view raw text
Here and There on the Turf Ready for the Big Race. Two Candidates Are Out. Sale of Jefferson Park. Growth of Ohio Sport.- It was indc2d r. real misfortune when Frederick Burtons Wise Counsellor, right on the eve of the third International Special, should go amiss and probably be withdrawn from the big race. It is a bitter disappointment to Mr. Burton and John S. Ward, but they still have the satisfaction of knowing that the first of the three big races that brought Epinard to this country fell to their sterling colt. It has been a high honor to even start against the distinguished visitor and to have a victory is honor indeed and honor that will pass along in turf history. It makes no difference that Epinard in his two races beat both of the horses that beat him, Wise Counsellor and Ladkin each have triumphed, no matter what the outcome of the race this afternoon. Wise Counsellor is now reported to be definitely out of the race by reason of a spread foot and there is only a remote chance that Ladkin will be started. That precludes the chance of any American thoroughbred obtaining two victories over Mr. Wertheimers colt. Even with the deflection of Wise Counsellor and Ladkin the big race holds out great promise. With ten named to start there is found the name of Wise Counsellor, but he may not be sesn at the post. Then S. C. Hil-dreth has named both Mad Play and Zev, but he will not start two from the Rancocas Stable. It would be manifestly unfair to Epinard to have any American sportsman send two runners against the French champion" and both Zev and Mad Play were named for the reason that, should the unexpected happen and the going become muddy, Zev will carry the hopzs ; of the stable. In the event that the track remains fast it will be the three-year-old that will be ths standard bearer. Seldom has there been such a field of fit horses brought together. With the unfortunate probable absence of Wiss Counsellor, Ladkin and Black Gold nothing is left to bz desired and it is a race that can justly be looked upon as a real road to championship. And the Kentucky Jockey Club, with its customary liberality has fixed a value commensurate with the importance of th3 big mile and a quarter dash. The ten starters named would make the race worth 357,250 to the winner, while 00 must bs deducted for every withdrawal to fix the actual value at post time. There has come a confirmation of the taking over of the Jefferson Park Racing Assocaition by Joseph A. Murphy and his associates. That will mean an important spoke in the formation of a middle western racing circuit that will eventually take in various racing points and have its own central governing body. The tremendous growth of the turf leaves ample room for this new organization, and it will doubtless work in complete harmony with the various other governing bodies already in existence. It is of paramount importance that there be such a governing body to take care of the sport. There mu3t bs a community of interest and harmony in the selection of running time. Unfortunately, in the past there have been conflicts between different governing bodies of racing and that conflict had something to do with the banishing of the sport from Illinois for a considerable time. That taught its lesson and there is scant chance for a like happening at this time. The thoroughbred productions demands increased opportunities for the output of .the breeding farms, and at this time there is every reason to predict that this country is just at the beginning of an era of turf prosperity never before enjoyed in it. Ohio continues to be of great thoroughbred importance in the raca meetings that are conducted in that state. Just now another mcet- ing has been announced. This is a sixteen-day meeting that will be conducted at Southern Park, Youngstown, Ohio. It is a meeting that will keep the Ohio horses employed from October 15 to November 1., and the present delightful fall weather holds out every promise of continued temperature that will make the racing prosper and flourish. Ohio has corns to a point now where it is an important link for many of the horsemen whose stables may not measure up to the Kentucky, New York or Maryland standard. These are horses that have their plac.2 in the general turf scheme, and Ohio has been taking care of their wants and at the sam2 time furnishing fine entertainment to the patrons of the sport. . i Latonia with its third International Special, Jamaica with its Pierrepont Handicap and its Hiawatha Handicap for two-year-old fillies and Laurel with its National Stakes for the two-year-olds and its Patuxent Steeplechase makes Saturday a big day in racing. It would be a big day of racing with any of the tracks with only one in operation and with Jhree such programs to choose from the patrons have nothing to desire. No one track has a monopoly of all the t good ones. Though champions were shipped to Latonia for the third International Special, which was to be expected; all the other big things of racing will be adequately staged. Truly the turf is in a prosperous condition.
