Here and There on the Turf: Misfortune of Epinard Childowees Great Race Sande Soon to be Back Wise Counsellor and Sarazen, Daily Racing Form, 1924-10-21

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Here and There cn the Turf Misfortune of Epinard. Chilhowees Great Race. Sande Soon to be Back. Wise Counsellor and Sara- zen. Epinard has run his last race in this couri- try. Though h3 has been beaten each one of the four times he has been sent to the post, few thoroughbreds have excited a like attraction for those who know a good horse. Right to the end he dsmonstrated that he possessed all the attributes of a champion and on Satur- day, though desperately lamed by the quarter crack that opened, he ran a wonderfully game race, although badly beaten. Those in that vast crowd that thronged Laurel had no idea of the suffering of that great chestnut as he galloped over the course. But he finished out the mils virtually on three legs when many another good horse would have wavered so badly under the hurt that he would have been pulled up by his jockey and the contest abandoned. Epinard fought along and the comment of Kummer, when he was seen after the race, was that ha was one of the gamest horses he had ever ridden. He said that he felt Epinard flinch slightly while going down the back- stretch and it was there that the injury came to his near front foot. But, added Kummer, he fought along like the game horse he is, although he was utterly unable to show his real speed and it was noticed when Epinard went to the post that all was not well with him. His cars were pinned back and he did not show the alertness that has marked his other races. He did not leave the barrier with the burst of speed that marked his other good races and there was no time in the running of the race that he gave anything approaching an Epinard performance. It was the only time the great French colt failed to finish "in the money." It is truly unfortunate that Epinard was ssnt to the post, but there were various reasons for his being raced. One reason was that fiis starting had been advertised and it had attracted an immense throng that would not otherwise have been present. Then the colt was in the Laurel Handicap so favorably under 116 pounds that it appeared easy for him in the light of what he had shown in his other races. Leigh was eager to show just what sort of a colt he had brought over from France and this desire may have caused him to make a serious mistake. It was known long before the races that Epinards near fore foot was in rather bad condition and that it had bled after a morning gallop. After an examination Leigh was of the opinion that he could prevent the threatened quarter from cracking by binding the hoof with adhesive tape. This was done and to equalize the feet tape was also used on the off fore hoof. Leigh hoped that this - tape would afford the needed protection and that it would bring the colt safely home. It was a forelorn hope and the great colt came to grief, but, again in defeat, proved himself truly great when it is remembered he continued to race along on the sorely injured foot. Without taking one iota away from the good race run by Frederick Burtons Wise Counsellor, when he took up 120 pounds and won the Laurel Handicap so easily, a recollection of the running of the mile race at Aqueduct, when he was so decisively beaten by Ladkin and Epinard tells eloquently of the condition of the French colt at Laurel. While Epinard was, to say the least, seriously handicapped by the course taken by Steve ODon-nell on Wise Counsellor in the mile race at i 1 2 ; 3 4 5 c G 7 1 , 2 , 3 A 4 5 6 1 7 1 , 2 . 3 i 4 . ; . Aqueduct, Epinard came from several lengths back of the Burton colt to beat him home. And in the three-quarters at Belmont Park, though Wise Counsellor triumphed over Epinard, the defeat of the invader in that race was nothing like as impressive as the defeat that was administered by Mr. Wertheimers colt at the next mseting.. Epinard has beaten both Ladkin and Wise Counsellor and he has been beaten by both of them. He was beaten by Sarazen, but he only met Mrs. Vanderbilts great gelding once The invasion has bsen a bitter disappointment to Mr. Wertheimer, but he will long be remembered as one of the finest sportsmen that ever graced the turf and his colt as one of the greatest of thoroughbreds, even though he failed to win one of the four races in which he took part. The victory of Wise Counsellor in the Laurel Handicap has made practically certain a meeting between Mr. Burtons colt and Sarazen in the 5,000 Washington Handicap, to be decided at Laurel November 1 This is a mile and a quarter dash, and should the weights be anything like equal between these three-year-olds Mr. Burton has promised that he will send his colt to the post. A meeting between these two great three-year-olds will make that race truly notable, and the fact that the rich prize is under handicap conditions will certanly induce others that will have a pull in the weights to go to the post. It is indeed unfortunate that the injury to Epinard will prevent his being one of the number, for it was the intention to have him fill his engagement there as well as in the Laurel Handicap. It detracts some from interest in the race, but with Sarazen and Wisa Counsellor at the post, it will surely be a wonderful contest if under favorable track conditions. Chilhowee, the record-breaking son of Ballot and Bourbon Lass that races for Gallaher Bros., again proved himself a speed marvel when he won the Latonia Championship Stakes Saturday. Under weight for ago he raced the mile and three-quarters in 2:54, clipping a full second from the previous record, held by Rcckminister. In his previous start he established a new record for a mile and an eighth, when he raced that distance in 1:48 over the same Latonia course. In each race it was Chilhowee that made the pace from the rise of the barrier, and on each occasion he was an easy winner. The mile and an eighth is an adequate test of the thoroughbred for speed, but the mile and three-quarters is even more staisfying as as demonstration of stamina, and Chilhowee, by hi3 performance, takes rank among the great American thoroughbreds. It has been pointed out frequently that time alone does not stamp a horse as being great, but sustained speed, together with weight, calls for all that is be3t in the thoroughbred. That is what was shown by Chilhowee at Latonia Saturday. He took the lead from the rise of the barrier and maintained a speed throughout that always had him well clear of his opponents. His first quarter was run in 23 seconds, his second in 23, third 24, fourth, 25, fifth, 26, sixth, 25, and his seventh quarter in 26. That is a detailed tale of maintained speed and it tells of the greatness of Chilhowee. And had it been necessary Chilhowee could have run a faster last quarter and clipped even more from the record. After analyzing the time in this race, it is hard to understand how this same colt finished last in the mile and a quarter of the third International Special. Of course, it is to be remembered that the pace in the early stages of that race was infinitely faster and that Sarazen moved on Chilhowee when he was doing his best. That would indicate that Chilhowee may not like the real fight, but any thoroughbred that is capable of maintaining his speed as this son of Ballot did Saturday will not have -many fights on his hands. It is great news that comes from Earl Sande, one of the greatest jockeys of the American turf and one of the finest sportsmen on the turf of any country. It will not be long before Sande will be out again. His broken leg, suffered at Saratoga, has mended until it is pronounced as good as new and all that remains now is to restore the inuscres that have naturally wasted in the process of mending. After a duck hunting trip that has already been arranged, Sande will be seen on the race courses again and he is determined to return to the saddle. It was indeed a hardship for the first jeekey of the land to ba laid up with his leg in a plaster cast white glorious turf history was being written thid year. He would surely have had a mount in each one of these big events, but he had to re;eive Lis reports of the running in the hospital.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1920s/drf1924102101/drf1924102101_2_3
Local Identifier: drf1924102101_2_3
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800