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Here and There on the Turf Elimination of Sarazen. Wild Asters Race. Kentucky Derby Hopes. Steeplechasing at Belmont. It is natural there should be disappointment in the announcement that Sarazen will not be sent to Louisville to keep his engage ment in the Kentucky Derby, but it is better that this determination should be known at this time than later. Max Hirsch reached that decision when the son of High Time and Rush Hox was not training to suit him since his defeat by Bracadale. He does not consider that there i.s anything seriously wrong with the fleet footed gelding, but he realizes that it will lake an exceedingly fit horse to win the Derby and he knows that Sarazen lacks the snap that rent him through last year without knowing tMeat. Sarazen is liberally engaged all through the year and while probably the Kentucky Derby was the most coveted of his engagements, it is better to pass it up than take a chance of doing the gelding harm by starting him when he is not right at himself. Hirsch still has an abiding faith in his noted charge and he proposes to go along slowly with him until he comes back to a condition that is entirely satisfactory. This means that he will not be seen under colors again for a considerable time. Another swift running three year old that may keep the best of them busy this year, is the Greentree Stables Wild Aster, conqueror of Bracadale at Jamaica Wednesday. When this young horse escaped from the maiden class on the second day of the Jamaica meeting, he beat a fast band, for back of him were Honor, Prime Minister and Finn Lag, all winners since that race. But that race was five and a half furlongs through sloppy going and on account of the track condition this son of Ultimus was not given full credit for his performance. Coming back as Wild Aster did Wednesday to equal the track mark of 1:11% for three-quarters and beat as fast a colt as Bracadale, gives him new importance and he must take his place among the best sprinters of the year. Bracadale was attempting to give the Green-tree Stable gelding fifteen pounds and it did not appear to be an unfair handicap on paper. It wv not really an unfair handicap, for Wild Aster was doing his best all the way and only won by a half length. Bracadale ran an excellent race and it should not weaken opinion of his class. He hung on under stiff pun ishment through the stretch and was simply meeting a better horse at the weights and distance. It still remains to be seen just how Wild Aster will perform when he takes up penalties he earned in this race. Apprehension, the handsome brown son of Iriar Rock and Swan Song, by Ben Brush, had a useful trial for his engagement in the Preakness Stakes on Monday in the same race that saw Wild Aster win from Bracadale. On his one race Apprehension had impressed so favorably that he was considered as having an excellent chance to win the sprint. It is l***ible he would have been a close contender had it not been that he left the poet so slug gishly as to have scant chance. Racing last most of the way. Apprehension was finishing with great speed through the stretch and after the finish Clarence Turner went on with him to finish out the mile in 1 41 and a mile and an eighth in 1 5o:,, eas : ;g up through the last eighth. This is a move that should do him good in his preparation for the big race of the Mary land Jockey Club and it u well nigh certain that he will be sent to the post by John Loftus. Others of the Oak Ridge eligible? for the Preakness Stakes are Mino. Laurano, Faenza and Plough Boy. But Apprehension appears to be easily best of them all. Altawood. the C. B. Head candidate for the Kentucky Derby, by winning the Blue Grass Stakes from Edward R. Bradleys Beau Butler takes increased importance in the Derby list. The Blue Grass Stakes is a worth while test for the reason that it is over the mile and an eighth distance at weight for age. The Derby j is a mile and a quarter at weight for age. While the stock of Altawood rose materially i as a Derby possibility, Beau Butler himself ran a smashing race and was only beaten in | the closing strides. The two colts were closely , lapped through a heart breaking drive and both hung on with rare gameness. It was the second meeting of the racing season for Beau Butler and Altawood and the way the Head candidate has come on since that meeting made his performance stand out as remarkable. In a mile and seventy yards race, run April 29, Beau Butler gave Altawood seven pounds and beat him two and a half lengths with great ease. Wednesday they each shouldered I 126 pounds and Altawood won. The race would suggest that Beau Butler has not gone back, but that Altawood has im-1 proved materially. It also proved conclusively that the Head colt is capable of carrying his weight and racing fast and far. At this time these two colts and John S. Wards Wise Counsellor, now at Pimlico. appear the best Kentucky can send to the post to oppose the New York and Maryland invasion. There ma- be others that will upset this estimate of Kentuckys strength, but it will take the running of the Preakness Stakes to determine just how strong the invaders will be on May 17 It was a fine thing for A. J. Davis to offer to sell his subscription jumper El Kantara to any recruit to steeplechasing. Mr. Davis is just as fond of a winner as any turfman, but he is so sincere in his desire to make cross country racing more popular that he offered to sell a readymade winner for just what he cost. With all of the steeplechase stables in opera tttii this year there should be horses to go around, but already many of the trainers at Pimlico have made their plans to ship to the Woodbine Park course at Toronto. Of course, that does not mean that the horses will not be returned for the Belmont Park meeting, which opens May 22, but some stables have a fashion of staying in Canada after they cross the border. The Westchester Racing Association has programmed seventeen steeplechases in the twenty days of racing and this should afford the cross country horses plenty of opportunity if they are kept on Long L-land. And it must be re membered that Aqueduct follows Belmont and it is another course that will afford plenty of opportunity for jumpers.
