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Here and There on the Turf Lauranos Metropolitan. Three -Year-Old Winners. Is Mad Play Temperamental? Black Golds Campaign. Laurano. Glendenning Ryans three-year-old son of Peter Pan and Passan, when he was such an easy winner of the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park Thursday at once took new importance among those of his age. Earlier in the season Laurano demonstrated that he was a sprinter of some ability, but there was a doubt expressed of his ability to maintain his speed over a mile route. The Metropolitan Handicap should set all those fears at rest, for at the end of that mile he was racing in a way to suggest that he would have beaten his antagonists at a full mile and a quarter or at an eighth longer. It is true that Laurano was the lightweight of the field with only 101 pounds on his back, but comparing his race with those of other three-year-old winners of the Metropolitan Handicap it was decidedly impressive. Voter was the first three year-old to win the Metropolitan Handicap and when he scored in 1897 he only carried 99 pounds. The following year Bowling Brook won under the "Barbarity" silks of A. H. and D. H. Morris, carrying 102 pounds. Another three year old from the same racing establishment, Filigrane, was the winner in 1899, carrying 102 pounds. When Arsenal won in 1902 he only carried 90 pounds and when James R. Keenes Sysonby ran his memorable dead heat with Race King in 1905 his impost was 107 pounds. There was no other three-year-old winner until 1918, when Joseph E. Wideners Trompe la Mort carried 102 pounds to victory. Then in 1920 H. P. Whitneys Wildair won under 107 pounds. Thus it will be seen that 107 pounds is the greatest weight a three-year-old has carried successfully in the long and glorious history of the Metropolitan. It was only carried by Sysonby in his dead heat and by Wildair. The greatest weight any of the other three year-olds have carried successfully was 102 pounds and Laurano was just one pound under that impost. Then it must be agreed by all who witnessed the race that he could readily have won under 107 pounds to bring him up right alongside of Wildairs performance. Wildair raced in 1 :38% and Laurano turned in his mile in 1 :38M; with ridiculous ease. Wildair was out the same year as Man o War and that was the only reason for his not attaining a greater measure of fame. If Laurano is a colt of like class to Wildair, Mr. Ryan indeed has a good one and merely taking a line through the Metropolitan Handicap there is reason to believe that he may be the equal of Mr. Whitneys best three year old of the 1920 racing season. While discussing Laurano some attention must be directed to Braeadale, the Rancocas Stable three year-old that took second place. He was giving away nine pounds to the winner when he took up 110 pounds and his was a sterling race, though he was well beaten. Mr. Vosburgh had asked Braeadale to take up a greater weight than had been successfully carried by any three year old in the Metropolitan Handicap and the son of Fair Play gave an excellent account of himself in spite of his impost. Before the running of the race it seemed that Major Belmonts Ordinance was in the Metropolitan exceedingly well when he was only required to take up 102 pounds. In his three previous races he had performed in a manner to give that impression. He had given Laurano three pounds and a beating and he had taken the measure of Rialto and Martingale. The race run by the Belmont thre-year-old was so altogether bad when compared with his three recent victories that it must not be taken seriously. It will be wise to disregard that race altogether in estimating Ordinance in future engagements. Major Belmont expressed the opinion after the Metropolitan was over, that possibly the three races run by Ordinance had come too close together and that the colt was slightly knocked out when he went to the post in the Metropolitan. He was put into the fence in one of those races and his knee was slightly injured, but it did not seem to bother him in the slightest and for that reason he was raced in the Metropolitan. There was no evidence that this trifling hurt had anything to do with his showing, but whatever the reason, the Metropolitan Handicap was not a true index of the class of Ordinance. It is just possible that Mad Play has something of the same temperamental disposition oi his illustrious older brother, Mad Hatter. This is brought home now with a further analysis of the running of the Kentucky Derby. It will be remembered that the son of Fair Play and Madcap was in something of a crowd most of the way, and for a goodly part of the race did not have free racing room, but when he had room he sulked and would not extend himself freely. No fitter colt went to the post for the big Kentucky race than Mad Play and he had shown Hildreth enough to make that astute trainer particularly confident of the result. He pinned his faith to Mad Play rather than m Braeadale and the showing of the little chestnut must be put down to temper rather than either speed or condition. Mad Play came out of the Derby not the least bit tired and he did not take a long breath after the race. He just did not exert himself. The same may be said of bis dis tinguished elder brother, Mad Hatter, in the running of the Metropolitan Handicap. Mrs. Hoots has made good her promise to send Black Gold to the post at Maple Heights today. At least the Kentucky Derby winner has reached the Ohio track and Harry Webb has no doubt of saddling him for the race. It is a tremendously big thing for Maple Heights and gives that track increased importance. In the meantime Omaha has made a bid for the son of Black Toney and Useeit and, having accepted the Mapb Heights invitation, it may be that the three-year old of the hour will meet Runstar in a 0,000 match. The present plan is to start Black Gold in the Latonia Derby and with these various other opportunities that are being offered the little colt may be kept exceedingly busy, and profitably busy, even though he is lacking In engagements in the big New York stake racjpJ
