succumbed to the rush of Martingale, one that had a degree of seasoning at Havre de Grace. In the same race Mrs. Walter M Jeffords Diogenes, winner of the Hopeful Stakes of last year and also a candidate for both the Preakness Stakes and Kentucky Derby, was well beaten. He was ! giving Spk and Span seven pounds, but his race was below what he should have shown, if Bobert Smith has any serious designs on ■ either of the big races with him. J And there was still another Preakness eligible shown for the first time this year when j ! Gwyn Tompkins sent Big Blaze to the post in the Jennings Handicap. Like Spic and Span he gave an excellent account of himself when he was second to Shuffle Along in a fast run 1 | three-quarters, and other Preakness Stakes eugibles in the same race — Sunspero, Sun Flag and Lord Baltimore H. all finished back of him. Big Blaze finished with a measure of game-ness that spoke well for his condition, even though he was beaten, and he gave evidence of being a colt of high class. Until both the Preakness Stakes and Kentucky Derby are decided, all that is done by the top-class three-year olds will be of great interest. Thus far already some of those that have shown speed that would warrant trying for the Preakness Stakes on May 12, thera migh be named George D. Wideners St. James, winner of the Paumonok Handicap; J. 8. I j ■ j i j ! ■ J j ! 1 | iCosdens Nautical, the Greentree Stables Rinkey, winner of the Ashland Oaks, and Th2 Vintner ; Edward R. Bradleys Beau Butler, Gifford A. Cochrans Spic and Span, Edward B. McLeans Madest, Oak Ridge Stables Ap- prehension, Rancocas Stable s Tester, and while Senator Norris ran a poor race in his last time out, it was so far below what he had shown that it ought not to be taken seriously. Thus it will be seen there is already a notable company and there are some of these more prominently mentioned that have not yet been seen under colors this year. They will be brought out before May 12, probably to have at least one seasoning race before trying for the 0,000 prize. j With the appearance of the three year olds I [ this year the conviction becomes more and ! more fixed that it is to be a great year fori j that age division. That is the age division I that makes for good racing. It is the division where the values are most important and the fact that there are so many apparently measur ing up to stake racing quality is a tremendously big thing for the turf this year.
