view raw text
Here and There on the Turf American Flags Return. Stakes for Windsor. Latonia Derby Importance. Coventry in Training. American Flag, the son of Man o War and Lady Comfry, that races for Samuel D. Riddle, on his first appearance this year has shown enough to suggest that he will be in the first flight of three-year olds of 1925. The fact that he wax giving away weight to Scorcher, Bright SteM and Felix in the Bayside Hanth cap made his race a worthy one, when it is remembered he won with ridiculous ease and it is just such a race as should fit him for the Withers Stakes. Gwyn Tompkins has ever been a careful trainer and htd he been less careful it is pos-sibta that before this time American Flag would have earned some fame as a three year-old. It would have been possible to have him ready for the Preakness Stakes, with a bit of hurrying, but doubtless the passing up of that rich race will be more than repaid before the racing year is much older. American Flag will come up to his enga.re ments a fresh, strong colt and the care in lis preparation is sure to be rewarded. American Flag was not brought to the races until August, at Saratoga Springs. After being beaten on his first outing, he won on August 6 and. after a second victory » the same meeting, did not earn brackets again until in October, at Laurel. There he was the winner of a three-quarter dash and later he scored in the Manor Handicap, of a mile over as good a colt .is Single Foot. On that occasion American Fl ig took up 117 pounds to the 126 pounds carri.-d by Mr. Griffiths colt. Thus it will be seen that the son of Man War went into winter quarters with a good reputation. He was only started nine times a; a two year old and he was a winner on four occasions. It would appear from his first stirt at Belmont Park Monday that Tompkins his brought him back a better colt than he wis last year and, of all years, this is one whe-e there are so few good ones that it increases his opportunities wonderfully. It might also be remarked that Americ m Flag is a colt that resembles his illustrious si.e in the fact that he is equally at home wheth-r the track be fast or muddy. He has every reascn for being a good one and with such a beginning is at least a possible 1925 champio i Stakes of the Windsor Jockey Club closed Tuesday and it is assured that he response was liberal. Th? Windsor meeting is from July IS to 25 and the stakes closed are those to be decided at that meeting. The Frontier, Provincial and Canadian Handicaps are the three big features of the s,-ven days of raring. the first named having 0,000 added, while the other two have ,000 added each. The Windsor Jockey Club is one of the most successful of the various Canadian Racing As sociations and its two mretings never fail to attract many of the best horses in training. There has been a becoming liberality by George M. Hendrie and Walter 0. Parmer, the ruling spirits of the racing there, as success has come to their organization and when the ■ de-i lieginning of the track over the border from Detroit is considered, it te!l« an eloquent talc of the popularity of racing in that district. Windsor is one of the Canadian tracks that attracts many of the best of the horses from th? Iniled States and not a few of the big stables consider it an important part of the cam paign each year. Another Derby of importance is tha Latonia Derby, to be decided over that track on June 27. This is a race to which the Kentucky Jockey Club adds 5,000 and it is a more severe test than the others fcr the reason that it is over a mile and a half distance. Many things can happen before June 27 to cause several revisions of opinion concerning the three year-old question, but the I.atonia Derby will be the crucial test for many nf the b?st. It comes at a time when there is a better chance, than earlier, for horses to be at the top of their form and for 1925 it appears to be a more open race than it ever has been before. With 120 nominations and no one three year-cld standing out prominently over its fellows, it is another Derby that is sure to bring out a big field, even though the mil- and a half is a distance that frequently is dodged by the trainers. Hawthorne is to be ready for the rec?pti"n j of horses next week. The big meeting of the Chicago Business Mens Association is still some time away, but the track ■ ready for training operations and th- stalls have been made ready for the thoroughbreds. Th? Derby, Special, Independence Day and Labor Day handicaps have already brought a satisfying response from horsemen and there is every as surance that a greater number and better horses will furnioh the Chicago entertainment than at any time since the revival of the sport. With the closing of the Maple Heights j meeting, where Joseph A. Murphy is officiating, he will cenfine a.l his efforts to the affairs of the Hawthorne meeting, while Charles T Essig. i the resident manager of the track, has been tireless in the discharge of his manifold duties of preparing for the meeting. It is [.leasing to know that Gifford A. Coch-t rans Coventry, winner of the Preakness Stakes, is galloping at Belmont Park. When the good son of Negofol and Sun Queen came ut of the big race of the Maryland Jockey I Club lamed, there was a report that he was to be retired. As a matter of fact, the report was not authoritative, but there is no denying the colt was lame. William Duke, who fitted Coventry for the Preakness Stakes, and Flying Kbony for his Kentucky Derby victory, has said that Coventry i* not through racing by any means and he has him under saddle each morning at Belmont Park. An easy ruile in 1 :437j Mon- I day morning, should set at rest any idea of lameness and it was a move that would suggest that Coventry will be ready for the post again before long. Mr. Duke has proved his rare skill aa • conditioner in taking both the Maryland and ; the Kentucky feature races, and he is by no means through for the year. Both of these big winners have many rich engagements and the fact that Coventry is not lost to racing means a big thing for the turf.
