view raw text
Here and There on the Turf Fall Racing Promise. Closing of Stakes. Return of Mrs. Clark. In these days of making ready for the fall season of racing, which follows on the heels of the Saratoga meeting in the East and the Hawthorne meeting in the middle West, the promise is exceptionally bright for great sport. Epinard has been coming along in his training in a manner that leaves no doubt of his worth and the three engagements he has are of much more interest day by day. He has shown that he is a colt of extreme speed and also that he knows how to leave the barrier running fast. For a considerable time, when Eugene Leigh was only having his charge go along in slow gallops or at half speed, there were many who formed an altogether erroneous impression of the invader. That is all forgotten new that the colt has shown both speed and agility at tho starting gate. But these international races are only three of the bright spots in the fall program. The rich stakes of the Kentucky Jockey Club, for the racing at Churchill Downs and Latonia, were closed Saturday with a liberal response in nominations of the best horses in training. Monday the stakes that are to be decided at the Laurel October meeting of the Maryland State Fair Association will close. The nominations that have already bsen received leave no doubt of the success of the stakes of that meeting. On the same day the stakes for Havre de Grace are to close and it is a list that is attractive, with three S10,000 offerings. In addition to these the stakes have also been announced for the Maryland Jockey Club for the Pimlico fall meeting and for those that will race in Canada the Ontario Jockey Club has an attractive list of stake races to be decided at Woodbine Park the last week in September. Altogether the turf is surely booming and, with the wealth of money that is hung up in the various sections of the turf world, horsemen have only to make a choice of just where to do the campaigning that is sure to be profitable. The victory of Reck Bass, carrying the colors of Mrs. F. Ambrose Clark, at Saratoga, brought sincere gratification to all devotees of steeplechasing, for it really meant a formal announcement of the return to activity in this particular line of racing, after a partial retirement of a couple of years, of one of stceplechasings most ardent supporters. For many years Mra. Clarks colors were seen in all the more important races. During the period of the world war she was really one of the most earnest of those helping to keep alive a sport that was badly shattered by the fact that the men folks had put aside silks for khaki. In those dark hours she made it a point to have her colors in every race possible, i her motive being to keep alive a style of racing of which sentiment was and must be the foundation. There was no thought of financial returns that would even meet expenses. She was content to play a part in the "holding on" until the days of restoration. This she did with an earnestness that won for her the admiration and respect of every real friend of racing. To quote hundreds, from stable boy to turf magnate, she "stood by" with a zeal that was most helping, then retired for a period of partial inactivity, sending to: the post at intervals a few flat horses and a jumper or two. She has heard the call again to the thrill of a victory between the flags and is fast getting together a stable which will mean, it is hoped, the opportunity to see her colors in all the important races of the big tracks, as well as at the various hunt meetings. No more pleasing news can be carried to those who value steeplechasing. She stands pre-eminent, for the reason that she not alone selects the horses that are to race foi her, but takes over practically the entire supervision of their education. She studies conditions with a rare skill, picks the races in which she wants to have a competitor and names the riders to pilot them. She seldom misses the gallops in the morning, or the schooling in the afternoon, and fills this task with all the skill of the expert "docker" that has given years of study to this particular turf detail. With her horsemanship beyond question, her interest of the best, it means well-wishers in all ranks to welcome her back with a renewal of old glories of the light blue, canary braids, canary sleeves and cap.
