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Here and There on the Turf And Now Conies Belmont Haste in Toboggan Auroras Big Opening On the Juveniles Colonel Vennies Death Another chapter of the New York turf sea ¬ son begins with the racing of today when Bel ¬ mont Park will be thrown open The meeting of the Wcstchester Racing Association has al ¬ ways been of first importance in a turf year and the opening of the beautiful Nassau County track for this meeting is of greater importance than any other New York open ¬ ing It is the first meeting with the manifold improvements that have been built into the racing grounds It will be the first running of the Toboggan Handicap as the opening day feature instead of the Metropolitan Handicap and the first racing use of the new Widener course that displaces the old straightaway course that was so unpopular with the public publicAll All of the changes and improvements to the big course have been frequently described but it is impossible to give any description that can compare with a view of the changes And while the opening of the meeting of the Westchester Racing Association always at ¬ tracts a big attendance there will be many on hand for the opening day this year who are attracted almost as much for a view of the new course as for the races themselves themselvesAll All that has been done has been carefully thought out and carried to a happy conclusion until now Belmont Park is a vastly different and a vastly more magnificent course than the Belmont Park that was opened back in 1905 though at that time it was by long odds the most stupendous course in this country One by one objectionable features of the big course have been eliminated and at the same time there have been vast expenditures in the beau ¬ tifying of the grounds until the new park is a marvel of beauty and the racing strip is without an equal Haste is to make his first appearance this year in the running of the Toboggan Handicap and those who have been keeping track of the training gallops of the swift running son of Maintenant and Miss Malaprop have no feari of his not playing an important part in the running for the threequarters dash And there is another of the eligibles that may prove the master of Haste as well as all the others This is none other than Whiskalong the fiveyear old son of Whisk Broom II and Lady Hamburg IL He has only been raced three times but it would seem that James Rowe has him back to a form that may send him high among the sprinters at least When Whisk along galloped home an easy winner at Ja ¬ maica orj Tuesday it was his first appearance under colors since September 26th of 1924 when he finished third in a threequarters dash That was his only start as a three yearold His other race was as a twoyear old and he was a winner at Laurel on Octo ¬ ber 9 1923 Thus he only raced once as a twoyearold and won once as a threeyear old and finished third and thus far once as a fiveyearold and a winner winnerWhiskalong Whiskalong had a bit the best of it at Jamaica at the start but he won with such consummate ease that the race was impressive and it should be a pleasing final for the To ¬ boggan Handicap provided he is not a one race a year horse horseBut But there are others of the Toboggan Han ¬ dicap eligibles that are calculated to keep both Haste and Whiskalong busy should they both go to the post and the first race over the Widener course is sure to be a notable one oneAurora Aurora has had its big opening and the man ¬ ner in which the thoroughbreds were wel ¬ comed back speaks eloquently for the suc ¬ cess that is sure to come to Chicago racing this vear While Aurora is some distance from Chicago it must be rated a Chicago institu ¬ tion and Chicago turned out handsomely for the opening The size of the various fields told of the abundance of horses on the grounds and long since late arrivals have been sorely put to it to find suitable accommodations accommodationsThus Thus far the racing does not seem to have uncovered any truly sensational twoyearold That is to say there doss not seem to be one that stands out alone over the others though it is possible we have seen it without being aware of the fact factRacing Racing at Belmont Park will undoubtedly go a long way towards revealing the best at this season of the year and the racing there has a better chance to offer some sort of a definite line than was possible at Jamaica There are various reasons In the first place Belmont Park will see the best from Maryland trying with the twoyearolds that have re ¬ mained on Long Island Then the fact that the racing season has advanced will bring out new ones that have been brought to hand more slowly than those that have been carrying colors through April and May and Bslmont Park offers attractive opportunities for them themThe The first of these is to be run on Saturday This is the Juvenile Stakes a race that was first run at old Jerome Park away back in 1874 when it was won by T Puryears Meco This famous old race was carried over from Jerome Park to Morris Park and thence to Belmont Park and naturally the name of many a famous racer is found in its roster of winners winnersThe The Juvenile Stakes of 1926 closed November 20 1925 with 231 nominations and it is a list that probably contains the names of the best of the new crop with the possible excep ¬ tion of General Haldeman generally regarded as the best twoyearold that has been raced in Kentucky KentuckyIncidentally Incidentally two rather interesting eligibles are Samuel D Riddles Red White and Blue a sister to American Flag the threeyearold champion of last year and War Feathers the daughter of Man o War and Tuscan Red for which James Cox Brady paid 50500 at Sara ¬ toga last August AugustWith With such twoyearolds still to be heard from it is natural that any real line on the new crop cannot be obtained thus early in the year Julio C Rosario a young Spanish jockey from Porto Rico is to try his fortunes on the American turf and if the young man shows the same skill over the American tracks that he did when riding for Manuel Dones of San Juan he will be a valuable addition to the riding colony colonyYoung Young Rosario has been riding for some ¬ thing more than three years and no rider of the present day is better equipped bodily for long years of usefulness in the saddle He is all of five feet six inches with long lean thighs and of that fortunate build that en ¬ ables him to do 102 pounds without trouble With racing in Porto Rico only on Saturdays and Sundays Rosario has more than 100 win ¬ ners to his credit and he is eager to show just what he can do on the American turf turfJust Just now this young visitor is without a contract and it is possible that with fitting opportunity he will more than hold his own with the best of our riders Just now he is seeking a chance to gallop horses in the work hours where he is more than willing to show what he knows of riding a horse horseIf If a modest cleancut Spaniard appears at Belmont Park in the early morning hours nc trainer could make a mistake asking him to gallop a horse The whole turf world is deeply shocked at the suddsn taking of Col Andrew Vennie who died in his office at Churchill Downs Thursday morning There was no better loved man of the turf than the resident man ¬ ager of Churchill Downs and no more genial sportsman in all the world But a few days ago Colonel Vennie with Colonel Winn hb assistant and closest friend were entertaining royally at the running of the Kentucky Derby Colonel Vennie was at his best as host to Mayor Jimmie Walker of New York and a big party of men nationally notable and to each his passing will be a distinct shock shockThe The turf could boast of no nobler man and no more worthy champion than this kindly courteous sportsman In his long service tc thoroughbred racing he accomplished much that will live after him but his death means aicalamitous loss to the sport that can never be recovered
