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Here and There on the Turf Racing in Illinois. The New Tampa Track. Marconi and the Belmont. Chicago Derby Entries. With the defeat of the Mitchell bill at Springfield Wednesday, racing in Illinois is just where it was before the measure was introduced. Fcr a considerable time the bill appeared moderately sure of passage and, in fact, it was only defeated by three votes, a vote that would indicate that racing is not without its fair minded friends among the lawmakers. This bill provided for the government of racing by a commission and the use of the pari-mutuels. In fact it was framed along the lines of the Kentucky and the Maryland laws. It is not expected that admirers of the turf will be satisfied with this close decision and, doubtless, the fight will be ccntinued at a later date to furnL-h the state of Illinois with a racing law. In the meantime it has been demonstrated by the Chicago Business Mens Racing Aseo ciation, at Hawthorne, that racing is entirely possible under the existing laws of Illinois. The success cf the sport since its revival at Hawthorne left no doubt of the temper of Chicago, so far as racing is concerned, and the plans that have been perfected for the meeting which is to begin July 2, t«H eloquently of the character of racing that will be offered this year. It is natural that there are those who will be disappointed because of the defeat of the Mitchell bill but this defeat in no sense means that racing in the state of Illinois is in any jeopardy. It has been brought to Chicago in a manner that can give no offense and just so long as the Chicago Business Mens Racing Association conducts its meetings in the man ner that made the notable comeback possible, the sport should remain flourishing. What is to be desired above all else is some law that would so control racing in the state that there would be no danger of an over abundance of meetings in the same localities. It appears to be moderately certain now that Florida will have least at one more race course and an effort will be made to have it ready for a meeting next winter. This project is to be carried through at Oldsmar, near Tampa, and this announcement is by long odds the most definite that has come since the first premise that there would be other tracks, fol lowing the success of the meeting of the Miami I Jockey Club. What gives this announcement its greatest ■ importance is the fact that Colonel Matt J. Winn, is nsmed as heading the syndicate of turfmen who will promote and operate the : new racing ground. Colonel Winn, in his long association with racing has done big things for the turf and his management of the affairs of the Kentucky Jockey Club tell of his worth to the sport. It was Colonel Winn that brought racing back to the Empire City rare course for James Buler and he brought it back | with tremendous success and in the face of lively opposition. It was Colonel Winu, that; made the racing at Juarez, in Mexico, flourish all through the troublous times in that republic and these are only some of the accomplish ments of this genial and far sighted Ken-tuckian. With Colonel Winn heading a syndicate fat racing in Florida it is assured that the plans ».li be carried to a successful conclusion and that the racing will be worthy. Tampa has had its racing before, but not along the lines that racing would be conducted by Colonel Winn and it is safe to predict that he will put that Florida city prominently on the winter racing map. The fact that Tampa is on the - went coast I ■ : and Miami on the east makes the two racing grounds far enough apart to make the confix! of less moment than would come with almost any other location of the proposed new racing grounds. James Fitzsimmons has not been making any boasts of his hand for the Belmont Stakes Saturday, but he has been going along quietly with William Woodwards Marconi, in a fashion to suggest that the son of Omar Khayyam and I.a Delivrance may give an excellent account of himself. No study of past performances would place Marconi close to a colt like American Flag, but he is a truly good one and he probably was never better in his career than he is at this time. "Fitx" is nothing if not thorough and he has been giving his best efforts to this col:. A mile and a quarter over the Aqueduct course in 2:10 was what was required of Marconi Wednesday morning and he galloped along in a fashion that indicated a real stayer. It is natural that most of the interest lies in what American Flag is doing in preparation for the big race. While Marc.ini was covering his mile and a quarter in 2:10, the Riddle colt was working his mile and a quarter in 2 :0S"i over the Belmont Park course. At this time there does not appear to be much of a chance to beat the son of Man p War with any of the other Helm-int Stakes eligibles, but the mile and three eighths tries a colt highly and Marconi has shown that he is worthy of starting against the best. The recently published list of eligibles to the Chicago Derby, to be run over the Hawthorne track, is indeed an impressive one. This stake has a value of 0,000 added and it is worthy of attracting the best of the three-year-oldi. With a late closing and its running coming : so sjon after the race is closed, it is a stake i that ensures the nomination of horses that ! have qualified for tuch a race, and this plan, : while the nominations may not be as numer-ous as they would be in an earlier closing. j makes certain- a greater percentage of starters from the nominations. Many of those that were not ready for the Peakness Stakes or the Kentucky Derby will be found in this later race, and the date makes certain the participation of fit and ready horses from the most prominent racing establishment-;. Before the running of the Suburban Handi cap many good judges, who insisted that under the weight arrangement, Catalan had a royal chance to beat Sting, now are just as firm ia that belief and have undertaken to show that , under different riding the son of Fair Play would have shown to better advantage last Saturday. It is juvt possible that waiting with Catalan, a; Ambrose waited Wednesday, might have pro duced better, result. Of course, it is natural for the lightweight to force or set the pace in a mile and a quarter race, but it would t be worth while to know just what would have happened if Catalan had been taken back in the early running of the Suburban Handicap. Of course, the quick answer is that Sting forced Catalan along, made him tire and then came on himself to victory. That was the perform- j ance of a great horse. But it is certain that Catslan along, made him tire and then came stretch drive of the Suburban had he been saved from the sprinting in the early running j of the race. Whether or not that would have .beaten Sting is debatable, but not capable of proof.
