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4 ! Here and There on f lie Turf , 1 Big Week in Racing-. Nicholas a GoIS of ISoods. Saturday a Latonia. 1 Junior CLaEipion Importance. There were twa important openings Wednes- : day when the big track ccsson wa3 bsgun in , Maryland at ths Eavra dz Grace track and the Woodbine Pet fail meeting began at Toronto in Canada. Each of these meetings has great sporting importance; and each has attracted horses of the best gradss. The racing in Maryland is of esaecid importance and the meetings that eto to follow Havre de Grace at Laur:L Fhrlco and Bowie were never more promising prcEpscir. Nq steeplechase was icchedrbd for the opening day at Havre de Graac, but the book contains many an opportunity fcr ths cross-country horses and, with thai branch of racing coming to an end in New Tcrk next Tuesday, there will be a general exodus of the steeplechase stables. Already several have passed up the remaining offerings of the Queens County Jockey Club and have moved on to Maryland for the offerings in that racing section. Early spring and late fall are the national seasons for steeplechasing and that" is one reason for the sport being so satisfactory in Maryland, though there are other reasons. The cross-country races have always been tremendously popular with the racing crowds in Maryland and the associations have always Ehown a becoming liberality in catering to that style of racing. At both Laurel and Pimllco there will be decided a race through the field with 10,000 added and there are various other opportunities for the jumpers. At Pimlico the 0,000 offering is the Manly Memorial Stakes and the nominations for that race, as well as the other stakes for the meeting, are to close Thursday. The 0,000 crosscountry race at Laurel is the Governor Ogle, a new stake race that will have its first running this year. Another added attraction at Laurel this year is the fact that Pierre Wertheimers Epinard I has bsen named for both the Laurel and the ! Washington Handicaps. Should the French l champion perform, as it is confidently expected he will, at Aqueduct Saturday and at Latonia l on October 11, he will surely be a trernenously r strong drawing card when he makes his app3ar-ancc - in Maryland. The Maryland racing season . is here and its opening promise speaks 3 volumes for the fall racing in that section. It was fine to see Nicholas make good for Mrs. Vanderbilt. When the owner of the : Fair Stable paid 0,000 for the son of Stefan i the Great and Eaton Lass at Saratoga, it ; was generally agreed that she had added pos- sibly the star two-year-old of the year to her racing establishment. The only regret was i that Nicholas was not engaged in the Futurity, , and with a lack of some other engagements i he did not have the opportunities that his s high class warranted. Then Nicholas failed I to make good. He was thoroughly beaten on i two occasions, but those who had studied I the colt were by no means ready to agree : that he was a false alarm. Nicholas was a difficult horse to train, as Will Knapp, who developed him for Frank J. - Farrell, could testify. He was also a hard I colt to ride, and Tony" McAtcc knew that t better than any other jockey. Methods that t would succeed with other colts would never r do with Nicholas, but when he was in the running mood he showed frequently that he e could run as fast as any colt. It took Max Hirsch some time, naturally, to a obtain the best results from the purchase, but t I ! l l r - . 3 : i ; i , i s I i I : - I t t r e a t Nicholas worked well for him and he appeared to be ready when he was sent to the post. Then the mistake was made in his riding. Tony" McAtee knew the temper of the colt by considerable experience in riding him, but Johnny Maiben did not know his mount and he was beaten on two occasions. Maiben has met with no end of success by "waiting" in his races and he likes to "wait," whether it bs a five-eighths dash or a gallop over a cup distance. That is just what Nicholas does not understand. He must be sent to the front to obtain the best results. It is by front running that he earned the reputation that induced Mrs. Vanderbilt to pay 0,000 for him. For the Babylon Handicap Tuesday, Hirsch put his own jockey, Babin, up and told him to go to the front with the gray colt. Babin followed the instructions religiously, with the result that Nicholas carried the top weight to. an easy victory. It was not a case of form reversal, as was charged. True, the colt ran in vastly improved form, but it is easily accounted for by the difference in the manner in which he was ridden. This front running might suggest that Nicholas might be lacking in courage, but that docs not seem to b2 the case, though he has never shown a disposition to come from be- hind. He must set the pace to show to best advantage, from a study of all of his races. While New York, and most of the turf world, is showing no end of interest in the mile International Special to be run at Aque-e duct Saturday, it will also be a big day for the Kcntuckians at Latonia. The Latonia Cup, a handicap at two miles and a quarter, to which the Kentucky Jockey Club adds, 0,000, is a truly important fixture, while another attraction of great racing importance is the Fort Thomas Handicap, a ,000 added race at three-quarters, for two-year-olds. And the interest in the Cup is not by any means confined to Kentucky. My Play, winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, has been shipped on from Edward F. Simms private traiinng quarters at Saratoga Springs for the race, and the best of ths eligi-bles in Kentucky have been pointing for the big contest for a considerable time. It was thought that My Play would be kept in New York, to have a try against Epinard Saturday, but the decision was made to have him go after the Latonia Cup in preference, and the Kentuckians are to see him in action. But My Play will find plenty of stiff opposition Saturday, and it is doubtful if he can gallop away from the scturdy long-route travellers he will meet as he did at Belmont Park. It will be remembred that Mr. Mutt, winner of the Saratoga Cup, broke down in the running of the race at Belmont Park, and that at least removed one of the dangerous runners back of the brother to Man o War. Saturday the Simms candidate will meet some thoroughly fit horses that have already proved themselves as long-route runners, and it ought to be a great race. It is only the fact that the International Special is to be run the same day at Aqueduct that prevents other good ones from New York making the journey to Latonia, but after that race they will be pointed for the third International Special at Latonia and the Latonia Championship Stakes, so that the Kentucky track early in October will see a gathering of the best in every age division. Trainers are making ready for the running of the Junior Championship Stakes, the first mile race for two-year-olds. It is one of the features for the racing at Aqueduct Saturday and, were it not for the fact that the International Special is to be decided the same afternoon, this race would have much greater importance with the public. But the Junior Championship Stake has real importanct in the fact that it is the beginning of mile stake races for the two-year-olds in New York. The Babylon Handicap, at three-quarters, run Tuesday, was in the nature of a trial for the Junior Champion Stakes for the only starter in that race not eligible for the mile dash to be run Saturday, was A. G. Blakelys Stampdele. This means that Nicholas, Sen-alado, Star Lore, Dangerous, Battle Field, By Hisself and Marconi were tried out in public. Another good one that has shown fitness from her racing is Beatrice, winner of the Champagne Stakes and Oakdale Handicap. This filly was withdrawn from the Babylon Handicap, but she has already shown speed and stamina that warrants her having a real chance among the best in the Junior Champion Stakes. Then others that have not raced as recently have been working well in preparation for the running of the race. Tuesday morning at Belmont Park, Gold Stick and King Jimmy were sent along for an easy three-quarters in 1 :16 and 1 :18, respectively. Young Martin was cantered along for a full mile in 1:55. At Jamaica Goldbeater worked a mile in 1:43 and it was a decidedly impressive move. Reminder, at the same track, turned in a mile in 1:46. The manner in which candidates for the Junior Champion Stakes are coming up to its running suggests that tfie field will be both a- large and representative one.
