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• — • Here and There on the Turf How Horsemen Fail. Deductions of Wednesday. Grey Lag Seems Through. Progress of Three-Year-Olds. . i $ ■ — -— $ The new "Widener rule, which virtually prohibits the scratching of horses was rot put on by the Metropolitan Jockey Club at Jamaica, for the reason that it was opposed by trainers generally. When the wishes of the trainers were taken into consideration by the club, it would be natural to expect that these same trainers would lend their aid in making the racing attractive. They had been favored by the Metropolitan Jockey Club, but their response to the offerings shows scant thanks for wTiat was done. In the races for Thursday, a cheap claiming race that surely should suit most of the stables, brought only five entries. Then in a three-quarter handicap there were only three acceptances. Only six were named in a dash for maiden two-year-old fillies and that was another evidence of how little co-operation can be found among the horsemen. Complaints have been made from time to time about the book of this or that meeting, but when cheap claiming races fail to fill adequately, and handicaps at three-quarters are not patronized, then indeed, the horsemen are hard to please and appear to be so utterly selfish that they are not entitled to the consideration that has been shown. The Initial Handicap at Aqueduct and the Paumonok Handicap at Jamaica on the opening day, both over the three-quarters distance, told of the number of horses that are fit and ready for such races and there does not appear to be any good excuse for only three appearing on the program. Unfortunately in Xew York the trainers have had altogether too much to say in the making of programs. By their selfishness and utter lack of co-operation with the racing associations they have been able to bring the New York racing away below the standard that should be demanded by the public, and just so long as they have all to say there will be much lacking in the entertainment that is offered. It is a sad state of affairs, but when i complaint is made the only answer is, "well, what are you gonig to do about [ it? There seems to be no way to bring the horsemen to a realization of their debt to the sport itself, and no way to induce them to help along in making the sport worthy of Xew York. They have been pampered as they never have been I anywhere else and nowhere else have ~ they shown such utter disregard for the associations and the racing public. There was plenty of real interest in j the racing of Wednesday and much of f the interest is the bearing of that racing on some of the stake races that are to follow. In the first place W. E. Hipps 3 home-bred filly, Reveries Gal, unbeaten 3 in all of her starts, simply cantered off f with the Ashland Oaks at Lexington. , And this fleet daughter of High Time and the Rabelais mare, Reveries, is an a| i I I ! ; 1 . i [ I ~ j f 3 3 f , a| eligible to the Kentucky Derby. It is a • big contract for a filly to take that famous old stake race, but Regret proved in 1915 that it could bo done, and this sweet filly has surely earned the right to have a try against the colts. Then at Jamaica, Mrs. Vanderbilts Oh i Say had his first race of the year. This colt is an eligible to both the Preakness Stakes and the Kentucky Derby. The performance of this handsome colt was a bit disappointing, but there were many excuses for his showing and he is surely better than the race would indicate. In ; the firsL place the going was against him !at lr ond because of the recent bad weather, Alex Gordon has been unable to do all | that he would have liked to do in t tightening him up for the races. Un- J doubtedly the race will do Oh Say good 1 and ho may be expected to show to better advantage at the next asking. Then at Havre de Grace there was a Preakness Stakes and Kentucky Derby , candidate that moved up a bit when : Knapsack, from the Salubria Stable of Admiral Cary T. Grayson, was the winner of the Shenandoah Handicap at the mile and seventy yards distance. It was I i -the first time that the son of Royal j | J Car.opy had been asked to race over such , a distance and he ran in a manner to I suggest that he is something more than , a sprinter. Restrained back of the l leaders, he came into the lead when ! t called on to win going away by a good | margin. Strolling Player had been looked upon as the real dependence of the stable for both the rich races, but he was scratched from this race c-nd Knapsack I proved a brilliant substitute for the j English colt. i I So much for the prominent three -year- I olds that were raced Wednesday. But [ there were others shown of which much i has been explained. In the same race , with Oh Say, there was Grey Lag, the , sterling old horse, now in his tenth year, that races for the Rancocas Stable. The old horse looked well in the paddock and going to the post. He is an eligible to the Dixie Handicap to be run i at Pimlico next Tuesday and this race Was an opportunity to have a line on l his fitness. Like Oh Say he failed, but he was taking up 126 pounds over rather difficult | going and it was a severe task. He was nodding when he came back and it appears - doubtful if he will be raced at Pimlico, even though the Maryland Racing Commission lifted its ban. And in the Shenandoah Handicap, that was won so easily by Knapsack, there was another prominent Dixie Handicap candidate in Walter J. Salmons Display. It was the first start for the great campaigner since the Thanksgiving Handicap at Bowie last fall, when he was 1 just beaten a nose by his stablemate Black Panther. Display was taking up 126 pounds and, after racing last for a t time, he closed up ground enough to finish fourth. It was a race that should do him a world of good in his preparation - for the big race of next Tuesday at t a mile and three-sixteenths. Those were races that had a bearing on what is to come. Making every allowance for Oh Say, he will have to improve 5 to be considered dangerous in either the ! Preakness Stakes or the Kentucky F Derby. Knapsack has moved himself until he must be given some consideration and Reveries Gal proved herself f a truly good filly. Grey Lag cannot be accorded any chance in the Dixie Handicap, - while the race ru« by Display should go far towards fitting him for that same B race. And while the three-vcar-old aspirants , to championship honors are racing with 1 more or less success, the ones that have I not yet been seen under colors continue e to train successfully. The many f Kentucky Derby eligibles at Churchill 1 Downs continue to progress brilliantly f towards the big event of May 19. Misstep, surely one of the best, if not *- the best two-year-old that raced in the middle West last year, was one to show-to advantage on Wednesday, when he e worked a half in : 49-i. This was I through going that was a trifle heavy y and it was an exhibition of speed to in-r dicate that heavy going will be no handi-3 cap to the son of Upset. Several others were shown, but Mrs. ■ John Hertz Reigh Count continues to 0 attract most of the attention at Churchill [1 Downs. Trainer Michell has been bring-e ing the son of Sunreigh up to his en- Continued on fourteenth rage. I | J HERE AND THERE J ON THE TURF Continued from second page. gagement in a way that demands attention. " There has been no hurry with the e rugged chestnut and each exercise move e has shown improvement. The colt has S thrived on his training and at no time ha3 there been anything to threaten interruption - in his progress. Eugene S., the Seagram Stable hope e for the Preakness Stakes, as well as the e Kentucky Derby, is being trained in u Maryland and a mile in 1:47% at Havre e _ de Grace was covered in a fashion to indicate that he is close to racing condition. l" Altogether, at this time, there have e been fewer training interruptions, or r I accidents among those most fancied, than 11 has been the rule for many a year. This makes it appear that the field on May 19, will be of a record number.
