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j « — and a Here and There on the Turf American Derby Revival. c Toros Progress. Failure of Victorian. Reign Count His Master. Mad Play Is Beaten. t * f J All doubts as to the possibility of re- viving the American Derby, the old z enthusiasm, the old spirit under new and modern conditions were dissipated Saturday when a crowd, estimated as high as 55,000, journeyed to Arlington Park to . see Toro win in as sensational and ex- » citing a finish as was ever witnessed at old Washington Park. Toro has been a busy colt in four of the big stake races this spring and in each he has given a brilliant account of himself. In the Preakness Stakes, there 1 are many who will always believe that he would have beaten Victorian had Ambrose been a bit more energetic right at the end of that mile and three-six- teenths. He was beaten a nose by the Whitney colt and Solace was third, two and a half lengths further back. Toros next start was in the Kentucky Derby and in that he was third, being ! beaten by both Reigh Count and Misstep. A third start was at Fairmount Park, and he was second to Misstep in the Fair-mount Park Derby. That was a virtual verification of the Kentucky Derby. And now Toro has finally turned the tables on Misstep by leading him home at Arlington Park. There is afforded in this fashion a line on Reigh Count and Victorian. In the l Preakness Stakes Toro was only beaten a nose by Victorian, while he probably should have been the winner. Then in the Kentucky Derby he was beaten five lengths and easily by Reigh Count. Merely on past performances Reigh Count appears to be readily the master of the Whitney colt, and on Victorians 1 showing in the Belmont Stakes that estimate " is strengthened. It is hoped that Reigh Count will be ! back to racing in August and that Victorian " is in his best form at that time. • That will be the only convincing way to • compare the two colts. There may be ; another than Victorian making a bid for r the championship against Reigh Count by that time, and the Belmont Stakes result " makes that seem almost certain. From any angle one may study the B running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, - it is hard to find any sufficient t excuse for Victorian. The son of Whisk i Broom II. and Prudery is evidently far r from being a stayer. He will have to begin all over again to build up a reputation 3 that will make him a serious menace to a Mrs. John Hertz Reigh Count, should 3 the winner of the Kentucky Derby be e brought back to the races as good a a horse as he was on May 19 at Churchill 1 Downs. It is true that with Sun Beau the Whitney colt either set or forced the pace in a the Belmont Stakes. But it must be remembered - the pace was hardly fast ;t enough to make him quit as he did at t j » the si q| tl the J. t« .J ir in v v h f- 2 . a at _ t] a a „ o ° of C r j a c t J z . » 1 ! l 1 " ! " • • ; r " B - t i r 3 a 3 e a a 1 a - ;t at t j head of the long stretch. Racing side by side, and both under restraint, Sun Beau and Victorian ran the first quarter in 24 seconds, the half in :4SVi, three-quarters in 1:13%, the mile in 1:39% and the mile and a quarter in -:06V5. All of this means that the first quarter was run in :24, the second iu :24, third in :25%, fourth in :26 and the fifth 26%. That really was as far as either Victorian or Sun Beau cut a serious r figure. Then Vito passed them and came home an easy winner ty running the 1 . final quarter of the mile and a half in 2 2-27 Z seconds. 4 The horses went away from the post 5 ■ C a swift pace and the first half, for a 7 7 mile and a half gallop, was fast, but after that first half the pace was in no sense killing one and it was a pace that did 1 1 2 not give them any great lead over the " others behind them. 3 3 It seemed inevitable that one or ether 4 4 the leaders would crack, but it was 5 • not expected that the collapse would . come at that pace. Sun Beau quit be- 7 7 fore Victorian gave it up, but he did not last much longer and his defeat was just as complete as was that of Mr. Kilmers 1 * colt. 2 j 3 In the meantime, it might be as well 4 4 5 5 to give Vito a bit of credit. This colt had ■ much of his training for the Belmont 7 ~ Stakes barefooted and, in fact, his plates were not fitted on him until the morning 1 1 of the race. Trainer Hirsch brought him . 2 up to the big race magnifictntl. and he was perfectly ridden by Clarence Kum- c 3 He not to in its mer. was permitted lag 4 4 running, though he was placed in a 5 fashion that saved him for a final struggle. Then when Kummer made his move G he timed it to a nicety. He shot the colt 7 through with just one burst of speed and again took hold of him after he was 1 safely in the lead. Genie ran an excellent race and 2 Diavolo closed up considerable ground. ; 3 But it is hard to become excited at this 5 time over either Victoris.n or Sun Beau. They did not show the fighting spirit l 6 that is so essential to success. 7 Excuses will doubtless be offered for both of them. Victorian may come back and show that the Belmont Stakes was may pounds below his real form, but on the Belmont Stakes form he has slipped back greatly. t The attempt to bring Mad Play back to ; 2 3 the races at Latonia last Friday was a ] 4 failure, but the younger brother to Mad 5 i Hatter still has a chance to make good. ! It was his first race since his victory in the Saratoga Cup of 1925 and he may improve over that showing. The son of Fair Play and Madcap was , a sterling performer right through his ; racing years and when he was sold to H. P. Headley, to be put in the stud, it was at the close of a campaign where he had raced his way to the top of the nan-, • dicap division. That year he made his , first appearance in the Kings County Handicap, on May 5, and was second to , the Greentree Stable pair, Leopardess and Cherry Pie, to both of which he conceded much weight. His next start was in the excelsior " Handicap and he was again third, being ■ beaten that time by James Butlers Sting and Cherry Pie. He followed that with a I victory in an overnight handicap. Then 1 in the Suburban Handicap he was again 1 third to Sting and Cherry Pie. In the , Brooklyn Handicap, when Sting attempted I to give Mad Play weight, he turned the tables on the Butler star. He followed that by a victory in the Queens County r Handicap. For the Brookdale Handicap he was handicapped at 130 pounds and was beaten 1 only by Samuel D. Riddles Whetstone - under the comparative feather of 107 j pounds. He won the Empire City Handicap carrying 129 pounds. Then in the ; Saratoga Handicap, when carrying the same weight, he was beaten by William 1 Martins Valaday, kicked home by Johnny , Callahan and carrying only 106 pounds, • Asked to earn* 133 pounds in the Dela-a . ware Handicap, he was again second when Blind Play, with only 106*4 pounds up, was its winner. Then he went to Hawthorne to win the I 0,000 added Chicago Special Purse, and I he was back at Saratoga to carry the Rancocas Stable colors to victory in the e Saratoga Cup. It was a bitter disappointment that t Mad Play did not make good as a stock horse, but if he accomplished nothing g more than he did he will still remain one c of the great American thoroughbreds.
