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Here and There I on the Turf ► 1 Another three-year-old has been uncovered that may question the championship with Jack High, Blue Larkspur, Clyde Van Dusen, Naishapur and all the others. This one is Clendennin J. Ryans Chestnut Oak, the hand-Bome colt of Apprehension — Bantry Pass. John Loftus sent a fit colt to the post when he saddled Chestnut Oak for the Swift Stakes at Belmont Park Wednesday, but there were some fears that he had been set a severe task for his initial start of 1929. It proved only a gallop for him, to win by half a dozen lengths over four other three-year-olds of some quality that had been seasoned by racing. The race was a particularly impressive one from the ease with which the colt won, and the fact that he was drawing farther away from his company at the end, while McAtee had him under restraint. In his juvenile races Chestnut Oak displayed a great turn of speed, but he appeared unable to carry it far enough to ever become a great colt. It will be remembered that in the running of the Hopeful he cut out the pace until well into the stretch, to be beaten home by Jack High and Blue Larkspur. Of course, he was meeting no such opposition in the Swift, but from any point of view it was a decidedly creditable beginning. Chestnut Oak enjoys engagements in both the Withers and the Belmont and he has earned the right to be sent to the post. The Withers will be run May 30 and the manner of the victory of the son of Apprehension should leave no doubt of his readiness and ability to race a mile. The Belmont is another question, but there is no reason why he should not race a mile and a half. In the Withers he will probably meet both Jack High and Blue Larkspur, and from that running some sort of a line may be had on his Belmont eligibility. There are a goodly number of sportsmen that have come to racing by order of a physician. Many a man of broken health, but abundant means, has been ordered to forget his business and get out in the open. Of course, these do not all come to racing, for there are various other ways of getting out in the open without coming to the turf, but a goodly number find their way into racing. There is a fascination to the sport not found in any other and it has been the direct means of restoring many a sick man to robust health. One notable example of a man of wealth, though it is not known that he has suffered ill health, who has come into racing more actively this year, is B. S. Cutler. Mr. Cutler is many times a millionaire, but he has taken out a license to train his own horses and he does the actual work down at Belmont Park every morning. It matters not what the weather is, no trainer takes his self imposed job more seriously. He gets no end of fun out of it and at the same time he is building himself up physically by the exercise and by being out in the open. One has only to call to mind the great number of hearty hale old men of the turf to realize that the turf is an excellent prescription. "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise," has a real meaning. All trainers must be early to bed and they must be up a little before the lark. The wealthy and wise part of the proverb is of lesser importance, but there is an absolute guarantee goes with the healthy part. P. A. Clark, who has a long and intimate knowledge of racing, has offered high compliment to Marshall Cassidy, starter of the Tijuana Jockey Club, as well as at various of the Canadian courses. Mr. Clark has expressed himself in this fashion : "It is rather an interesting fact that the riders of the three placed horses in the recent renewal of the Keene Memorial were three young Lochinvars that came out of the West, to lead home the more experienced riders of our Eastern turf. "With all respect to these quickly-thinking boys, the greatest credit for their success is due in a large degree to the intelligent care and instruction given by Marshall Cassidy, starter for the Tijuana Jockey Club, at the Mexican course. "Being at Coronado Beach during the winter I saw a great deal of racing at Tijuana, and I frequently rode to the post with Mr. Cassidy. There I watched him handle his fields and it was a delight to watch him at work. There was no rough handling and mauling of horses by his assistants, into whose hands a trainer could place his horse with no fear of mauling and bull-whipping. His interest was in effecting good starts and to get them handled the riders, intelligently, firmly if you like, but not a high pitched shout did I hear the many times I was at the post. "As a rule Mr. Cassidy took with him to the post two or three budding young riders and on the way back he would question them on what they observed. He would ask them a reason for this or that horse being away badly and why some other one was away well. In other words he was really conducting a school for jockeys all the time. "In all my racing experience I have never seen any person connected professionally with the sport, filling his position so efficiently and intelligently as does Marshall Cassidy at Tijuana. "The stall gates, of which he is the inventor, are commendable, but there is the human element entering in no matter what method is used to send away the fields. No matter what the device, there must be the control and confidence of the jockeys and this is enjoyed by Marshall Cassidy probably to a greater degree than by any other starter. "I was impressed with the stall device used by Mr. Cassidy. It appealed to me particularly in the absolute protection it [offered against a horse being kicked while at the post. I *
