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Here and There on the Turf Coming to the Derby Dixie Handicap Field Excellent Kentucky Rule Until its running Saturday the Kentucky Derby will attract the attentipn of the turf world and the happenings of Tuesday fur nishedsomething new to talk about Joseph E Wideners Peace Chance when he hung out a new mile track record at Churchill Downs stepping in 135 to be a handy winner came to first importance fqr the big eyent and at the same time Spy Hill from the Greentree Stable had a sparkling trial of a mile and a quarter at Belmont Park in 204 Of course Peace Chance was only shoul ¬ dering 105 pounds against the 126 pounds he will take up in the Derby but the elec ¬ trical speed he displayed and the fact that it was a field of eligibles for the classic that followed him home made his race doubly impressive impressiveIn In the same race that gave Peace Chance his new importance A B Gordons maiden Sir Thomas widely heralded as possibly the best of the Kentucky Derby eligibles failed utterly The race run by this fellow was so utterly below what was anticipated by his trials that it cannot be taken seriously It must not be considered but the manner in which the soji of Sir Gallahad HL re ¬ fused to extend himself leaves some appre ¬ hension as to his temper No colt can afford to sulk in the Derby DerbyThere There also came some disquieting ru ¬ mors regarding Mrs Sloaries Cavalcade considered the most eligible of the invaders from the East This son of Lancegaye it is admitted shipped none too well when he was sent over from Maryland It is ex ¬ pected that he will recover from the effects of the trip thoroughly before being sent to the post Saturday but any indisposition at a time so close to the running date is to be feared Equipoise has been handicapped at 130 pounds for the running of the Dixie Handi ¬ cap of the Maryland Jockey Club at Pimlico Saturday This is the same weight he car ¬ ried so brilliantly to victory in the running of the Philadelphia Handicap at Havre de Grace and lie is surelyfit and ready for the gallop of a mile arid threesixteenths threesixteenthsThis This weight is just three pounds less than Walter S Vbsburgh hahdicapper for The Jockey Club imposed for the Excelsior Handicap at Jamaica to be run the same day The champion will not be brought to New York Saturday and there is every ex ¬ pectation that he will go to the post in the Dixie The Maryland prize is of just twice the value of the New York engagement when 5000 is added and Healey has his star runningThe 9n the grounds for the running The list of eligibles for the Dixie is a more notable one than that for the Excelsior but in the long history of the old race Sarazen wnen he was winner in 1925 for the first of his two scores is the only winner to take up such a burden successfully Chase Me the sensational son of Purchase already discussed is in the Dixie under 120 pounds and at sthe same notch are found War Glory Winooka and Burgoo King It is nob expected that any one of these will be started but Chase Me is slated for the colors colorsOne One Kentucky rule that is at least popular with both the horsemen arid the public per mils a suspended jockey during the term of his suspension to fill stake riding engage ¬ ments mentsThis This is brought to mind with the suspen ¬ sion of Don Meade for rough riding at Churchill Downs Monday on the twoyear old Leelarious This suspension would with ¬ out such a rule prohibit his riding in the Kentucky Derby Saturday But Meade was suspended when he rode Brokers Tip to vic ¬ tory in the Derby of last year After the Derby and the disgraceful jockey fight of Meade on the winner and Herb Fisher who rode Head Play both were set down for thirty days but he was a suspended jockey when he went to the post on the Derby winner There is reason for this rule Too often a stable is robbed of the use of its own jockey when for some offense he is suspended for a violation committed riding an outside mount Of course any violation of the rules must be punished but when the punishment also inflicts an unreasonable hardship on the contract employer of the jockey it seems unfair unfairShould Should a jockey be found guilty of a se ¬ rious breach of the rules which constituted a fraud he should be banished no matter what hardship comes to his contract em ¬ ployer but merely for rough riding or some offense not even as serious there have been many occasions when a stable loses the use of its rider riderIn In all racing rules the stewards have dis ¬ cretionary powers and there should be no mandatory expulsion of a contract rider from stake engagements for his employer because of the fact he is under suspension
