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O 1 j Here and There on the Turf .- 4 i The opening of the Maryland season was J one of the most satisfying in the history of the Southern Maryland Agricultural Association at the Bowie course. Fortunately the weather for the occasion was excellent and 1 seldom has a greater crowd assembled on the racing ground. I It was a representative gathering and the i enthusiasm shown during the running off of the program testified to the continued appeal i of the sport. Vice-president Charles G. Curtis, . one of the most valued friends of racing and ; in his youth a jockey of parts, graced the ! occasion with his presence and he was one of a party of notables from Washington for the day. Mr. Curtis 5s a familiar figure on the best : race courses and he is a frequent visitor at the Maryland courses in particular. Mr. Cur- ; tis attends the races by reason of his love for the thoroughbred horse and his admiration of his deeds. The turf is indeed to be congratulated in having such a companion. And Maryland in particular and the American turf generally, is rich indeed in having another such champion as Governor Ritchie of that state. Governor Ritchie has on various occasion given every proof of his interest in the sport and no public man of anything like the importance of the chief executive of Maryland has done more for Tte turf has prospered wonderfully in the stattf of Maryland and the opening of the 1930 season holds out promise that it will go on to better things this year and enjoy an even greater public appeal than ever before. Now there comes announcement that the Agua Caliente Handicap will have another increase in value for the 1931 running. This may or may not be a wise move on the part of the Agua Caliente Jockey Club. It seemed that just about the limit in value had been reached when this prize was made of 00,000 value. There does not seem to be any good reason for more money to be devoted to one race. Of course, the evident intention is to make the handicap of greater value than any other race in the world. That will probably be accomplished, but if it is accomplished it is only rf advertising value. There does not seem to be any chance for a race of greater value than 00,000 attracting better horses than have been attracted by that figure. The advertising value may make it worth while to have an increase in the big prize. That value possibly is best known by the club itself, but the general trend of turf prizes of immense value does not seem to be the best distribution of purse money for the good of the sport. As far as the racing itself is concerned, the best distribution of money, for the best interests of the turf, is the distribution that is widest. In other words, the reduction of overnight purses, to make possible the profitable offering of one immediate prize is not fair to the horsemen themselves. One big prize will never make a race meeting, while the judicious expenditure of the same amount of money, distributed among various prizes, is an incentive for the shipping of a vastly greater number of horses of quality. Only one horse can win the capital prize, but when that capital prize is cut into twenty parts there is the chance that twenty different horses and horsemen will share in the bounty. There may not be the same opportunity for boastful publicity, but it would surely make for better horses and consequently better racing. Joseph E. "Widener has expressed the same views in his plans for the future of the Miami Jockey Club. From the beginning, Mr. "Widener has opposed these prizes of fabulous value, but it is through no idea of economy. There is no sportsman who spends more for the advancement of the turf, and no sportsman with sounder views for its progress. Mr. Widener has promised that, should Florida enact adequate laws for the proper protection of the sport in the state, that the Miami Jockey Club will so arrange its program that no race will have a lesser net value to the winner than ,000. He proposes many special prizes of generous value, but, possibly, the top prize will be of 0,000 added. Such a program as this would mean the distribution of a greater amount of money than would be given away by the association that concentrated on one big event at the expense of the overnight purses, that, after all, are so essential to racing success. In recent years of racing the prosperity that has come to the sport and the coming in of men of wealth, has brought about some altogether new and extravagant value to 1 i J 1 I i i . ; ! : ; specials. Some of them have already done much to give racing added importance, but there is not one of them, when staged at the expense of the overnight purses, that has advanced the turf one inch. The race of fabulous value offers a chance for ballyhoo, but there must be something more lasting than ballyhoo for healthy growth. The steady, healthful progress of racing is more to be desired than the mushroom growth that may be sought simply by the weight of money. One of the notables of the Bowie colony that has had its preparation halted for a time was Ned O., George W. Foremans hope for the Kentucky Derby. This son of Campfire and La Flambee that proved such a brilliant prospect in the fall of last year had his training halted recently by a suspicion of lameness. Fortunately it was only a slight interruption and latest reports are that he is galloping soundly again, but it caused a bit of apprehension. Ned O. may be the most dangerous of the Kentucky Derby candidates in Maryland. By his reason of his being unsexed he is not eligible for the Preakness and Foreman has ample time to make him ready for the big Churchill Downs prize should there be no further interruption in his preparation. He was brought from under cover early in January and possibly no candidate for the Kentucky "classic" was further advanced at the time of his recent slight lameness. The fact that he was stopped until he was going entirely sound again seems the part of wisdom and he may progress favorably for the rest of his training. And while Bowie is naturally an exceedingly busy course with its opening of the Maryland season, there is also a big thoroughbred colony at Pimlico, the course of the old Maryland Jockey Club. Many of those training over this old ground may be taken to Bowie before the end of that eleven-day meeting. Others will be shown at the Havre de Grace meeting which follows and still others will not be sent to the races until the Pimlico meeting on April 28. For the most part the Pimlico lot are the fashionables of the turf and a considerable number of them are naturally two-year-olds. Of these little can be known until they are seen in actual contest, for it is not always the good trial horse that develops into the good race horse. It is not always the one that shows sensational trials that makes good in the afternoon and frequently the sluggard in training hours develops unexpected quality when in actual contest. That is why no trainer really knows his horse until he has sent him to the races. That is why the winning post is the only test of the thoroughbred. Many cases could be cited and one that has been brought to mind was the case- of Crusader, one of the best race horses of his time. As a two-year-old and before he was sent to the races, the son of Man o War was a notoriously bad work horse. Gwyn Tompkins could not make him show a half in better than :51 when he was apparently doing his best. Just what he accomplished under the silks needs no repeating. And at the same time, in the same string with Crusader, there were many that would make him look cheap in training, while Ihey were not within pounds of him when asked to race. These are some of the reasons why the opening of the season and the introduction of a new crop is so altogether different from any other season of the racing year. Trainers, who have shipped to the Pimlico course by rail, have a just complaint to make of the unloading platform at Mount Washington. It has been found that this platform is too narrow for safety in the handling of the horses. It may readily be made wide enough to correct this condition and it doubtless will be brought up to requirements when this is realized. Recently, while being unloaded, a two-year-old, by reason of this lack of width on the platform, fell between the car and the landing platform, suffering some injuries that resulted in his training being halted. A much more serious injury might readily come from such an accident and when the small cost of having an adequate platform built is considered against the value of horses that ship to Mount Washington,, the work of bringing it up to required dimensions should not be delayed. Memories of the thoroughness of the late John E. Madden in the handling of horses, were brought to mind at the Bowie course Monday morning. A couple of two-year-olds appeared on the course with their exercise boys attired in bright riding silks. It may be possible that Mr. Madden borrowed the idea from some one else, but it is a good one in any event and one that he invariably carried out in teaching his green thoroughbreds their first lessons. By dressing his exercise boys in riding silks and the brighter the better, he gave the youngsters an education in what they would meet in actual contest. He would, as far as was possible in the surroundings, create the same scene as a race. There is good reason for this and, undoubtedly, it was an important part in the education of a baby racer. It is easily understood that a two-year-old, going to the post for the first time, might readily be startled to have bright colored j .silks come alongside. It has frequently I caused a two-year-old to bolt in or out, and it has cost purses. When these silks are used in the work hours the youngsters become familiar with them and there is nothing startling when they range alongside. John Madden was thorough in all that he attempted and it was just one of his many tricks of the trade that brought results. While racing is in full swing in Maryland for the new season the preparations are going on steadily for the opening of the Kentucky season at Lexington. That meeting is not to open until April 17, but for a considerable time much important work has been going forward at the course. Some of the candidates for the Kentucky Derby are going through their early preparation there, while the many others that are to be shown at the Kentucky Association meeting are being brought to racing condition. As was the case at the Bowie meeting, the Lexington sport has attracted various of the winter campaigners, but each day horses are moving in from farms, all more or less well advanced in the preliminary stages of training and fast trials are beginning to be the order of the day. While there does not appear to be any real activity in the future book on the Kentucky Derby there have been some who have been tempted by the prices offered. Gallant Fox, William Woodwards sterling son of Sir Gallahad III. and Marguerite, by Celt, is the Eastern choice, with 8 to 1 the quotation. James Fitzsimmons is training this fellow at the old Aqueduct course, on Long Island, and he has been doing all that has been required in a fashion to indicate that he will be a sure starter. Then there is Gifford A. Cochrans Flying Heels, son of the, Kentucky Derby winner Flying Ebony. He is at Belmont Park, and another Long Island candidate that is held at a short price. Desert Light, Mrs. Graham Fair Vanderbilts best, and Dedicate that races for the Everglade Stalile, are two in Kentucky that have been attracting attention and then there is High Foot, the New Orleans winter sensation, among the short priced ones. Ned O. is held at a price that leaves no doubt of his being considered as the best candidate in Maryland. As the training progresses there will be fluctuations, but at this time these are the ones held in highest esteem. An important part of the Pimlico training, particularly the training of the new two-year-olds, is the schooling of them to the Bahr stall starting gate that is to be used for the Maryland Jockey Club meeting. Horsemen generally are enthusiastic over this machine and thus far little trouble has been experienced in teaching the young thoroughbreds to enter the stalls, stand quietly and leave running at the rise of the barrier. This is the same machine to be used on all the Chicago tracks.
