view raw text
Here and There on the Turf Fairmoimt Derby. East Well Represented. Maiden Jockey Races. Quality of Peanuts. With both Joseph E. Wieleners Withers Stakes winner Haste and the Sagamore Stables Rock Man certain starters in the Fairmount Derby, to be decided at the Collinsville course Saturday, that new race has an altogether new importance. It is well that the first running of this Derby should attract such starters, for it is a race that has an importance that should attract the best. And it is always well to keep alive the sporting rivalry of the different sections. New York and the East made a brave effort to bring the Kentucky Derby to the Atlantic seaboard and the invasion was a disappointing one when Bubbling Over was first and his stable mate, Bagenbaggage, second. But the East was saved from utter rout when Rock Man. after having closely followed all the pace makers, beat Rhinock, another westerner, for third place. This, of course, did not atone for the utter defeat of Pompey, the real hope of the East. W. R. Coe and the East had some consolation later when Black Maria journeyed out to Churchill Downs to bring back th laurels of the Kentucky Oaks, which was de tided in a driving rainstorm. Then there came another unsuccessful invasion of Kentucky when H. P. Whitneys P.londin and the Oreentree Stables Navigator were shipped to Latonia to try for the mile and a half of the Latonia Derby. And the Bradley colts again brilliantly defended th« honor of Kentucky when Bagenbaggage and Boot to Boot were first and second, with thp Parkview Stables Rhinock third. This was an utter rout of the East. Thus it will be seen that Kentucky has more than held her own this year. That is another reason why there comes additional interest in the presence of Haste and Rock Man in the Derby field of Saturday. Haste, by his victory in the Withers Stakes and his excellent race in the Belmont Stakes, will be the bright and particular hoj e of New York, but Rock Man has proven himself a sturdy sort and Kentuck tans will have a wholesome respect for him after having seen him race in the Kentucky Derby. Collinsville is an Illinois course, but it is properly considered in the Kentucky, or Middle West, circuit. It has attracted the best of lh? Kentucky horses and an Illinois victory has just as much importance as a Kentucky victory at this time. These races that are put on for the boys who have never won a race they are not jockeys and they are not skilled riders have a doubtful value. Of course, the reason for such races was to develop jockeys, but it is an altogether wrong way to make riders. Whii is of more importance, they are races that absolutely upset the form of horses and races that may readily bring trainers into trouble, by reason of the inconsistency of their horses. It is greatly to be desired that riders be made, but they must be made in the forenoon, and no boy should have a mount in a race until he has learned enough of riding to earn a jJace in a race. Some excellent exercise l oys never become efficient riders, but there never was an efficient rider that did not serve an apprenticeship as an exercise boy. In recent years there has not been care enough taken in the development of jockeys In the rush to obtain results, the boy that is light enough, has only to show that he can sit on a horse and that he is not afraid and he is afforded a chance to ride in races. It is all wrong and even if the lad is lucky enough to win a race, he is still a long way from be ing a jockey. One in a hundred may be a natural rider and he will go on up the ladder of riding fame, but the others begin in the wrong way and seldom become good riders. Just what a boy can learn of race riding when he is pitted against those of no experience is hard to determine. Each one of these races is pitiful when the little fellows are seen doing their level best, but almost invariably hindering rather than helping the horse. Take the same boys and when they show a proficiency in galloping horses permit them to ride against I Sande, a McAtee, Callahan, Turner, Albert Johnson or several others and they have an infinitely better opportunity to learn. They can learn nothing riding with boys who know as little of the art as they do themselves. But the fundamental thing is that these little fellows have no business race riding, in any company, until they have served a long apprenticeship about the stable galloping and learning horses. Single Toot ran a good and game race lo win the Brooklyn Handicap on Monday at Aqueduct, but when the weights are considered the race run by little Peanuts was a more impressive performance. Considering the per formance by these weights it is found on the scale that Single Foot was in receipt of nine teen i ounds from Sarazen, twelve pounds from American Flag, six pounds from Navigator. five pounds from Chilhowee and one pound from Peanuts. He gave Son of John one l ound, Dangerous and Cloudland two pounds each and Sun Pal seven pounds. It was the first winning race for the son of Wrack and Virginia L. this year and he had an early start, having been sent to the post at the Bowie meeting, and had raced eight time.-without having won, but his Brooklyn Handicap impost was the lightest weight that he has carried this year. Single Foot ran a good race and the fact that he came on after having followed Saraien at a fast pace made his success notable, but the fact that Sarazen wa conceding nineteen pounds told the tale. As for American Mag. he need not he considered, though it must be admitted that he was giving the Griffith four year old a big advantage at a difference of twelve pounds in the weight. Analyzing the i race rifht through each one of the starters, it must be admitted that in the light of his races last year he was treated leniently, though his racing this year entitled him to every pound advantage he had. That was pretty well shown when the finish was such a close one. But how about Peanuts? This game little son of Ambassador IV. and Agnes Sard was making his first appearance under colors since Sep tember 19 of last year, when he won the Edgemere Handicap. And Peanuts gave Single Foot, a seasoned colt, a pound and then raced him to a short head. Peanuts was started sixteen times last year and, while he was a bit slow about finding himself, when George Odom finally had him at himself he was an honest and good colt. He hit his winning stride at the Empire City meeting in the summer and by winning four races in a row it carried him into the Sarate ga meeting. The four included the Knickerbocker and Saranac Handicaps and in the other he took the meas ure of as good a colt as Blind Play. He was beaten at a mile and carue back by winning the Huron Handicap. He failed in the Lawrence Realization Stakes, but went into retirement with a victory to his credit when he took the Edgemere Handicap. Peanuts has begun his 1926 season brilliantly, though beat en, and he may be considered in his future engagements. It is unfortunate that this game little racer is not a bigger colt, for his size is a sever*-handicap in weight carrying, but there is no more lion hearted horse than the son of Ambassador IV. Saturday at Aqueduct, while Haste and Rock Man will be upholding the honor of the East in the Fairmount Derby, the Queens County Handicap will be decided. This is a mile dash that will bring out several of those that raced in the Metropolitan, the Brooklyn and the Suburban handicaps. Crusader, the three year o!d winner of the Suburban Handicap, is not an eligible, but there is Sarazen, winner of the Metro[ olitan Handicap, and Single Foot, winner e f the Brooklyn Handicap. Then there is American Hag, with a chance to redeem him-Sitli, and there i; Sena.ado, Chilhowee, Chance Play, Son of John and several others calculated to make the renewal a notable one.
