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Here and There on the Turf Helping the Breeders. On Long Race Meetings. Three-year-old Possibilities. Loyalty at Bowie. € « It is not generally known to the breeders of thoroughbred horses that such animals are allowed transportation at half the cost when they are shipped from place to place for breeding purposes. This is a regulation that went into effect this year and is of vital interest to the industry-. It must be admitted that the regulation was brought about by other than the breeders of thoroughbred horses, for it takes in pure breds of all the various breeds, as well as cattle. Frank W. Harding, general manager of the American Shorthorn Breeders Association, and his committee was largely responsible for bringing about this desired reduction in shipping prices, but it is a considerable boon to the thoroughbred horse industry. Mares are frequently shipped a considerable distance to go to the court of this or that thoroughbred stallion and it is of great moment that this shipment may be made at half the usual cost. This reduction has been granted by every railway east of Chicago, except one of limited mileage in New England, according to Wayne Dinsmore, secretary of the Horse Association of America. As a matter of fact, the reduction was brought about so recently that it is entirely possible that some railroad agents may not be aware of its existence and, for their information and for the information of any breeders who wish to avail themselves of the new rate, it is known on tariff regulations as "B. T. Jones 130— Supplement No. 30." The adjustment of rates for the shipment of race horses has frequently been a subject that has been given attention by turfmen and there has been some relief, from time to time, but this has only to do with breeding. It is of immense importance and with the breeding season at hand it should be given wide publicity. It always has been possible to make such shipments, when in carload lots at moderate rates, but the new regulation permits of the shipping in less than carload lots and it is a reduction that will be greatly appreciated by all thoroughbred breeders. It is doubtful if there will be another term of spring racing that will carry into April at New Orleans. The sport at Jefferson Park for the last week of its twenty-eight day meeting proved beyong doubt that a mistake had be« n made in not closing earlier. This will probably result in a shorter meeting next spring with a closing about March 24. After continuous racing from Thanksgiving Day until April 2, it is small wonder that attendance should fall off a bit toward the close of the long winter season, but the real reason was not so much that the racing pub lie was jaded, as the fact that the long meeting brought a conflict with the opening of the Bowie meeting and a natural deflection of some of the best horses and the best riders. That was more of a handicap to the closing days of Jefferson Park than anything else and there was an actual loss for the last six days, though the meeting had begun with great success. Too often race meetings have been continued beyond the stage of real public interest and it never does to tire the public of the sport. It takes a long time, and it is well-nigh impossible to give some of the regulars too much racing or meetings that are too long, but it is the racing public and the occasional visitor that must be taken into consideration. They are the ones that, after all, make the turf the great sport it is today. The "regulars" are constantly growing in number, but, without the patronage of the holiday seeker who finds his amusement in racing, just as another is a devotee of baseball, the turf would not enjoy its present popularity. The interest of these patrons must always be preserved and they must not become sated by long meetings that must become tiresome. There are various other arguments against unusually long race meetings, but this one is valid enough to prove that, to say the least, it is a bad business venture to continue a meeting beyond the terms of lively public interest. Sir Harry, winner of the Coffroth Handicap for the Seagram Stable, is being pointed for tho Preakness Stakes and, should he add that 0,000 to his already handsome 1927 total, he will have a big jump on the other three-year olds in point of money earned. He is galloping along freely for trainer Bring.oe and he surely has shown enough to be started in the big race on May 9. And there is another good three year old that ought to be raced before long whose first Maryland appearance will be watched with interest. That one is William Mahers Fly Hawk, winner of the 0,000 Daytona Stakes at Miami and third in the Louisiana Derby at the Jefferson Park meeting. This young horse is ineligible to the Preak ness Stakes by reason of being a gelding, but he has many another engagement that may bring him racing fame. All of his races during the winter demonstrated that he is a stayer and they also demonstrated that he is game. Of course Fly Hawk has not really had a test with the top notch three-year olds, but. as winter racing went, he surely belonged in the first division and particularly so over a long route. It is expected that Fly Hawk will be sent to the post at Bowie before long and there may come a chance to have a better line on his summer capabilities. The track conditions at Bowie since its opening last Friday hp.e prevented trainers from showing their best ones, but just as soon as better weather and track conditions arrive there will surely be horses of a better class trying for the offerings. And while on the question of the three-year-olds, it might be mentioned that there is a pair at Pimlico attracting a deal of attention in Golden Volt and Gold Coin. They are pointing for the 0,000 Preakness Stakes, but the manner of their training suggests a start long before May 9, the date for the running of that big Maryland Jockey Club stake race. The Bowie racing crowd has always been a demonstrative one, in fact a noisily demonstrative one, and it is always loyal to its favorites. That is shown when one of the Swenke horses comes home winner and when a jockey favorite pilots a winner. When Madlyn won her race Saturday the crowd forgot all about the rain and splashed out in the mud to welcome her back to the scales. Then, on Monday, when Peternel 1, a deservedly popular jockey, brought D. L. Rices Dancing Fool home in front there was wild applause for both, but most of it was for the jockey. This loyalty to home folk and to their own particular favorites is to be commended in any community and it appears to be developed to a greater degree at Bowie than any other race course. This same Peternell earned his popularity by his skill in the saddle on other occasions and his riding on Monday demonstrated that he is still a heady and good jockey. His only mounts on Monday were Dancing Fool and First Edition and he was a winner with each. That started him off well for his Bowie record and such riding as he displayed in both of those events is riding that is calculated to win favor. Johnny McTaggart, who can be rated as a veteran now, was another who showed much of his old time skill on Monday when, with a particularly vigorous ride he brought High Hoj* up in time to win the two year old offering. With so many bad rides and so many jockeys so utterly incompetent that they should not even be licensed, it is refreshing to see jockeys that ride with their heads, as well as their hands and heels.
