view raw text
Here and There on the Turf Public Derby Trials. On Sweepsters Race. Defeat of Scapa Flow. Woodbine Stake Closing. • J While Sweepster won his first start of the year, at the Jamaica course Thursday, it was not much of a trial for the Kentucky Derby. Five and a half furlongs is far away from a mile and a quarter, just as is Extreme, which chased him home, far removed from a colt like Scapa Flow or a gelding like Osmand, to say nothing of the various other good ones in the Kentucky Derby. Of course, a horse does all that is asked when he wins, but there was not enough asked of Sweepster to make this initial race of any importance as far as the Kentucky Derby is concerned. Had he been beaten, after giving up his best, it would have meant something, but winning, even easily, demonstrated only that he was ready, at least, for five and a half furlongs. It will be argued he was running easily at the finish, and he was running easily at the finish and probably could have carried on for a mile or more further to beat the ones that finished back of him, but any way one may look at the race of Thursday it meant nothing. No stretch of the imagination would make anyone of those that finished back of Sweepster of Derby caliber and that was another reason for the race amounting to so little. Admitted that Fator was careful of his mount and asked him to do no more than was necessary, it is remembered that Sweepster had to feel the sting of the whip once before he caught Extreme in that stretch run. He came away from that sting and he may have simply been loafing, judging from the character of his victory, but any way one cares to look on that trivial sprint it meant nothing as far as racing over a distance is concerned. Hildreth did much useful training of his good horses at the New Jersey Farm before they were moved to Belmont Park and, of course, Sweepster is ready to race much further than a paltry five and a half furlongs. That speed test will undoubtedly do some good in the training operations, and that is all that was intended. At this time there may be some who expect that the son of Sweep will win both the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby, as did Sir Barton in his year. He is unquestionably a good colt. That was shown too often last year to leave any doubt of his quality, but until he meets a better one than Extreme, and over more than five and a half furlongs, no line will really be had on his eligibility for a Preakness Stakes, Kentucky Derby or Belmont Stakes. It is natural that Hildreth should not set a severe task for a first racing effort and, like Rip Rap and other of the Derby colts that have started, Sweepster will be an infinitely better colt on May 14, provided he is sent to the post at Churchill Downs. While Sweepster was performing at Jamaica there was more of a test going on at the Havre de Grace course in Mary-laud. This was more of a test for the t reason that the distance was a mile and seventy yards and brought about a meeting of three of the prominent eligibles for both the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby. The three were Al Westons Jopagan, the Sage Stables Rip Rap and Walter M. Jeffords Scapa Flow, and that is the order in which they finished, with Jopagan winning by a nose, while Rip Rap beat Scapa Flow a length and a half for the place. It was the first racing effort of the year for Scapa Flow, while both Rip Rap and Jopagan had been beaten in previous efforts. Each showed the advantage of seasoning that was obtained in these defeats and probably that alone accounted for the order of the finish. Jopagan was in receipt of three pounds from Rip Rap and of eight pounds from Scapa Flow, but the son of Man o War seemed able to accept that handicap and but for swerving in a tired way, when in the stretch he would at least have finished closer. The running suggested that the Futurity winner of last year needed the race to fit him thoroughly and it ought to be an important step in his preparation for the Preakness Stakes. The marked improvement of both Jopagan and Rip Rap leaves no doubt of their readiness for the 0,000 Preakness Stakes, to be run May 9, and the race of Scapa Flow, for a first start of the year, should lose him no friends. As the date of the running of these big spring races draws nearer it becomes more and more certain that they will bring about rare renewals. Seldom have so many of the good two-year-olds of last year been brought this close to the date of the running without having some setback in training. Stakes for the first 1927 meeting of the Ontario Jockey Club are to close Monday. This meeting is at the old Woodbine course in Toronto and is to continue from May 21 to May 28. The special prizes for the native horses, — the greatest, of course, is the Kings Plate, — are particularly attractive, while the big events that are open to all comers are exceptionally liberal. Of these the most important is the Toronto Cup Handicap, at a mile and an eighth," for three-year-olds and upward. It has an added money value of 5,000 and always attracts some of the best of the horses south of the Great Lakes. Then there is the King Edward Gold Cup, of ,000 and the Challenge Trophy of ,500 value, at a mile and a sixteenth, for three-year-olds and upwards. For the three-year-olds exclusively the special offering is the Woodstock Plate, to which ,000 is added white the two-year-olds have a ,000 opportunity in the five eighths of the Victoria Stakes. Incidentally, there is no stake for the seven days of racing with a lesser value than ,000 added. Steeplechasing, as usual, has an importance, with a cross-country race each day with the Woodbine of ,500 added, and the Aintree, worth ,000 added, as the special features. Both of these stakes have already been closed with a liberal list of nominations. Entries for the stakes still to close arc being received by W. P. Fraser at the Imperial Bank Building in Toronto. With the Chesapeake Stakes at Havre de Grace and the Wood Memorial Stakes at Jamaica both down for decision today, there comes opportunity for another worthwhile test of the candidates for both the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby. Both of these prizes have an importance apart from the classics, but they are doubly useful in the opportunity afforded to try out the candidates.
