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i « * . Here and There on the Turf i i Aqueducts Old Rule. Little Concern for Public. On Overnight Handicaps. i Jock Continues to Move Up. € f It was hoped that, after it has been demonstrated at Belmont Park, the "Widener scratch rule, or, rather, really a rule that virtually prohibited scratching, j was proved a success, the other associations would make it a part of their regulations. The rule seems to have worked out excellently at Belmont Park, and it naturally made possible the programing of the horses in post position order. The rule at least has been appreciated by the J racing public and there does not seem to have been any great complaint among the horsemen. But, in spite of all this, the Queens County Jockey Club promises to go back to the antiquated sysetm of permitting the scratching of horses up to 1:30 oclock on the day of the race. Of course, there is the penalty of paying a percentage of the purse when the scratching is below six, but it still makes it possible for the trainers to wreck any sort of a program. There seems to be no excuse whatever for this virtually going back to a rule that has been so frightfully abused in the past. When the Metropolitan Jockey Club would not put on the Widener rule at Jamaica there was some little excuse. • There was racing going on in Maryland I and it was a strong rival for the horses. It was a rule of Mr. Wideners and there i was some excuse in waiting for him to 1 try it out before it should be adopted. It has been tried out and found to be l an eminently satisfactory rule, but the - Queens County Jockey Club still clings 5 to what is almost the old regulation, as I is announced in the book of the meeting that has been issued. It is not positively known why this 1 new rule is not made a part of the government of the racing at Aqueduct, but a L guess at the reason would be that it is 1 just another case of permitting a few trainers to dominate rather than cater to the grep.t racing" public that has bsen so ■ faithful to the sport. There is every chance for great racing at Aqueduct. The book provides for great racing, but published entries will always mean little in New York when, under the rules, it is possible for the s trainers to absolutely wreck any promised program of a day. It is indeed a sad state of affairs when 3 any association is so shortsighted as to pay no attention to the public welfare. There have been many commendable e changes in track rules put into effect at t the present Belmont Park meeting and 6 they have all improved the sport materially. - Joseph E. Widener has proved I that it is the Westchester Racing Association - that proposes to be progressive e and its example will doubtless be followed - by the associations whose meetings - are still to come. And with these various changes of i . i i i j J • I i 1 l - 5 I 1 L 1 ■ s 3 e t 6 - I - e - - — rules, to better the sport, a suggestion is offered for just one more change. This has to do with the comfort and convenience of the trainers and it is that there be an earlier announcement of the weights in the overnight handicaps, and consequently a longer interval between the announcement and the limit time for declaring out. As the rule is now, the weights for these overnight handicaps are made at 12:30 p. m. and the declarations are required at 1:30 p. m. This only gives trainers one hour in which to : make a decision whether or not to accept the weights. Of course, that might be time enough to reach a decision, but frequently the trainers have no chance to become acquainted Avith these weights until late in that hour of grace and they really ; have little real chance to thoroughly study the weights. It is suggested that the weights be made known at 1:30 a. m., with the : declaration time remaining at 1:30 p. m. i With that interval there would be much better opportunity to reach a decision, particularly with those who train their horses at other courses. This earlier announcement of the weights would surely cause less confusion, would work no real hardship on the handicapper and would be greatly appreciated by the trainers. When the Marshall Field suggestion of a race exclusively for four-year-olds was accepted as an additional attraction to the Belmont Park meeting, it was expected that it would result in a high class race. It was framed at a mile and a quarter and named the Maturity Stakes and there were twenty nominations made. From such a list of nominations it was natural to expect more than three being named through the entry box, but that was the final result when only Point Breeze, Filemaker and Herodian were named through the entry box. A mile and a quarter, with level weights of 118 pounds, and exclusively for four-year-olds, looked like an excellent race on paper and it is disappointing that the Westchester Racing Association did not obtain a better response for the initial running. Edward B. McLeans Jock, now temporarily disabled, has raced his way to a high place among the handicap horses of Kentucky. While always possessed of an electric turn of speed, he has shown the ability to maintain it over worth-while distances and he knows how to shoulder weight. This was demonstrated in the running of the Hotel Watkins Handicap at Churchill Downs on Monday. Jock took up the top weight of 126 pounds, gave as good a horse as Flat Iron a year and four pounds, Rolled Stocking sixteen pounds, Handy Mandy fourteen pounds, and Genial Host a year and sixteen pounds. That was taking a whole lot the worst of it, but the son of Colin was good enough to show the way from barrier rise to finish and, after racing Rolled Stocking into defeat, with- stood a stretch challenge from Flat Iron. And, as a matter of fact, Jock was easing up at the end, indicating that he could have won just as easily over a much longer route. Just to give an idea of what big value will do to give a horse a reputation, it is well to remember that at this time Crystal Pennant leads all the others for this year, and such races as the Dixie Handicap, Preakness Stakes, Kentucky Derby, and Withers Stakes, as well as other rich stake races have been decided. Crystal Pennant, while a fast horse, does not begin to compare with such horses as Reigh Count, Victorian or Mike Hall, winners of those races, but he won the Coffroth Handicap and for that reason he leads them all. Victorian, with both the Preakness Stakes and the Withers Stakes to his credit, is a close second, and Justice F. beats Reigh Count, winner of the Kentucky Derby, out of third place, thanks only to his winter racing. That tells of the vast importance of these winter stake races in swelling earnings. Others high on the list are the three- year-olds Jack Higgins and Doctor Wilson, winners respectively of the Louisiana and the Tijuana Derbys. Thus it is that the winter campaigners get a big jump on those that rest through the winter, as flfar as earnings are concerned.
