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Here and There on the Turf Dixie Handicap Importance. Line on Three-Year-Olds. Taplin Wears Well. Death of John Middleton. Wh"lo several of the New York stakes for 1925 have already been closed and nominations have been invited for others, there are some big events elsewhere for which nominations 1 have been invited. One of the most important ! of thes2 is the Dixie Handicap of the Maryland ! Jockey Club. This race had its first running at Pinilico on May 3, when it went to H. P. Hcadleys good staying mare Chacolet. It is a race over the mile and thrc2-sixteenths dis- tancc, to which Ihz Maryland Jockey Club adds 5,000, and it xvas worth just ?24,840 to Mr. lleadley when his mare was winner. The nominations for the 1925 renewal arc to close Friday, January 2, at the Baltimore office of the eld racing organization and the entry blanks have been distributed among the horsemen. It might be argued that May 2 was an early date on which to ask hors:s to race a mile and three-sixteenths, but the Dixie proved tremendously popular with its inauguration last spring. There were twelve went to the post and it resulted in a rare contest when Chaccht, Martingale and Eevenue Agent finished closely lapped in the order named. The field was a thoroughly representative one and the only regret of the running, which was not the fault of the race, was that J. McMillans sterling performer, Flint Stone, broke an ankb and he was later humanely destroyed. This is another race for which them is an early announcement of the weights and the date of the running is fixed so that it offers a profitable opportunity for candidates for the Preakness or the Kentucky Derby to have a public trial. The value is such that trainers arc more than willing to begin the season with older horses a bit earlier, and the Dixie, even at its early running date, is sure to take a placs among the big handicaps of the season. In this connection it might be remarked that the new importance of winter racing will bring horses of a better class to ths early spring races hard and fit from winter campaigning. That was the case with the ill-fated Flint Stone. He had been a bright and particular star of the racing at New Orleans, where I12 performed eleven times to win the Mardi Gras, Crescent City, St. Valentine, Esplanade, Panama and the Alabama Handicaps. He bsgan his Maryland season with a victory in the Harford Handicap the opening day of the Havre de Grace meeting and it was the winter campaign that fitted him so excellently for ths running. The winter racing this year will see others, probably of a like quality, and they will find a rich prize awaiting them when they are through with the winter season of sport. Already there is much speculation on the probable winners of the Preakness and the Kentucky Derby and the Dixie Handicap is one other race that will furnish an interesting topic during the winter months. The weights! for the running arc to be made public a month after the closing of the entries and that will afford one good line on the respective merits of the three-year-clds that will try for the classics. It Js inevitable that many of these cligibles will be named for the Dixi?, whether or not they are sent to the post, and the fact that it is a handicap gives the view of the handicappcr on the relative merits of 1 2 3 4 u 6 j 7 i 1 . 3 1 ! ! those in that age division. The same may be said of the Suburban Handicap, which will also have an early announcement of the weights for the 1925 running. "While the winter tracks develops the young! riders, there are some of the old-timers that continue to make good under sunny skies. One of these is Eddi2 Taplin, who has been riding for many a season and justly belongs in the veteran class. Last Friday at Tijuana Taplin won four of the eight races that were decided. And that is not all there is to the record, for Eddie Taplin only had four mounts, so that his score was perfect. Taplin was riding before some of the youngsters of the saddle of today had even been on a race course. Eddie Taplin began riding in California in th2 fall of 1908 and tho following year he rode 151 winners to finish fourth on the list. As a matter of fact, there were only two riders who rode a greater number of winners that year. They were Vincsnt Powers with 173 and Jimmie Butwell with 153 winners. They took a better place on the list by reason of being oftener "in the money." That same year Carroll Shilling, still considered by many as one of the greatest of American riders in histor, only rode 108 winners, but they came from 350 mounts, white Taplin rode in 886 races. But Taplin was a star rider fifteen years ago and the fact that he is still at it with the success that brings home four winners in asj I many mounts makes it appear that he still has plenty of riding skill in his system. Death has claimed another of the sterling sportsmen of the American turf in the passing of John Middleton. Mr. Middleton, who was 82 years of age, died as the result of a fall suffered some six weeks ago. John Middteton had a long and honorable career on the turf and was best known to racing when he campaigned an excellent string of horses in partnership with Karl Jungbluth. This federation raced under the name of the Waldeck Stable and one of the most famous horses to carry the silks was The Picket, winner of the American Derby at Washington Park, Chicago, in 1903, and the Brooklyn , Handicap of the following year, while in the ! Suburban of 1904 he was only beaten by , Hermis. In addition to his racing activities John , Middleton was also a breeder of thoroughbreds " and many of the horses that bore his silks were produced by him at his Kentucky nursery. With advancing age Mr. Myldlefon was not as W2ll known to racing, but he continued to take a lively interest in all matters of the : turf. His son, Charles G. Middleton, is active in Kentucky politics and he is a member of I of the Kentucky State Racing Commission. Death has taken three bright lights from the turf in the passing of August Belmont, James Shevln and John Middleton. All three ; played an important .part in the sport and 1 in the furthering of the interests of the thoroughbred - horse in this country. !
