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Here and There on the Turf Defeat of Epinard. Effect on His Visit. Belmont Park Ruling. Opening of Latonia. Pierre Wertheimers Epinard has failed again. The French crack that is to come to this 5 country to race against the best that can be ? found over here next fall was beaten at Long-champs Thursday. This is the second defeat 1 for the champion of last year, his other coming in a match with Captain J. D. Cohns Sir Gallahad IIL After the race with Sir Galla-had IIL an effort was made to bring the • two colts together again, on the plea that Epinard was not ridden to the best advantage. But the running at Longchamps suggests that it was the colt and not the ride that was to 1 blame for defeat. It would seem that Epinard had no excuse for his most recent defeat and in the opinion , of many good judges the colt is not as good as he was last year when he well nigh swept all before him. All that Epinard accomplishes is of vast interest on this side of the Atlantic and there is l general regret at the news of his latest defeat. The race was a mile and an eighth dash and the colt that took his measure, Count de la . Cineras Promontre, is a four-year-old, as is Epinard. The victory was a comparatively easy one, according to the reports that have been received, and until this race Promontre had not been considered as in the French first class of this year. Optimist, J. Leonard Repogles candidate for the Grand Prix was third, and carried 115 pounds to the 135 burden that was carried by Epinard. What was particularly significant was that Promontre carried equal weight for age with Epinard and that the Wertheimer colt, after making the pace until well into the stretch, was passed and easily beaten. It is a long time before Epinard will be . called upon to meet his engagements on this 1 aide of the Atlantic and Eugene Leigh has ample time to bring the colt back to the brilliant form that was his last season, but it is unfortunat? that he has not already shown more impressive form this year. , Those who saw Epinard at the height of his prowess last year expressed the opinion that it would be hard to find a horse in this country capable of giving him battle. It was predicted that after he was through winning the three races for which he is to be brought over the only argument would be whether or not he was a greater horse than the mighty Man o War. Now there will be less fear of his invasion and it will be a bit easier to find suitable opponents for him when he arrives. It is devoutly to be hoped that Epinard will be thoroughly at himself when he goes to the post at Belmont Park for the three-quarters dash that is to begin his engagement over her, 1 and it is just as devoutly to be hoped that he will cam- his form thnugh hi- engagements at both Aqueduct and Latonia. But now it has been demonstrated that he is not in- t vincible, there is less of a task in filling the ] races in which he is to take part. j As to comparing him with Man o War, he 1 will have to wipe out his two recent defeats conclusively before there can be any indica 1 tion of his being rated with the magnificent sou of Fair Play and Mahubah. Probably there never has been a disqualification, since the first horse was Bet back, that 1 met with the entire approval of a racing crowd, j 1 t ] j 1 1 1 j Many who watched the running of the Bell-port Claiming Handicap at Belmont Park, Thursday, disagreed with the judges when Edward Arlingtons Fredericktown was set back and the race awarded to Missionary, while Dinna Care was moved into second place and Horologe awarded third. All who saw the rush through the stretch agre?d that there had been a deal of bumping, but there was a wide difference of opinion when it came to fixing the blame for the fouling. What made the ruling a particular hardship was that the race was awarded to a horse that was well beaten when the interference happened. But for the bumping it is probable the finish would have been Fredericktown first, Dinna Care second and Missionary third. But of course the stewards have no right to take that into consideration. They must punish the offender, whether or not he was best, and according to their rights Fredericktown was the offender. As a matter of fact Dinna Care, under the bungling ride of Ponce, seemed to be the guilty one. Just before the bumping began he was racing well outside of Missionary. Harvey brought Fredericktown between the two horses and Dinna Care came over, crowding the Arlington colt over against Missionary. After this buffeting Fredericktown came on away from the other two, but as he did he swerved sharply to the inner rail he has always shown a disposition to run next to the rail. It might have been as well if the stewards had questioned Ponce after the race. They had both Coltiletti and Harvey before them, but Ponce was not questioned as to the part he played in the bumping. Tuesday the Kentucky racing scene shifts to beautiful Latonia and already there has been a considerable exedus of horsemen and horses from Churchill Downs to that cours?. There will be thirty days of racing at La tonia, bringing that meeting to a close on July 5 and the book gives promise of as good sport as has ever before been enjoyed there. Chur chill Downs was handicapped by almost unprecedented bad weather and from time to time it was found necessary to make eleventh hour changes in the program, but in spite of all this the meeting which comes to an end Saturday was a thoroughly successful one. It is safe to assume that Latonia will have better weather conditions, it can have worse, and the Kentucky Jockey Club will set a new mark in entertainment. Death has claim. d two other turfmen that were widely known and respected. "Judge Tom Ferguson and James Dillon ar? the latest losses to racing. Tom Ferguson was associated with the late John Graham, who did so much to bring racing back to New York. There was no sportsman more ardently devoted to racing and none more loyal to his friends. James Dillon was a trainer of th- old school who in his day sent many a good horse to the post. Few men knew more about a horse than "Jim" Dillon and, though he had not been actively engaged in training for some years, his advice was sought after and appreciated by many of the present day tramer*
