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Here and There on the Turf Requirements for Crown jPreaknessNext New York Commission Victory in the Kentucky Derby is an im ¬ portant step towards the threeyearold championship every year but it is only the first important move for the crown There are still many big tests to be met and through the long and glorious hictory of the Kentucky Classic comparatively few of its winners have finished out the racing year champion of the age division divisionSome Some of those that continued through to greatness in the past decade were Regret Exterminator Sir Barton Zev Reigh Count Gallant Fox and Twenty Grand During that same period winners that failed to go on to that great promise for the cham ¬ pionship were Morvich Flying Ebony Whiskery Clyde Van Dusen Burgoo King and Brokers Tip To these might also be added Bubbling Over though he was un ¬ doubtedly one of the best colts to win the big prize His racing was cut short as it was for some of the others by reason of physical disability disabilityBut But even those that have gone along with no physical ailments have too often been far from the top in November after having won the Derby in May MayAnd And there are still some to be heard from that surely must be disposed of before the championship is decided One of the most eligible for the crown on performances of last year that has not yet been raced is George D Wideners Chicstraw the son of Chicle and Last Straw This fellow came to himself in the fall of last year and in Maryland he proved himself adequately winding up his season with a score in the Endurance Handicap at Bowie after earlier j winning the Walden Handicap of the Mary ¬ land Jockey Club at Pimlico PimlicoA A J Jack Joyner who developed this fellow is of the thorough old school in his training methods and a mile and a quarter the first week in May is never particularly attractive to him This year it was less attractive than usual by reason of the severe winter and backward spring For that reason there was no serious attempt to have either Chicstraw or Kawagoe ready readyThere There are some others that were not trained for the prize but Chicstraw at this time appears to be the most notable ab ¬ sentee senteeThe The next important race comes with the running of the Preakness at Pimlico next Saturday As has been the custom these two early classics are dated so that it is possible for a candidate to meet both en ¬ gagements Burgoo King Gallant Fox and Continued on thirtysecond page HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second page Sir Barton are the three that have this notable double to their credit and of the trio as has been told two Gallant Fox and Sir Barton continued to the cham ¬ pionship pionshipBut But after the Preakness there is to fol ¬ low the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park and it has in its roster of winners a greater number of champions than either of the earlier prizes prizesToo Too often making ready for such a severe test early in May has taken a heavy toll but the Derby always will have its great appeal and year after year it will be the first objective of a vast majority of the train ¬ ers of the best juveniles Then following the Belmont there will still be the Classic at Arlington Park in Chicago where Blue Larkspur in its first running so decisively turned the tables on Clyde Van Dusen which had beaten him in the Kentucky Derby There is the American Derby as well as other three yearold tests of first importance in the middle west Saratoga has its Travers and Aqueduct its Dwyer and in the fall of the year the Lawrence Realization at Belmont Park puts the final stamp of excellence on the threeyearolds threeyearoldsAll All of these great races must be decided but the Kentucky Derby is the first test of great importance and to begin with such a victory means much to any threeyear old oldAs As far as has been possible the running dates for these various fixtures is arranged to make possible the keeping of most en ¬ gagements but thus far no colt has been able to go through the season meeting each one of them themThe The champion in May is indeed a cham ¬ pion when he is still at the top of the heap in November and these various en ¬ gagements call for everything that is best in the thoroughbred It may not properly be any part of the duty of the New York racing commission to make any changes in the conduct of the sport by the various associations but if that is a part of the duty of the body several changes of importance could be made The first and most important at this time is the moving up of the time for the closing of the entries This is really a matter for the associations to take care of themselves and it has nothing whatever to do with the rules of racing It is only a track rule and each association may fix its own time for the closing closingThen Then there is the question of having the horses names printed in the program in the post order rather than have a later drawing of post positions Still another is the publi ¬ cation of the names of the jockeys on the program All of these conveniences to the racing public obtain everywhere except New York but for some unexplained reason New York offers none of them From time to time some of the associations have made futile attempts to have an earlier closing of entries at Saratoga Springs and there have been attempts to publish the names of the riders but it has never been carried through as it is elsewhere elsewhereThere There is no good reason why the New York trainers could not make their entries at 10 oclock in the forenoon They have to do so when they take their horses to Ken ¬ tucky Maryland Illinois or in fact any where else They have to name the jockey quired elsewhere shouldbe required at home
