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Here and There on the Turf . Three-Year-Old Situation. Elimination of Stars. Modest s Good Victory. Black Gold at Cleveland. At the present time the three year-old situation is pretty well mixed up. It may be that little Black Gold, winner of the Kentucky Derby, will wind up the champion of the year, but unfortunately he has hardly enough important engagements to make his claim to the championship other than questionable. He won the Kentucky Derby like a sterling good colt and there have been few bad ones win that famous old race. It is not intended that any of the glory that goes with the Kentucky Derby should be taken away from the son of Black Toney and Useeit but Black Gold would have a better chance to clinch his right to the top of the division if he had some New York engagements. It is possible that the running of the Withers Stakes this week will bring about some other revisions in the three-year-old division. The Withers is down for decision Friday — Decoration Day. There are sixty-five eligibles and it promises to have a decidedly eastern flavor for there is not a Kentucky-owned colt in its list. The Rancocas Stable is the most numerously represented with Mad Play, Bracadale, Honor, Finn Lag, Hourmore, Sheridan, Stan wix, Tester and Eaglet all in it. August Belmont is represented by Ordinance, Pricemaker, Ladkin and Lucky Play. It is unfortunate that Ordinance, the best of the Belmont quartet, is, for the time being, out of training and it is only a hope that he will be brought to the post for the Belmont Stakes. This good colt, up to his bad showing in the Metropolitan Handicap, was going along in a fashion to give promise of his being a possible champion before the opening of the Saratoga meeting in August. Thus it is that after an early spring that promised better three year-old racing than in many a year past, good ones have been coming to grief until now it is a hard matter to fix any dependable classification. Sarazen is galloping again, but it may be some time before he is raced. Wise Counsellor is more or less on the shelf. St. James is virtually retired. Apprehension was so badly jumped on in the Preakness Stakes that he has been out of training since. It is just a bit unfortunate for the Oak Ridge Stable that Laurano, its winner of the Metropolitan Handicap, is not eligible to the Withers. This leaves Faenza and Mino as the only stable eligibles. Laurano was declared from the Withers during the winter, together with Cano, Plough Boy, Little Minister, Mac o Boy, John Garland and Repartee. Of these, of course, the only regret is that Laurano is no longer an eligible. Laurano was not named for the Belmont Stakes and for that race the Oak Ridge Stable eligibles are the same as for the Withers — Apprehension, Faenza and Mino. When Edward B. McLeans Modest won the e Grainger Memorial Handicap at Churchill Downs Saturday from H. P. Headleys Dixie e Handicap winner, Chacolet, he gave evidence e of the form that induced John F. Schorr to try for both the Preakness Stakes and the e , Kentucky Derby with the son of Colin and I Shyness. Of course. Modest was in receipt of con siderable weight, but when he finished out his g mile and a quarter in 2:03% with 101 pounds a in the saddle he proved himself a worthy son n of his unbeaten sire. And it is also worth d whih to remember that both Chilhowee and d Beau Butler finished outside the money. Modest was in receipt of six pounds from n Chilhowee and of three from Beau Butler, •. but he administered a seven lengths beating g to Chilhowee and Beau Butler was a neck k back of the Gallagher colt. Chilhowee ran a a » ; . I , : ; I , 5 1 e - 3 e e e e , I g a n d d n •. g k a a grand race in the Kentucky Derby when he was fighting it out at the end with Black Gold and Bracadale, while Beau Butler was placed third in the running of that big race, The chart will show that Modest was beaten eighteen lengths in the Kentucky Derby, so that his Grainger Handicap was a marked change over the running of that race. It may be that Modest cannot carry high weight easily, for he was also well beaten in the Preakness Stakes when he took up his weight for age, but he is at least a good class colt under light weight. Chacolet, though beaten in the Grainger, ran her usual honest race to finish second, while her stablemate, Hopeless, forced the pace. She finished with speed and gameness, but could not catch the lightly weighted three-year-old. It is beginning to look as though Gifford A. Cochran made no mistake when he paid Madden and Mosely 1,000 for a handsome bay or black yearling by The Finn — Princess Mary at the yearling sales last August. This was the top price paid in the open market and the youngster is Flying Ebony. Carroll Shilling has sent this colt to the post four times and he has three victories to his credit, only being beaten in his first start. This one defeat came at Pimlico when the son of The Finn was beaten by J. S. Cosdens Sombre, a particularly speedy filly. It might also be said on behalf of Flying Ebony that in that race, while he was leading, he stumbled in the stretch and that mishap just about decided the race. The only engagement Flying Ebony has at the present Belmont Park meeting is in the Juvenile Stakes, to be run Friday, but it is not expected he wdl be brought on for the race. His three victories have all been scored at Churchill Downs. It was a foregone conclusion that Black Gold, winner of the Louisiana and the Kentucky Derbys, would add the Maple Heights Derby to that list without extending himself, and that is what happened Saturday. While this Maple Heights Derby does not add any fame to the son of Black Toney and Useeit, it was well that he should be taken to the Cleveland track. It is always to be desired that the horse of the hour be shown in as many different localities as is possible. Such horses do much for the turf and Mrs. Hoots is to be commended for permitting Black Gold to make the trip.
