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Here and There on the Turf Chance Shots Trial Bostonians Bad Luck Book for Washington Park Campaign of Crusader To many it might have appeared that Joseph E Wideners Chance Shot did not run an impressive race Friday when he made his first appearance of the year He is the main dependence of Mr Wid ener in both the Withers Stakes and the Belmont Stakes and while he was giv ¬ ing away great lumps Of weight in this first race it was agreed that he should do so without much trouble if he was to have a chance in either of those engage ¬ ments mentsOn On past performances it would not seem that Medley Clearance Watkinson Young Prince and Crystal Pennant were of a class to give the son of Fair Play any real contention but Sande had to ride the Widener colt out sharply to have him win by a scant length and a half from Medley one o the1 members that was in receipt of twentythree pounds On paper it would not seem that exactly all was expected of a prospective cham ¬ pion but Chance Shot is not a flashy colt and like many another good one before him he will only do what he is asked to do He will not race freely unless ridden hard and had he been meeting stiffer opposition it is probable he would still have been the winner though Sande would have been forced to ride just a bit more vigorously Through the early running of that race Sande had Chance Shot under slight restraint and the colt answered the call in the stretch but Sande had to rouse him up sharply to make him respond He is a colt that will doubtless feel the sting of a whip many a time this year but will answer the call That after all is what is to be desired desiredChance Chance Shot had a careful preparation by Peter Coyne before he was shipped from Churchill Downs to Belmont Park and it was the general opinion of many trainers before he left the Kentucky course that he was the best threeyear old in training there thereThe The remaining Belmont Stakes eligible whose first appearance is anxiously awaited is Harry Payne Whitneys Val ¬ orous the chestnut son of Pennant Courage by Hamburg which went into winter quarters after racing on a high class way in the late fall during which he was winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at a mile There was a bit of misfortune came to the Whitney Stable in the sudden sick ¬ ness of Bostonlan winner of the jPreak ness Stakes at Pimlico This good colt is suffering from a high fever and unless it can be broken before long it will un ¬ doubtedly keep him out of some coming spring engagements engagementsThe The son of Broomstick and Yankee Maid is a natural stayer and he did not have a real chance in the Kentucky Derby when he was bottled up back of horses and did not have a fair running chance until it was too late The manner in which he finished out the mile and threesixteenths of the Preakness Stakes to beat Sir Harry and his stablemate Whiskery which latter was winner of the Kentucky Derby was evidence enough of his ability to stay stayWhile While it is probable that Valorous is his master over any distance Bostohian should be exceedingly well suited in the mile and a half of the Belmont Stakes to be decided June 11 and it will indeed be unfortunate if his present illness will prevent him keeping that engagement The Whitney hand for the Belmont is now composed of Valorous Bostpriian Afterglow Byrd Night Mail and Terma gent but it is generally agreed that Val ¬ orous and Bostonian were the probable selections to bear the colors over such i a distance as a mile and a half Whis ¬ kery winner of the Kentucky Derby was one that was declared from this rich race raceOf Of course with so many to draw from the sickness of Bostonian does not work the same hardship that would come to another racing establishment but none the less it is always unfortunate to see a colt go amiss when he began his cam ¬ paign so brilliantly1 The book of the meeting for the first eight days of the Illinois Jockey Club meeting at the Homewood track adjacent to Chicago has been issued by Joseph McLennan and like all of his programs it is a truly attractive one This meet ¬ ing is to begin June 1 and continue until June 30 a term of twentysix days and there are six stakes of importance dis ¬ tributed through the racing time The most important of these is the American Derby to which 25000 is added It is over a mile and a half route the full Derby distance But what is of more interest to the rank and file of turfmen is the book of overnight races This provides for no purse of a lesser value than 1200 and the usual McLennan idea is followed out in arranging such a va ¬ riety that horses of every division have frequent racing opportunity McLennan has always been successful in filling races over a considerable distance of ground rather than filling up his pro ¬ gram with trifling sprints and that is the desire at Washington Park It is shown by the following track rule that is an inducement to start horses at distance of a mile or more moreIn In all selling races and purse races at this meeting at a distance of a mile or over the following allowance may be claimed without respect to other allow ¬ ances for horses that have never won a race at a mile or over Threeyearolds allowed 3 pounds fouryearolds and up ¬ wards allowed 5 pounds Maiden races are excepted exceptedThis This is an excellent rule for it has frequently induced the starting of sup ¬ posed sprinters over a longer route and new qualifications have been discovered in the horse It is excellent also for the reason that such races furnish a much more adequate test of the thoroughbred I There will be a deal of interest in the next appearance of Samuel D Riddles Crusader His defeat in the Excelsior Handicap was a bitter disappointment but it will not do to give up the magni ¬ ficent son of Man o War and Star Fancy on that performance It was plainly not his race and he may be altogether a different racer when he goes to the post in the Metropolitan Handicap HandicapThat That is his first engagement at the Belmont Park meeting and it is to be decided May 30 Decoration Day His only other engagement is in the Subur ¬ ban Handicap at a mile and a quarter which is down for decision June 4 Then at the Queens County Jockey Club meet ¬ ing which follows Belmont Park at the old Aqueduct course Crusader has three engagements These are the Queens County Handicap at a mile the Brooklyn Handicap at a mile and an eighth and the Brookdale Handicap which is also a mile and an eighth With these engage ¬ ments to come Mr Riddles great four yearold still has ample opportunity to redeem his bad showing in the Excelsior ExcelsiorI I Handicap
