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Here and There on the Turf Belmont Probabilities. Racing on Silver Screen. Richard Whitneys Work. Mowlee Is a Good One. « « Should there be as many as ten starters in the Belmont Stakes, and that is indeed a modest estimate when the number of good ones in training is considered, the race will have a value of approximately 5,000. The Belmont Stakes is not to be run until June 11, and there remain sixty-four eligibles to the great race. This list necessarily includes most of the best of the two-year-olds of last year, but there are some notable exceptions. For instance, Sweepster is not an eligible and while he is well engaged at the Belmont Park meeting, and eligible for both the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby, he has no chance at this great mile and a half race. His engagements at Belmont Park include the Toboggan Handicap, Withers Stakes, Metropolitan Handicap, Swift Handicap, Suburban Handicap and Speed Handicap. This itinerary would suggest that Hildreth has more confidence in the sprinting quality of the son of Sweep — Oktibbena than he has in his ability to travel a route. Both Scapa Flow and Point Breeze are Walter If. Jeffords eligibles that have been training with this and the other fixtures in view. Then, there is the Sage Stables Rip Rap, but Al Westons Jopagan has no engagement of any description at Belmont Park. Joseph E. Weidners Osmand is not eligible, by reason of being a gelding, and Chance Shot is his best hope for the race. Walter J. Salmons Black Panther is not eligible, but Northland has his name on the list. Lord Chaucer, winner of the Hopeful Stakes of last year, as well as Donnez Moi and Cantankerous were both nominated at the last declaration date, while the H. P. Whitney stable is still well supplied with eligibles, the list including Valorous, Afterglow, Bos-tonian, Byrd, Night Mail and the fast filly Termagant. There are many others worthy of having a try for the rich prize bat it is at least unfortunate that such a colt as Sweepster has no opportunity to place his name on that notable honor roll of winners. It has been decided to use the silver screen to further advance the American turf and the American thoroughbred horse. Arrangements are being perfected for a group of instructive films of the great work that is being carried on by the remount division of the army with the thoroughbred horse as virtually the only sire that is used and there will be a stressing of the importance of the thoroughbred in the scheme of the production of horses for national defense. Then there will be stirring race scenes of the Kentucky Derby as well as some of the other important races, to set forth that it is only by racing that it is possible to determine the best horses and the best strains from which to produce. And this picture is a real government undertaking, for it is to be produced by the Department of Agriculture under the direction of E. J. Kelly, chief of the motion picture division of that same department. This should be valuable publicity for racing. It will show what is behind the sport that means so much to the public, and it will bring the sport home to many who know little of it or of its far-reaching benefits to the country. Time was when it was dangerous to permit a motion picture camera on a race course. That was when race track scenes were filmed for the purpose of doing harm rather than good. The race track was used simply to depict a story of an absconding bank clerk or the crooked tout, all of which only existed in imagination. News films of this or that great race have a wonderful appeal. Modern pictures of the Liverpool, Grand National, the Epsom Derby, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Futurity and all the other big races that have been shown in news reels have done no end of good in showing racing as it is and not as some of the early stories of the heroine, at the eleventh hour, taking the place of the drugged jockey, to save the manor for her sweetheart and eternally foil some "Desperate Desmond". This film that is to be put on by the Department of Agriculture will go much further than merely show the racing thrills. It will have the educational value of showing what is back of the sport itself in the furnishing of army remounts, and generally improving the breed. Richard Whitney, who has thoroughbred nurseries at Riverside Farm, in Bed-minster County, New Jersey, is quietly doing much to popularize the thoroughbred as a sire at his farm. He has two horses in service at his New Jersey establishment, Oxford and Peat. This last named sire, now only seven years of age, is offered free of charge, for the use of farmers of Somerset County who send mares that are their bona fide property. And Peat is a stallion that is calculated to improve the breed. He is a son of Celt of the Domino family made so famous during the life of James R. Keene and the late Major Daingerfield, and he is from Marsh Light, a daughter of Hamburg — Elusive, by Sir Dixon. Thus it will be seen that Peat combines two of the stoutest of American families. Oxford, of course, is better known by reason of his racing performances. He is now in his twenty-fifth year but is still enjoying the best of robust health, Oxford is a son of Faraday — Aunt Belle and again there comes in something like in the blood lines of Peat. Faraday was a son of Himyar, the sire of Domino and the great grand sire of Celt, the sire of Peat. Then Aunt Belle, the dam of Oxford, has Sir Dixon in her male line, while the same blood is in the distaff side of Marsh Light, the dam of Peat. Mr. Whitney has never gone into thoroughbred breeding as extensively as many other turfmen, but he has produced some first-class horses, and his generous donation of the services of Peat to the neighboring farmers is to be commended for the great good it does in bringing home the value of the thoroughbred as a sire. It may not be until August that the best of the 1927 two-year-olds will be brought to the post, but each day now it is natural that there should come along new ones that will show better ability than any of those that raced through the winter or early spring. When the new two-year-olds were first paraded at New Orleans last January it was pointed out that as a whole they were of better size and conformation than has been the general rule for youngsters raced so early. That still holds good but unfortunately, as far as the winter ones are concerned, they have little else for which to be recommended when it comes down to the actual test with real ones. Sam Hildreth showed a speedy colt Friday in Mowlee, which bears the colors of the Rancocas Stable. This fellow had one outing before his winning race, but in the light of his cantering victory the conviction is forced that his first race was for educational purposes. Mowlee, a son of Lucullite — Epinglette, — a daughter of Sardanapale — was bred by Mr. Sinclair, owner of the Rancocas Stable, and his performance would suggest that Lucullite will surely make good as a stock horse. Mowlee fairly smothered his opponents with his speed and, as a matter of fact, was never fully extended. There was something back of him that will surely show to better advantage with more education, but it is safe to promise that not one of them will ever develop form that will put it before the handsome black. Until something better is shown Mowlee seems the fastest two-year-old thus far uncovered. I
