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2 3 3 A Here and There ■ 5 on the Turf C 7 Closing of Tampa. Hardship on Horsemen. Handicaps for Platers. r Campaign of Canter. i 2 It is unfortunate that the racing at Tampa 3 , should have come to such a sudden and un- t 4 timely end. It is doubly unfortunate that this 5 . end should have been largely due to internal G dissension in the West Coast Jockey Club. 7 8 That is always to be deplored. 9 | But with the passing of Tampa it must be remembered that as far as the racing itself was concerned the sport was conducted along i lines that could bring no offense. The "take" from the mutuels was a matter that was up to Ihe club itself and had nothing to do with the . running of the horses, or the manner in which 1 the rules of the sport were enforced by S. C. Nuckols and John T. Ireland, the stewards. These gentlemen kept the racing above re proach. Just what the future will bring forth for the West Coast Jockey Club is yet to be known. It would seem that there must come some I radical changes in the government and control [ of the Horida club before Tampa gives its next meeting. It goes without saying that the » internal friction that brought about the closing • of the gates is an absolute bar against another r meeting, but there is ample time for all of this a to be straightened out before dates roll around 1 for another year. • And in the meantime it would be well if • some missionary work was done on behalf of [ racing on the west coast of Florida. The resi dents did not take a becoming interest in the e racing and there was a degree of opposition, in tome quarters, that was a severe handicap. i Intelligent work on behalf of the sport and a ft determination that the "take" for future meet ings will not exceed the legitimate 5 per cent will save racing for Tampa, but it would b? well to have this work begun without delay. This closing of a meeting, as the racing at Tampa was brought to an end Saturday, works a great hardship on horsemen as well as the various employes of the track. It is little short of disastrous and it always takes any racing organization a long time to live it down. It had been promised there would be forty-five days of racing and with no warning there came an end to it all, six days before the promised closing. This will create a distrust of any other prom ises that may be made by the West Coast Jockey Club and will seriously effect its future meetings, unless confidence is restored. Such a closing always finds horsemen and employes unprepared and Tampa is far removed from other racing sections, making shipping a seriou.-problem. The Thoroughbred Horsemens Association, which from time to time has sought to regulate race meetings, would do well in such a case to look after their own and see to it that associations that fail to live up to the promise.-of a meeting be forced to make good or be outlawed by the association. The West Coast Jockey Club, after announcing its dates, decided I on an extension of the meeting. That was a i mistake in the first place, and now bringing | the racing to an end virtually at a moments notice is hard to excuse, no matter what the • reason for that closing. Joseph McLennan, than whom there is i no more painstaking or efficient racing official, , will stage a handicap at Bowie, for three year-olds - and over, that have raced in claiming ; races in 1925. This is a race designed after r I i | • i , - ; r the suggestion of Walter S. Vosburgh, handi capper for the track of The Jockey Club, and it was a suggestion offered to afford racing opportunity for platers without subjecting them to the danger of being lost through the claim j ing box. This is in no sense an experiment with Mr. McLennan. He met with great results when he put on three of such races during the Fair Grounds meeting at New Orleans. In one of these the finish brought a dead heat, while another saw a head finish and an exciting stretch battle. These races add to the labors of a racing secretary and handicapper, but Joe McLennan has never dodged hard work and that is one reason for his unqualified success as a racing .-••ecretary and handicapper. The value of the Vosburgh suggestion is not done demonstrated by its adoption and appli cation by Joseph McLennan, for it will also be taken up at the coming meeting of the Maryland Jockey Club at Pimlico next month. Han | dicapper Frank J. Bryan has prepared conditions for races designed along similar lines, all of which has been set forth in these columns. If J. E. Griffiths Canter meets his engagements at the Havre de Grace meeting he will be highly tried for the great stake race. He has been named in all of the important events to which he is eligible and his being nomi-I nated would indicate that it is the intention to give him a busy campaign during that meeting. Sometime ago it was announced with more or less authority that there was no intention of making the son of Wildair and Virginia L ready for the Kentucky Derby. At the time it was said that he would be reserved for his later engagements. That ssssj still be the intention of Harry Rites, his developer, , and Mr. Griffith, his owner, but his being so j liberally nominated at Havre de Grace suggests a change of plans. There is no reason for naming Canter for these early spring races unless it is intended to send him to the post. If he is raced and comes along as he should during the meeting, there does not seem to be any reason why he should not have his opportunity in both the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico and the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Canter is named for the Chesapeake Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth at Havre de Grace, and should he give a good account of himself in that race, it is safe to predict that he will have a try in the two big races that follow in May. Canter was brought to the post early last year and raced until late in the fall, winding up his campaign with rare brilliance. When he went into winter quarter* he did not seem to be in any manner jaded from his long campaigning. Thus far he has Leen doing all that has been asked of hie. in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. When it is remembered that but a few years back the Saratoga association was compelled to declare off several steeplechases by reason of lack of interest and lack of horses for cross country- racing, it is pleasing to know that rather elaborate plans are being made for the steeplechasing of next August. The victory of Jack Horner, in the Liver-I ool Grand National, under the colors of the An eric an turfman, Charles Schwarti, as well as the successes of Stephen Laddie Sanford in England, has done much k bring new interest in tteeplechasing in this country, and it is expected that this year will bring a great revival of the sport. It is assured that many turfmen will take lo that branch of racing for the first time this year and the number of horses that are making ready for the cross country season, augurs well for the sport. The steeplechasing will begin at Havre de Grace, but it is Pim lico and th? meeting of the old Maryland Jockey Club that will bring out some of the jjest bf the jumping prospects for 192b.
