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TOP FLIGHT TRAINING FOR DERBY . Winter Book Favorite May Be Given One Race Before Starting in Churchill Downs Feature-Filly in Splendid Condition-Headley Horses Shipped to Bowie LEXINGTON, Ky., March 24. Top Flight, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitneys great unbeaten filly, has yet to make a bobble in her training for her second year, or three-year-old campaign. According to word sent on by Thomas J. Healey, trainer of the Whitney racing stables, the favorite for the Kentucky Derby, to be run at Churchill Downs on May 7, looks her best, has not missed a meal and is right up to schedule in preparation for the hard campaign ahead. Almost daily Healey is in touch with Maj. Louis A. Beard, who is in charge of Mr. Whitneys thorough- bred interest with headquarters at the Whitney farm, just outside this city, and his calls from his employers Brookdale Farm at Red Bank, N. J., are the big happenings at Whitney headquarters these days. With the opening of the New York season at Jamaica set for April 16, Healey plans to transfer Top Flight and others in his main division of the stable from Red Bank to Belmont Park about April 10, and perhaps a few days earlier if the weather is unusually good. Those of the Whitney horses Healey races at Jamaica will be vanned over from Belmont. If Top Flight continues to train well she may be under colors for one race before she faces the Derby grind. Healey, according to those close to the Whitney camp, will have the brown daughter of pis Done and Flyatit at Churchill Downs well in advance of Derby day, with the possibility of her only pre-Derby appearance in an overnight race at the Louisville track. It was further said that Healey is quite confident that Top Flight can be brought into top condition for such a test as the Kentucky Derby without racing and only under the safest possible and most satisfactory conditions can enthusiasts hope to see the Derby favorite under colors before the big Churchill Downs race. Increased support for the Whitney filly is reported by winter book operators. Very substantial backing developed during the past week and there is little chance for her dislodgement as Derby favorite, at least for some little time, according to the future book operators. Fine weather and fast going made up conditions under which the scores upon scores of thoroughbreds under preparation for the coming season and spring meeting of the Kentucky Association, opening here on April 16, went through training works here Continued on fifteenth page. TOP FLIGHT IS IN TRAINING Continued from first page. today. The track was crowded with horses from daybreak until ten oclock, and the afternoon found it well taken up with two-year-olds out for schooling. The schooling was the first here this spring, but, barring adverse weather, will be a part of the track activity daily from now until the meeting opens. I Pass, the Kentucky Derby candidate Joe Chinn is training for E. R. Plunkett, was seen in another impressive trial when he went three-quarters in 1:16 handily, today. The son of Thunderer and Two No Trumps was accompanied in the work by Noel Wood. Several Kentucky Derby and Preakness eligibles were among the horses shipped from here to Maryland this afternoon. They included Hal Price Headless Big Beau and Indian Runner and Charlton Clays High Proof. Big Beau and Indian Runner headed the main division of the Headley stable which will be campaigned through the entire Maryland spring season. In all Mr. Headley shipped sixteen. In addition to the two mentioned three-year-olds, he took Pigeon Hole, Niato, Predict, Rummy, Modern Queen, Prefer, Knee High and seven two-year-olds. They reach Bowie Friday forenoon. High Proof, consigned to John Lowe at Bowie, went in a car with seven of the horses of Mose Lowenstein. Replevin and Charlie K. were the only older horses in the Lowenstein shipment. Headley and Lowenstein also got away for Baltimore. Edward Haughton plans to ship six of his horses to Maryland Sunday. Tentatively he has selected Wotan, Stone Martin, Prose and Poetry, jane Packard, Brass Monkey and Bill Looney for racing at Bowie. Others in his large stable, will campaign here under the direction of Joe Tigue. The entire stable will be re-assembled for the Churchill Downs meeting.
