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Here and There on the Turf Appeal of Match Races. Belmont Fall Special. Lincoln Fields Plans. Value of Horses. Match races always have a tremendous appeal. They must not be called match races under the rules of The Jockey Club, they are f; ?cials. but when a race is arranged to bring any two particular stars together it is a big thing for racing. There is a sporting element to the match race that is not found in the races that come right along in the usual stake book. It is something extra. It b a race, invariably, that occasions more interest than any other if the horses are of sufficient im portance and it is not customary to match the bad ones. Every time there appears a champion with a strong contender for the crown, there is a general desire that the two be brought together under equal conditions. These two horse races reduce to a minimum the element of racing luck. With a horse acainst horse contest, there is little chance for interference and invariably the better horse is the winner. The same cannot be said of the rojular fixtures, where sevefal horses are started. A striking example of this was the running of the Belmont Stakes. Many still hold to the belief that Espino would surely have beaten Crusader in that mile and a half rat" but for the misfortune he suffered at the 6! art. In ihe Dwyer Slakes, over the same mile and a half distance, should Crusader be the winner. it should settle the question for the reason that he has to give Mr. Zieglers colt fifteen pounds, but should Espino turn the tables on the son of Man o War, it will not verify the contention that he was a better colt in the Belmont Stakes. There can be no verifica lion of the Belmont Stakes running at such a difference in the weights with Espino the win ner, by reason of the big difference in the Wrights. Ihus it is that the match, or special. ■ the rate that has the real big appeal. And there is a chance that in the fall, at Belmont Park, at least one special may be arranged. It is not so much for Crusader and Espino as it is to afford Edward R. Bradleys Kentucky Derby winner and W. T. Anderson s Carlaris an opportunity against the best of the colts that have been racing over the New York tracks. There would be less reason for such a special if Bubbling Over and Carlaris were better equipped in the matter of New York engagements. Both of these great colts are engaged at Saratoga, but they do not have engagements at stale weights over such a distance as a mile and a half exclusively, for three year olds That would seem to be the real test. It is known that Joseph E. Widener has such a 8] ecia! in view and it would not be surpris ing if some sort of definite announcement was made before many days, setting forth just what is to be offered. This is not to b« purely an international special, in the sense that Epinard was invited to this country, but it would be open to the horses of any country and turfmen of France and England would be invited to send along their best three year old; In the case of Epinard, Mr. Wertheimers great colt was prohibited from starting in other races until he had fulfilled his engagement in the three specials for which he was brought tr this country. That was unfair to Epinard, and it h safe to promise that there will be no such strings tn any special that may be arranged for next fall. And the intention is not to make this special for any French or English champion, but to make it world wide and, should the foreign turfmen fail to have a representative, there are enough of the American colts striv ing for the championship to. make it a great rcce. Of course this special would not be a match there are too many in the top division at this time to make it a two horse race but there are few enough to make it moderately certain that the field would not be of sufficient propor tions to give fear for interference in the running. And such a special should be a sweep stakes of generous proportions with an added money value .of from 0,000 to 00,000. With a 0,000 or 00,000 sweepstakes, it s readily appreciated that only the bsst would br attracted, and. at the same time, it would be a race of great pecuniary value and of great sporting value to the winner. There has come an announcement of the dates for the initial race meeting at the big Lincoln Fields course at Crete, near Chicago, rhis meeting is to begin August 9 and it will De continued for thirty days, or until Septem ber 1 1 . This long looked for announcement means much for the summer racing in Chicago. Ever since Matt Winn and his associates made known the plans for the construction of Lincoln Fields there has been great interest in the undertaking and now the announcement of the meeting is a most welcome one. With the racing at Homewood and then at liaaeln Fields, Chicago should enjoy a com plc-te return of the best days of racing and these two courses cannot fail to have an effect on the Saratoga Springs meeting. Of course Saratoga Springs has its old fixtures and its appeal that will always make the August rac ing there of vast importance, but, with Chicago in the field for so strongly mid summer racing, it affords the turfmen a choice where formerly it was virtually Saratoga or id!eness. The passing away of Billy Kelly removes another of the remarkable figures of the American turf. This little gelding was one of the greatest of his day and he carried on beyond the usual term of racing usefulness. Commander J. K. L. Ross made the last days of his champion comfortable when he was pensioned at his Canadian stud, near Vercheres. Quebec, and his brilliant achievements on the turf will always be a lasting monument to his memory. When a claiming stake for two year olds has a net value to the winner of ,050 there is reason for the present apparent exalted value of race horses. It is not so long ago that a ,000 horse was considered a stake horse, and with good reason, but now it is hard to buy a horse that is capable of winning for less. This all tells of the success that has come to the turf. It tells of the vastly improved opportunities there are for the thoroughbred and it affords a reason for the market. When Tipstaff ran a smashingly good race in the Canarsie Claiming Stakes Friday to finish second he had been entered to be sold for ,700 and he was taken at that figure by Bob Smith. The colt was racing for a ,050 net sum and had he been winner the race would have brought the Rancocas Stable 1,750 for the colt. The chances are that he was valued at all of that and more, had an effort been made to buy him privately. When Tipstaff was entered for ,700 it is natural to suppose that Hildreth had more than a fancy he would be returned the winner. Then the 1,750 would be something like the value, but he lost the race and he lost the colt. Bob Smith probably obtained a bargain as horses go, yet it is only a short time ago when ,700 would be considered a good value for a horse considerably above the plater variety. In that same Canarsie Stakes the cheapest valuation put on any one of the eligible* was ,500.
