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Here and There on the Turf Loyalty of KentucMans. Big Thing for the Turf. Conflict in Stake Dates. Season for the Cheap Ones. There is something delightful in the pride of Kerituckians in their horses. That is never more forcibly .shown than when some big fixture is down for decision, which attracts the best from every section where horses are raced. There always has been a keen rivalry between New York turfmen and the Kentuck-ians, but the New Yorkers are not anything like as loyal to their own as are those of Kentucky. It is little short of treason for a Kentuckian to admit that any horse from New York or anywhere else has a chance against a Kentucky champion. Just now with the third International Special almost at hand and the best from every section ready to go to the post, Kentucky remains faithful to its own. It is hard to find one of them who will admit that New York will have any share in the big race, while Epinard is not considered a real danger. It is supreme confidence and it promises to obtain right up to post timz. Princess Doreen has the call with most of the natives of the Blue Grass, but they do not stop with that great filly, they have their Chilhowee and his followers and if the man on the street is asked for an opinion he will probably say that the filly will win and Chilhowee will beat all the others. Then there is Altawood and the invaders may have what is hft. Even the remarkable work of Mrs. Vanderbilts Sarazen did not alarm the patriots They can see nothing but Kentucky in the big race. And it is a big thing for the sport to have this loyalty to locality. It breeds sportsmen and it is the essence of racing. It may not be altogether profitable to pin faith to a horse just because he was bred, grew up and raced in Kentucky, but just so long as this patriotism exists there is every incentive to breed and race the best. On Saturday, while the International Special has none of the glamor of a Kentucky Derby, with its wealth of tradition, it has an importance that is all its own, and a victory there is looked upon as a worlds championship. Epinard, the best horse in Europe last .year, I and a colt that has proved himself a real champion, though beaten in both races since his arrival in this country, makes it a worlds championship. Kentucky wants the worlds championship and Kentucky at this time enjoys a refreshing confidence that the championship will come to one of its candidates. With the arrival of S. C. Hildreth with the Rancocas Stable eligibles, there is new interest in the big event, and it adds a new problem for both the Kentuckians and Eugene Leigh to solve. But in the Pierre Wertheimer camp there is just as much confidence as has been shown by the Kentuckians. The two defeats that have come in New York have not shaken confidence in the French colt, and no sensational work has caused even a ripple of apprehension. These are reasons why the mile and a quarter dash of Saturday promises to be one of the greatest races ever contested in this country. . It is just a bit unfortunate that the third Interntional Special, at Latonia, b run simultaneously with the Pierrepont Handicap of the Metropolitan Jockey Glub. That is to -say, it is .unfortunate for Jamaica. It was natural that some of the real stars among the eligibles for the mile and a quarter at Jamaica should be shipped to Latonia after bigger game. Then there are others that are engaged at Laurel, though the Saturday program does not contain a special race for three-year-olds and over that would offer a conflict. Jamaica will doubtless have a worthy renewal of the Pierrepont Handicap, which is at a mile and a quarter, with ,000 added, but the absence of the top weights will afford better opportunities for those of lesser reputation. It is inevitable that there will be conflict in races. It cannot be avoided, but it is always well to reduce this conflict as much as is possible. That is one excellent reason for future international races to be accorded a place on programs when they are made up early in the year. It would be a comparatively easy matter to so arrange dates for various races that would reduce conflicts to a minimum. Of course, this would mean a working together of the racing associations of various sections, and it will doubtless be done in years that are to come. There has been conflict between the Maryland Jockey Club and the Kentucky Jockey Club, in the running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico and the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, but that conflict will never come again. It worked a hardship on the sport and was a bad business arrangement for the tracks. At this time there is harmony between the two associations in the arrangement of stake dates and efforts are made both spring and fall to so arrange stake racas that horses are enabled to keep both Kentucky and Maryland engagements. It is at this time in the racing season that the importancs of the cheap horses in furnishing entertainment is at flood tide. In the early spring and in the late fall the cheap ones come into their own and shine. That is easily shown by the results whsn cheap ones are invited to race. At Jamaica on Wednesday the six races brought out only thirty-four starters. Two races had only four starters each. One attracted only three at post time and another saw only five. But there were eight in a cheap race and ten in another that invited the lowly platers. Of course too often the fields fall off badly in the fall racing about New York, by reason of tha attractions that are offered in both. . Kentucky and Maryland, but the cheap ones are always found in generous numbers. The programs that were offered at Latonia and Laurel on Wednesday were not particularly attractive and the fields were hardly up to tho usual standard, but the saven races at Latonia brought out fifty-six runners, while a like number of races at Laurel attracted sixty-eight. It is natural that there are off days at all of the tracks and natural that, with the vast thoroughbred bresding that there is a production that makes all the cheap ones inevitable. They must have their .opportunities and there altrays will be times when they wi5 dominate " - - any racing ctrd.
