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■ r. Here and There ; on the Turf — t; r Kentucky Derby Training. t Rock Mans Prospects. Laurel Park Stud. g a a Havre de Grace Meeting. t f ___ With the Kentucky Derby running hardly n r more than a month away, there daily comes new interest in the doings of the candidates for that big race. Each day there comes reports of what this or that candidate has ■ been accomplishing, but almost invariably the limit of the gallops has been but three-quarters, t These workouts will have to be stretched out materially to make a horse ready for the mile and a quarter gallop on May 15 and, from now k on, it may be expected to hear of workouts r that will tell becoming progress over more c than three-quarters distance. The latest of the candidates in preparation at Churchill Downs to attract attention is Champ * tie Mars, the chestnut son of War Star and Yellow Blossom, by Luke McLuke. This one was bred by Keene and Rouse and will race under the colors of J. 0. Keenes Keeneland Stud Stable. His workout at the Louisvill? I course that attracted attention was three-quar- ters in 1:15%, done last Monday. 1 Champ de Mars has only been started twice. He did not race as a two-year old, but was 1 taken to Miami and it was there that he ran ! his two races. In his first he met maidens over a mile and a seventy yards distance and • after galloping along under stiff restraint most of the way he was just beaten out by Agnate. ! His second was over the same distance and J he was rather an easy winner. There was nothing particularly impressive in tither performance, but Mr. Keene has high hopes for his colt and after his victory he wagered on him in the winter book for the Derby. Since being shipped to Louisville from Miami, Champ de Mars has been training in perfectly satisfactory manner, as is evidenced by this creditable three quarters gallop, and it is safe to predict within a few days he will show something of much more importance. And while many a candidate is in training at Churchill Downs there are other good ones, at other training grounds, that are showing a like progress. These too will soon have to show something more than short gallops if they are going to be entirely ready for the mile and a quarter on the fifteenth of next month. One of these, and a notable one, is Rock Man, which races for Mrs. Margaret E. Bakers aganiore Stable. This good son of Trap Rock and Lydia A., by Sir Wilfred, is at Havre de Grace and has been going along in a manner that has pleased J. II. Stotler, his trainer. The present intention is to send him to the post early in the Havre de Grace meeting and, should he continue to improve at that meeting, he will undoubtedly meet his engagements in the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby. It will be remembered that Rock Man began his two year old racing at Bowie last year and was returned the winner in his first four races and winner from the best two year olds that could be mustered against him. In two of these races he took the measure of J. E. Grif fiths champion Canter and H. P. Whitney.-Fiddlciticks was another that was beaten. Rock Man did not race after the fall meet ing at Havre de Grace, but in seven races he was four times a winner and once third, only finishing "out of the money" in his last two races of 1925. He has wintered exceptionally ; well and all that he has shown in his spring | i ■ t k r c * I 1 1 ! • ! J exercises suggest that he will be a better colt this year. Indications are that the Laurel Park Stud Stable will cut an important figure in the racing of 1926. This British-owned racing confederacy has already made its mark on the American turf, not only in a racing way but by reason of the horses that have been im-1 ported for the American market. Now for ; 1926 the plans are much more pretentious, [ both as to racing and the market. At first the Laurel Park Stud Stable was j ; composed chiefly of steeplechasers, but with the coming of yearlings for the market there came some thoroughbreds for flat racing, until that branch of the establishment came into some importance, but nothing like the importance that will probably be achieved this year. There was a considerable shipment reached New York Tuesday and with the horses came G. Hardy and S. James, a pair of English . riders and both in the service of Anthony Escott, who trained and rode the steeplechase j string in this country last year. Escott will come over and will be on hand for the opening! of the steeplechase season in this country. I While several of the horses in this latest importation are destined for the steeplechase field, there are others that will be raced on the flat j and it is a shipment of decided importance.. The additions to the steeplechase ranks in thu country are welcome ones and as most of the thoroughbreds brought over to race for the Laurel Park Stable are for sale, it is probable that some American turfmen may slrengthen their stables by purchases. With the Havre de Grace meeting, which follows that at Bowie, several of the big racing establishments will make their initial 1926 appearance. One of these will be that ol Samuel D. Riddles Glen Riddle Farm Stable. Stalls have been prepared for a considerable string of these horses and they will be on hand within a few days. Gwyn Tompkins, who developed American Flag, as well as the other Riddle champions o/ recent years, will not be with the organization this year, the horses being in the care of George Conway, but trainer Conway knows the horse well from his long association with Mr. Tompkins and the stable, and doubtless will bring fit horses to the post. All of those Riddle i horses have wintered well and not a few of i j them are in advanced form from galloping at | Berlin, where the winter quarters were estab j Iished. With the coming of thos? there will j j come several good ones from other prominent racing establishments until it is as«ured that the Havre de Grace meeting will possibly be the m -t important in its history.
