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Here and There on the Turf n -4 When Sarazen IT. galloped home such an jeasy winner of the Paumonok Handicap at Jamaica Monday he at once established himself as at least a. sprinter of parts and worthy of being: named after that great gelding of a few years back. Alex Gordon prepared Sarazen II. and Desert Light, as well as the others that bear the silks of Mrs. Graham Fair Vanderbilts at the old Douglas Park course in Louisville. The performance of Sarazen II. was evidence enough that Gordon accomplished a good job of training as far as the son of High Time at least is concerned. It was observed that a note was carried at the bottom of the Paumonok Handicap on the Monday program setting forth that post positions for the race would be drawn thirty minutes before the running. There were some who did not understand the reason for a later drawing in that than in other races, but it is following out the interpretation of the post position rule made by the stewards of The Jockey Club last winter. In other words, it was to guard against the late addition of a starter in order that he might obtain the outside post position. This was done on various occasions last year when the outside position was the most favorable of them all. Then, during the winter it was ruled that in the event of an added starter there should be a new drawing of post positions. Now by delaying the draw until thirty minutes before the running, the same result is obtained, for by that time any additions must be made. R. M. Eastmans Mike Hall, after a recent defeat, partially redeemed himself at Lexington Monday when he was winner of the Richmond Purse, at one mile. There was nothing really impressive about the performance when the. weight carried 118 pounds and the class of the field is taken into consideration, but it appeared to be a better performance than his previous effort. The son of Hourless won with ease and, what was of more importance in considering his chances for victory in the Dixie Handicap at Pimlico, was the fact that he was galloped out the mile and a quarter in 2:05, rather a smart trial for a race of a mile and three-sixteenths, to be run April 28. And, in the meantime, Montanaro, which recently took the measure of Mike Hall, has earned himself a place in the Dixie field. He is to be sent from Lexington to keep his engagement in the Baltimore prize, and he will probably have Mike Hall for his traveling companion. James Fitzsimmons continues to send "William "Woodwards Gallant Fox along in a fashion that constantly increases his importance among the eligibles for the May "classics." The son of Sir Gallahad III. will be seen under silks in the "Wood Memorial, at; Jamaica, Saturday, according to present plans, and in that 0,000 prize there will come the first public gauge of his quality. The Monday trial of the colt, at Belmont Park, was one of the most impressive shown at any time since training began. "With Earl Sande in the saddle and his weight up, Gallant Fox covered a mile in 1:40, to finish out the trial with something in reserve. Gallant Fox has been training exceedingly well for a considerable time and there has been no interruption of his preparation. He has done all that has been asked of him brilliantly, and he will go to the post for the IWood with a strong following. "While the "Wood is being decided at Jamaica Saturday other of the "classic" candidates will be seen in action in the Chesapeake Stakes at Havre de Grace. Like the "Wood, this is a special that has added importance in attracting eligibles for the Preak-ness and the Kentucky Derby, so that the racing of Saturday has a double importance. In all of the training reports on both Sarazen II. and Desert Light, the pair that are depended upon to carry Mrs. Vanderbilts silks in the three-year-old "classics," it has has been intimated that Desert Light was .the more formidable. If that is the case then the performance of Sarazen II. is doubly im-. pressive when concerning the racing chances of the stable. Of course, the get of High Time, with the exception of Sarazen, for whom this colt is named, have never been remarkable for other than sprinting. For that reason Sarazen II. will have to prove himself over a greater distance than , the three-quarters of a mile of the Paumonok Handicap, but the ease Avith which he won that running and the manner in -which ho finished out the final quarter of that race suggests that he jnay have inherited the qualities tiiat made the old gelding one of the leading American thoroughbreds. Desert Light, which, like Sarazen II., enjoys engagements in both the Preakness and the Kentucky Derby; is a son of Wildair and the Star Shoot mare Galaxy. These are blood lines calculated to carry along further than the High Times, but from any angle it would appear that Alex Gordon is coming back to the races holding a strong hand for Mrs. Vanderilt. The running of the Paumonok told absolutely nothing of what to expect of Robert L. Gerrys High Strung, winner of both the Futurity at Belmont Park and later the Pimlico Futurity of the Maryland Jockey Club. Another son of High Time, this fellow gave promise at the end of the juvenile season to be a staying son of the in-bred sire for the Pimlico Futurity in 1928, was over the mile distance, but High Strung did not train successfully for George Odom last year and his only score was in a three-quarters dash at Saratoga Springs. Following this sprint High Strung was started in a mile " and a quarter condition race at Belmont Park, in which he was beaten by The Nut. His only start was in the mile of the Jerome Handicap, in which he failed utterly. High Strung has been training exceedingly well for Odom this spring, but in the Paumonok, by reason of his failure to break with his company, the race was no index of his present condition. In his three races of last year it is significant that his only score was in a sprint of three-quarters. Until High Strung has another racing opportunity there will be no chance to make a prediction on just where he belongs this year.
