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Here and There on the Turf Interest in Preakness. Kentucky Invasion. Opening at Churchill. English Racing Suspended. On the eve of the running of the Preaknes.-Stakes there is an intense interest in the decision of the big race. Indications are that the renewal will be a notable one and its bear ing on the Kentucky Derby, which is to follow on Saturday, lends to its importance. In the long and glorious history of the rich race the winners for the most part have come from eastern stables and. as a matter of fact. for many of its renewals the best of the Ken tucky three-year olds were not shipped to take part in it, but the Preakness Stakes ever since 1917 has had an importance that attracts Kentuckians as well as the owners of the East until it has become a race of great na tional importance. When Coventry was its winner for Gifford A. Cochran last year there was no Kentucky stable represented in the race. Then when Nellie Morse won for Bud Fisher in 1924 no Kentucky horse opposed her. When Vigil took it for Walter J. Salmon in 1923 no Kentucky colors were shown in the race. Pillory, which was its winner for Richard T. WiL«on in 1922, was not opposed by any of the Kentuckians. No Kentuckian opposed the greatest winner of them all. Man o War, when he took the Preakness Stakes of 1920. On through the history of the race it will l e found that it has been confined to the East almost exclusively. But this year it is dif ferent. Edward R. Bradley has sent on Bagen-baggage and he is well able to adequately represent Kentucky. He has the Louisiana Derby to his credit and his later performance at Lexington would suggest that he is a better colt than he was in March. It is natural that Kentuckians should concentrate on the Kentucky Derby and it is natural that they should hesitate to send a candidate east for the Preakness Stakes with the two races coming so close together as they do. But each year the Preakness Stakes is generously patronized in Kentucky noinina lions. The Lexington meeting of the Kentucky Association, which came to a close with the racing of Wednesday, was one of the best ever enjoyed at the old course and was brought to a fitting close by the wonderful exhibition of E. R. Bradleys Bubbling Over on the last day of the meeting. The patronage never was better than it was this year and never has a better brand of racing been offered. It all tends to show the increased and increasing interest in racing all through. Today the first of the greater western meet ings begins at the Churchill Downs track in Louisville. There is no annual meeting in the United States awaited with more eager ex pectaney. In the main this Ls because its chief race is the Kentucky Derby. Also because the Kentucky Derby has now become the chief annual feature of racing in the Inited States. Aside from this crowning glory of the Churchill Downs meeting, a number of other important and valuable stake races are to be written into the annals of things accomplished, with con tingent probabilities of interesting revelations. The Kentucky Derby is a race that with many is the only race of the year. On Derby day there is nothing that will keep them from the. race course, although it may be the one day of the year that sees them in a racing throng. And that is the spirit that makes the races enduring. That is the pure sporting .pirit. These devotees of the Derby may not be devotees of racing itself. They see in the race a big and enticing event and they surely see the sport at its best. That is reason enough for the Kentucky Derby. It has done an elevating benefit to the American turf. With a suspension of racing in England by reason of the strike, it has been suggested that the English sportsmen be invited to ship their horses to tlii j. country. Of course, if is a bit late for English horses of good class to find profitable employment except in the overnight handicaps. Most of the stake races for the spring and summer racing have been closed and after all it is hardly to be expected that there will be any rush to our courses because of the strike. There have been a number of the English turfmen who take an interest in our racing and it would be well for the sport everywhere if they came over in greater numbers and came over oftener. There was no reason to wait for the strike and the closing of their courses. They have ever been welcomed and most of those who have come over have been sportsmen of which any country could well be proud.
