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Here and There on the Turf Foreign Nominations. Lexington Racing. Maibens Ability. Handicapping the Starter. With the closing of the nominations to the Pimlico Futurity of 1927 cable advices from London tell of the entry of forty-six English mares. This teb eloquently of the importance of the big Maryland Jockey Club race and it is also an evidence of the close relationship between the turf communities of all countries. The stake values of the American turf have grown to such importance that the English breeders can ill afford not to make nominations. The American buyers in the English market have made these American nominations imperative and the importance of such nominations is readily brought home by the results that were obtained in the Pimlico Futurity of 1927. Time was when the English nominations were nil in American stakes, although American breeders would nominate to the Epsom Derby in order that they might furnish their foals with every racing opportunity. But the importance of the American turf has grown by leaps and bounds. Aside from the sporting glory of winning the Epsom Derby, there are many more opportunities in this country of great importance. They are of equal financial importance and year after year are growing in sporting importance until it will not be long before they will rival the Epsom Derby. Monetary value is not the biggest thing on the turf, but it helps a lot and it makes no difference whether or not the sportsman is racing for glory or for dollars, the stake race that has the biggest appeal is the stake race with the most added money. And that is natural, for the breeders will find the best market for the stock that has the best money-winning opportunity. In this country there are races of high value, values that are commensurate with the sporting importance of the race. This is as it should be, for after all the racing must always be an incentive to breed the best and it makes no difference whether the sportsman is racing for money or for glory, the breeder is always breeding for money. He wants to produce thoroughbreds capable of winning these rich races and every time the value of these races is increased the value of his product is enhanced. The opening of the meeting at Lexington was surely an impressive one, and one to suggest that the Kentucky turf campaign is to wind up in the proverbial blazs of glory. Alice Blue Gown equalled the track record when she galloped over the Futurity Course in 1:09 and that in itself made the opening a notable one. The fields of the opening day of the last Kentucky meeting were of a character to leave no apprehension of the success of the meeting and, with the many big features that are to be decided, it is sure to be a great meeting. Jockey Johnny Maiben is much in the limelight now and his riding of three winners at the Pimlico track Wednesday tells of his skill in the saddle. There never was a jeekey of any importance that did not have those who could not believe that he knew how to sit on a horse. Without going back far it is well remembered that Walter Miller, one of the best riders in many a year, was accused of being merely a post rider and he earned his rcputa- tion by his ability to have his mount away running fast. He was accused of knowing nothing of pace, but this uncanny ability to out-game the starter gave him an advantage that made him a reputation. Then there was "Buddy" Ensor. But Buddy was a bad boy and had no chance to last long enough to become really famous. We have had our Chick" Langs, our Fullers, our Notters and all the others and each has had his day and each has had those who could not see his riding skill, but each was a success. Johnny Maiben has just as many who cannot proclaim him a good rider. He is accused of being timid and hunting the outside of the course. He will not go through when there is any danger of trouble. But with all that, Maiben rides winners and that is what is required. It makes no difference whether the horse finishes on the inside or the outside rail, just so he is the winner. Results count and at this time Johnny Maiben is a foremost ! jeekey and a jockey whose riding gives him a place among the best of them. Returning to the question of the use of whips by assistant starters, there were races run at Pimlico Wednesday where the prohibition against the use of whips resulted in -unusual delays in the starting. All of this is not fair to the public and it is not fair to the horsemen. Any time that the horses arc kept an unreasonable time at the barrier it works a hardship on some of the starters. And it also works a real hardship on those who are looking on. That is aside and apart from those who may wager on the races. It is not right that the crowd should have to wait an unreasonable time before the horses are sent away and there are many times when the chances of starters are ruined because of the delay. The nervous horse is at a distinct disadvantage if he is subjected to this long wait at the barrier. The jockeys themselves have the worst of the argument and, unfortunately, it happens too often that the best horse, which may behave himself, is finally sent away in a position that will ruin his winning chance. The starter u only concerned in obtaining results. He must send the horses away in alignment. The desire to obtain this end frequently results in the outlaw and the bad actor being away in good style, while the good actor is handicapped. There is the disposition on the part of the starter to take the tractable actor and place him alongside an outlaw in an endeavor to obtain the desired result of a good start. This outlaw may dart either in or out and, as the case may be, the horse alongside is the natural sufferer. To obtain the best results the starter should be authorized to frame his own rules and it is a serious mistake to tell him how to fulfill his office that calls for more skill than any other of the official positions of racing. The coming of Wise Counsellor to Bowie leaves no doubt of his being one of the attractions for the closing meeting of the Maryland racing season. When the conqueror of Epi-nard, on two occasions, was named for stakes at the Bowie track there were those who considered that it was sas complimentary nomination and that he would not be started. But Wise Counsellor is on hand and he will be seen under silks. And Wise Counsellor is not going to find these engagements in any sense cake-walks. He is going to find plenty of truly high-class horses opposing him. The racing at Bowie will surely be better than any that has gone before.
