Here and There on the Turf, Daily Racing Form, 1924-09-06

article


view raw text

Here and There on the Turf Epinards Next Race. Opening of Aurora. On the Added Starter. r Leigh Has His Handicaps. When it was first suggested that the second race in which Epinard is to appear run at Belmont Park instead of Aqueduct, the advantages were so apparent that it was not expected there would be any serious objection to the change. But there is serious objection and it has been announced that the Queens County Jockey Club will not consent to have 5t taken away from their racing ground. Of course, the Queens County Jockey Club cannot be blamed for insisting on all the glory that goes with the staging of this great mile race to be run September 27. It is hanging up the 5,000 and the race belongs to the Aqueduct course. That is all admitted, but in the interests of the public the change should surely be made. There does not seem to be even a remote chance for Aquduct to comfortably take care of the immense crowd that will be out to see Epinard in action again after his brilliant showing in the three-quarters dash at Belmont Park. Before the running of his first race there were many who were not prepared to take the French thoroughbred seriously. They predicted that he would be soundly beaten. If such had been the result of the raca so gallantly won by Wis2 Counsellor on Labor Day, there would bo scant interest in the mile at Aqueduct, but Epinard made good beyond expectations and lie will be more of a drawing card in the mile than he was in the three-quarters dash. It is still to be hoped that the Queens County Jockey Club will consent to have the mile run at Belmont Park. It is the only track that will afford the crowd a chance to sae the running of the race comfortably and as a matter of cold fact it ought to be an excellent business move. Racing will begin at the Aurora track today and it will mark the opening of another long meeting for the lovers of the sport in Chicago. The Aurora course is a Chicago institution and for the meeting that is at hand preparations have been such as to warrant the prediction that that racing will be better than ever before. This meeting has the advantage of what has gone before at Hawthorne, where for fifty-two days there was a satisfying success. The meeting at Aurora will continue for twenty-five days and there will be a greater number and a better class of horses than have been usual at such meetings. The management has completed many arrangements for the comfort and convenience of the patrons and the meetings new importance will be enjoyed. . It is a day that also marks the opening of the meeting at Maple Heights and the closing of the sport at Timonium, the first of tha fall meetings for Maryland. This Timonium meeting will be followed Tuesday by five days of racing at Marlboro, a half-mile track between Baltimore and "Washington that has grown to a measure of importance. It was the custom to have the Marlboro racing between the closing of Pimlco and the opening of Bowie in the fall, but by reason of the scheduh made by the Maryland Commission this year such time was not possible. The moving forward of the meeting should make for probable better weather and that the fact that virtually all of the horses that raced; at Timonium will journey over there should give the association all the racing material needed for success. The fall racing season is now under full swing and in another week Kentucky will be along with the first of the Kentucky Jockey Club meetings at Latonia. There was some criticism of S. C. Hildreth in adding Nedana to the Tomboy Handicap at Belmont Park Thursday, but it was not exactly deserved. Hildreth thought Nina was good enough to win the Tomboy and desired to win with her, but he. made assurance doubly sure by adding the other filly and thereby winning the race. Every once and a while there is fault found with the practice of adding horses and it is not exactly the sporting thing to make a habit of so doing, but after all it is hard to determine just what real harm is done. It is an added attraction to see a horse start that had not been advertised as a starter and that should be pleasing. The evil that has existed is the naming of horses through the entry box with no intention of sending them tp the post. It is that which cheats the public of a promised exhibition and it is that which should be ruled against. After all, under the terms of agreement for the three races that brought Pierre Wetheimers Epinard to this country, he will not be permitted to start in any other races except the three contracted for, until he has fulfilled all three engagements. There was good reason for such a condition as a protection for the Westchester Racing As- socitaion, the Queens County Jockey Club and the Kentucky Jockey Club, the three racing organizations in the agreement. It would not be fair to permit the starting of the colt on other occasions and take the chance of ruining his drawing power as an attraction. While it was a proper provision to put into the articles of agreement, it surely works a hardship on Eugene Leigh in his preparation of the handsome chestnut for his engagements. It is generally understood that had it been possible to have him race before his three-quarters engagement fell due, he would have made it more interesting for Wis3 Counsellor, if indeed he would not have beaten him. That race will naturally work its gocd in fitting him for the mils to be run September 27, but it would be of much greater help if Leigh had a chance to test him oyer in a mile race. There is nothing can take the place of a race to put the finishing touches on tighteulsj; Tip a horse. Leigh shewed rare skill in " having Epinard in the condition that wa3 his in the three-quarters dash and he will undoubtedly show a like skill in making him ready for his next engagement, but to be d2nied a chance to start in a race before that date falls due, is a decided handicap. Then it must be remembered that Leigh has but one horse for all three faces and the real task will be to keep Epinard on edge. With only two races, from Labor Day until October 13, it is something of a problem to keep a horse on edge for six weeks, even with the help of frequent racing to help along to that desired end. It would seem that the Police Fund Games at Jamaica are to see a worth-while thoroughbred contest. The big feature of the day in a thoroughbred way is a mile and a sixteenth race and, should the horses that have been entered be sent to the post, it will be a big affair. These games are set for Saturday and the cauac is a werHiy one. iloiEemcn Lave been liberal in their entries and npw it would be well if they showed a like liberality at post time by sending their horses to the" post.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1920s/drf1924090601/drf1924090601_2_3
Local Identifier: drf1924090601_2_3
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800