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Here and There on the Turf Some Disturbing Incidents. Passing of Grey Lag. Opening of Latonia. Ladkin the Defender. There were disturbing incidents in relation to the second International Special at Belmont Park Friday. This is the mile race in which Pierre Wertheimers Epinard is to have his second try in this country. The most disturbing of the incidents was the reported breaking down of Grey Lag from Harry F. Sinclairs Itancocas Stabb. The son of Star Shoot and Miss Minnie had been training so well that Hildreth had high hopes of bringing him to the post against Epinard on September 27. But Grey Lag came out of a three-eighths gallop in such bad condition Friday morning that it was decided to permanently retire him to the stud. Another of these disturbing incidents was the fact that Epinard himself worked disappointingly for Eugene Leigh. On two or three occasions at Saratoga, while preparing for ths three-quarters sprint, in which he was beaten by Wise Counsellor, the French colt disappointed in his gallops and has gone back to his sour moods. It is possible that when he is furnished with a running mate, as has been decided upon, he will work more cheerfully, but at this time he can ill-afford to have his training interrupted, for the race is too close at hand. Then the third incident was ths positive announcement that the second Special would be . run over the Aqueduct course of the Queens County Jockey Club. The racs belongs to " that organization and it has every right to , name where it shall be decided, but the decision 1 is an unpopular cne and one that will deny many a chance to witness the contest. Of course, if it should so happen that Epinard L should go back in his preparation and there be other deflections, such as that of Grey Lag, it " will not matter, for the race will lose much of its appeal and Aqueduct may have room to j spare on September 27, even with its cramped I accommodations. But just now there is general disappointment and disapproval of the action 1 of the Queens County Jockey Club. . The passing of Grey Lag means more than i merely his inability to keep his engagement with Epinard. It means the passing of one ! of the greatest of American thoroughbreds i and the retirement of a -veritable turf giant. The six-year-old son of Star Shoot and Miss ; Minnie, she by Meddler, has had a marvelous turf career, and it was doubly notable when his s infirmities were taken into consideration. His shelly feet, inherited from his illustrious sire, from time to time halted his racing, but whenever he was really Grey Lag he had all that is required of a champion. He did not come to himself early as a two-year-old, but was the winner of the Champagne Stakes, Itemsen Handicap and the Autumn Stakes at Empire City and finished second in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. The following year he went amiss while being prepared for the Kentucky Derby, but was the winner of the Belmont Stakes, Brooklyn Handicap, the Dwycr Stakes, Empire City Derby and the International Special at Devonshire in Canada. As a four-year-old he took the Queens County, Empire City, Mount Kisco and Saratoga handicaps. Last year he was the winner of the Kings County, Excelsior, Metropolitan and the Suburban handicaps. In all of his races Grey Lag was at the top of the handicaps and was required to give away great lumps of weight to the best horses in training. The success of his progeny will be watched with great interest, for he is an individual well calculated to carry his fame into the stud. Latonia has had its opening and the Kentucky fall racing season is under way. The opening at the beautiful course was all that was predicted and the interest taken in the sport speaks well for what is to come. There is no lack of horses from which to fill the programs, and never before was there a wider interest among the patrons of the sport. The Covington Handicap was only a curtain raiser and it is a meeting that is exceedingly rich in its big turf prizes. There are stake races that will attract the best horses from various sections, and it would not be at all surprising if the beautiful course proved the scene of the crowning of the champions in each ago division. This honor awaits one of the fall meetings, for the championships are still in the air and no course offers more alluring inducements to the aspirants to highest honors than does Latonia. Just now August Belmonts Ladkin, the swift-running son of Fair Flay and Lading, is looked upon by many as one of the most potential eligibles for the mils of the second International Special, to be decided at Aqueduct on September 27. This colt was a good third to Wis3 Counsellor and Epinard in the first race of the series and since that race he has been doing all that has been asked of him by Louis Feustel in a manner to warrant the belief that he will be a better horse over the mils route. Ladkin is an eligible to the Bay View Handicap, at a mile and a sixteenth, the opening feature of the Queens County Jockey Club at Aqueduct Tuecday and, should Feustel decidy to send him to the post, an excellent public line will be had on his present fitness. This race would also be decidedly helpful in the preparation of the colt for his more important engagement with the Frenchman. Another eligible that made good in public was Worthmore. He is an excellent second string to Wise Counsellor and, should anything befall the conqueror of Epinard in his first race in this country, John Ward will have a good one to fall back upon in the son of Thunderer and Lady Moonet. Saturday was a big day in a racing way with the opening of the meeting at Latonia and the Blue Bonnets course in Montreal, as well as the running of the Futurity and the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. With the other meetings that continued there was racing at no less than twelve different courses throughout the country.
