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!■ Here and There on the Turf Jamaicas Big Opening. Joy Smokes Victory. Croissant Derby Purchase. Pimlico Chase Weights. New York has had its opening. The racing season is on and the beginning was all that could have been desired. Maryland, in recent years, has offered keen opposition to the racing in New York and the fact that the 0,000 Chesapeake Stakes was down for decision at Havre de Grace naturally kept some of the stars away that would otherwise have been on hand. But the New Yorkers remained loyal to the home track and it was an immense gathering that welcomed the thoroughbred back. No matter what the opposition to New York racing there can never be lack of patronage and there will always be enough of the best horses on hand to offer fitting entertainment. This spring both Havre de Grace and the Maryland Jockey Club at Pimlico have rich races lhat naturally attract many of the stars, but they will all be back heme in New York at the end of the Pimlico meeting and then indeed will New York racing come into its own. Both Jamaica in the spring and the Empire City meeting in the fall suffer more than any of the other meetings by reason of this Mary land conflict, but with the opening that came at Jamaica there is no fear cf its suffering for lack of patronage. The mile and an eighth of the Preliminary Handicap at Havre de Grace Tuesday was framed to afford the candidates for th? Dixie Handicap at Pimlico to have a worth while preliminary to that rich race. While the result of the running was a decided surprise when Joy Smoke was the winner, with both Flames and Aga Khan beating a horse like Transmute, it told something of the condition of these candidates for the big opening days feature at the Baltimore track on Friday. When Transmute ran his brilliant race Sat urday he loomed up as a particularly dangerous eligible for the big handicap and it was agreed that with only 114 pounds to shoulder in the Dixie against the 130 pounds that was assigned to Sarazen, the top weight, he appeared to have a bit the better of it on paper. The going may have been a handicap to the Whitney colt; if not, there will have to be a revision of the opinion of his chance in the Dixie Handicap, for he was in the Preliminary Handicap under two pounds less than he is asked to take up at Pimlico. But this same Preliminary gave an exc?Uent idea of the condition of Flames, in the Dixie Handicap under 104 pounds. It wa just the weight he is to take up in the Dixie Handicap and for a first race of the season his was a truly impressive performance when he was only beaten a neck by Joy Smcke, one that had been seasoned by racing. Flames was not ridden to the best advantage and he will surely be the dependence of the Belair Stud Stable Friday. He is a natural stayer and with the benefit that should come through the running of this preliminary he is sure to give a good account of himself on Friday. Racing at Miami worked a great good to racing in the sportsmen that were attracted to the turf and it promises to be a lasting good. Men r f means came into racing by the pur chase of the best horses that were available and the purchases were not made merely with the desire of showing their colors to the home folks. That is shown by the purchase of Ken lucky Cardinal by Frank Croissant, who only came into racing at the Miami meeting. Mr. Croissant has vast real estate interests :n Florida and the purchase of this fast three year-old on the eve of the running of the Kentucky Derby is of tremendous importance. It is reported that 50.000 was paid for the I colt and with his brilliant chance for victory on May 16 and it is in no manner excessive. Desha Breckinridge, for whom Kentucky Cardinal raced last year, had reason to be sweet on the chances of his colt for the Derby and, with the going amiss of Master Charlie, ; j his chances appeared to be brighter than ever, but he was induced to sell and the son of North Star III. and Lucrative will carry the Croissant colors in the Derby. This notable purchase gave an illuminating idea of the manner in which Mr. Croissant is coming to the turf and it is also an evidence of the class of horses that will be raced at Miami during its next meeting, for it is over the Florida course that the Croissant stable v 11 make its best efforts. Weights are cut for one of the best of the early season steeplechases in the announcement of the imposts for the Green Spring Valley Handicap, to be decided over the Pimiko course Saturday. This race is over the short course and the race ha. ,000 in added money. The eligible list is a notable one. Dan IV. and Not Much, bilh imjKirted jumpers, share the top of the handicap with 100 rtounds to shoulder. Oid Duettiste follows under 154 pounds and the weights scale on down to i 130, the minimum. j I ; j j I The Green Spring Valley Steeplechase was first run in 1907 and it has always attracted the best jumpers in training. Duettiste, intended to start again this year, was the winner in 1920 under 164 pounds and that is the greatest weight that has ever been carried to victory. Sea Tale was the winner in both 1922 and 1923 and Dan IV. was the winner last year, so that if he repeats, he will have been the second horse in the history of the running of the race to repeat. Now that Master Charlie is out of the Ken tucky Derby there will come news of how the other candidates are "perking up" for the big race. What they do will be of greater importance, for there is no denying that the manner in which the son of Lord Archer had been coming up to the race, until he went amiss, had sent several of the other candidates into partial eclipse. Now it is Quatrain that is coming back in a fashion to merit atten- tion. Kentucky Cardinal showed enough to warrant his purchase for 0,000 and the work of Captain Hal and Lee O. Cotner assumed new importanc?. Then the candidates of the East lost none of their prestige in the way they are coming to hand. Of course, it was unfortunate that a celt such as Master Charlie should be eliminated at this time, but as a sequel of his forced retire-1 ment he has caused a more widespread interest in the great three-year old feature of the West.
