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Here and There on the Turf Winns New Position Laurel and Empire Lockerbies Inconsistency Edith Cavells Quality It is of great importance to the American turf that Matt J Winn has been named presi ¬ dent of the Maryland State Fair Association which races at Laurel in Maryland With the same announcement came the news that Luke A Gassidy will assume the management of both the Laurel track and the Yonkers racing j ground of the Empire City Racing Association AssociationThere There is nothing more fitting than thai Colonel Winn should succeed the late Spalding Lowe Jenkins in the presidency of the Mary and State Fair Association Colonel Winn is no stranger to Laurel for he took over the track from H D Brown its builder in 1913 and to his efforts can be traced much of the great success that came to the October racing there It was Colonel Winn who carried out his usual policies of beautifying the course and at the same time giving the sport trua importance It was Colonel Winn who brought about the famous match race between Hour less and Omar Khayyam as well as various other memorable races racesWith With the multitudinous interests and duties of Colonel Winn in Kentucky Fairmount and Lincoln Fields in Chicago the Maryland State Fair is to be indeed congratulated in having him decide to devote a part of his exceedingly busy year to the racing at Laurel Long since Colonel Winn had just about made up his mind to retire from the active part he has played in racing but each time he has been prevailed upon to remain in harness to the everlasting good of the sport and it is safe to promise that he will go on building up the turf to the end of his useful life lifeAnd And remember one of the big accomplish ¬ ments of Colonel Winn was the restoring of thoroughbred racing at James Butlers Yonkers track over which the Empire City Racing As ¬ sociation conducts its meetings It was in 1907 that in the face of strong opposition the Yonkers track was brought into the New York circuit and Colonel Winn was put in charge For that first meeting there was an opposition meeting conduct ed at Saratoga Springs but Colonel Winn made such an instant success of the Yonkers racing that no conflict came in other years yearsMatt Matt Winn more than any other one man brought about a closer bond of fellowship be ¬ tween the sportsmen of New York and Ken ¬ tucky than ever existed before No man is more respected by those whose sole interests are in New York and right now there exists a gentlemens agreement between Kentucky and New York thut was entered into by the late August Belmont and Colonel Winn which makes for continued harmony harmonyThe The Maryland State Fair Association is in ¬ deed to be congratulated in having such a man as Matt J Winn for its president And it is fitting that a word should be said of Luke A Cassidy who is to carry the load of general manager at both the Yonkers course and at Laurel The Miami race course and the two meetings that have been conducted there by the Miami Jockey Club testify to his quali ¬ fications for the high office If he should leave the sport at this time those meetings and the track would be a lasting monument to his qualifications as a track builder and a track manager But Cassidy has had a much wider field than Miami alone and he also has an intimate aquaintance with the management of the Laurel racing where he has already served servedWith With two such men as Colonel Winn and Luke Gassidy both Laurel and the course of the Empire City Racing Association have real cause for congratulation congratulationSome Some time ago in this column attention was called to the inconsistency of the mare Locker ¬ bie and again on Wednesday at Belmont Park she was guilty of a form reversal that would justify the stewards in refusing her further entry She had won two races and in her previous race to her disgraceful showing of Wednesday she galloped home the winner by eight lengths after having made the pace for the mile and an eighth On Wednesday this same mare was outrun at all points in the race to finish rather a bad fourth Lockerbie was taking up seven pounds over her previous winning race and this bad race was at a mile and a quarter instead of a mile and an eighth but the difference in conditions did not excuse the difference in her performances The Wednesday race was so utterly bad that there should be an explanation demanded and if the mare herself is to blame then she is too alto ¬ gether inconsistent to have any place in New York racing racingAnd And there were some other angles to the same race that would merit an investigation It is known that Irish Marine is a horse that likes to run against the bit but Albert John ¬ son knows how to make almost any sort of a horse run and his performance on Irish Marine was about as bad a bit of riding as has been seen in many a day It makes no difference how this plater should be ridden Johnson failed utterly to have him do his best and Johnson himself did not do his best bestJohnson Johnson has earned a high place among the jockeys of the present day by his skill and it is natural that more should be expected of him than is expected of a rider of less experi ¬ ence and skill His ride on Irish Marine was unworthy of the veriest tyro and he need only give a few more like exhibitions and all of his skill will have been forgotten But Johnson himself must know that he bungled it badly with Irish Marine and he should be made tc understand that he is supposed to give up his best whether it be on a plater or riding in a great stake race I The more one anylizes that fifth race of Wednesday the more one is impressed with the need for an investigation It will not be popular to try to take anything away from Edith Cavell in her Coaching Club American Oaks victory at Belmont Park Wednesday but it was really not much of a performance The daughter of Man o War won with such consummate ease that no doubt was left of her superiority but the race sent both Black Maria and Rapture back several notches and the victory was rather an empty one onePossibly Possibly Edith Cavell would have still been an easy winner had the pace bren faster She undoubtedly would have been the winner for she made the pace but when the others fol ¬ lowed along behind her it did not say much for Black Maria winner of the Kentucky Oaks or Rapture winner of the Pimlico Oaks OaksIt It was the slowest run renewal of the Oaks and at that Edith Cavell was the winner by only two lengths For that reason it is not meant that she is not a good fill but the conviction was forced that those back of her are of littls account or at least were of little account on Wednesday afternoon afternoonAs As the race was run it seemed every rider had waiting orders yet when Black Maria and Rapture were asked to race after Edith Oaveli they both failed badly And they failed after a first quarter in 24 seconds a second quarter in 26 seconds a third quarter in 25 seconds and a fourth quarter in 25 Then the next quarter was run in 26 seconds It might be contended that a fourth quarter in 25 is creditable but it is not creditable when the slow pace that led up to that quarter in taken into consideration The race was almost three seconds slower than last year when Florence Nightingale was the winner winnerEdith Edith Cavell may be the equal of any of the winners of the Oaks There was no reason for her running faster than was necessary to win but Black Maria and Rapture should have made her run faster if they have any preten tions to the filly championship of the year
