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Here and There on the Turf The Toboggan Weights Steeplechasing at Belmont Michigan Racing Season Odd Claiming Race Rule Weights for the Toboggan Handicap and the International Steeplechase Handicap the two opening features of the Westchest er Racing Association meeting at Belmont Park Wednesday are advance announce ¬ ments of that season that are of big inter ¬ est to horsemen horsemenWhile While it is never entirely safe to offer criticism of any handicap of Walter S Vos burgh it would seem that he is a trifle high on Springsteel the fiveyearold son of Sir Greysteel and Peeping Star which races for his breeder Sylvester W Labrot of Maryland This fellow is required to take up 126 pounds just six pounds under the scale for the six furlongs dash through the straight of the Widener course courseBut But on the scale the top weight for the Toboggan goes to the threeyearold filly Watch Her when she is in under 114 pounds her scale weight Then there comes Chic straw at 118 pounds which is just one pound under the scale scaleThe The filly is indeed rated highly and of course it is strictly on the distance but many will be of the opinion she is treated harshly as Is High Quest and Springsteel is surely asked to take up plenty of weight in such a notable field fieldThe The Toboggan has always been a sprint of big importance and horses that have won under a greater weight than 126 pounds have been Equipoise 129 Osmand 129 in the second of his two successive victories Chance Play 128 Mad Hatter 128 Iron Mask 130 Banastar 130 and Voter 128 pounds poundsIt It is hard to rate Mr Labrots good geld ¬ ing with such as these and it also appears a bit out of line for him to be so weighted when his impost is considered with some of the others W R Coes Ladysman while away from the races last year would seem to have an advantage on his juvenile form when he is in receipt of weight for his 123 pounds is seven pounds under scale Edward R Bradleys Tick On which re ¬ cently raced a mile In 136 at Churchill Downs seems to have earned his impost of 120 pounds and Pairbypair admirably suited at the distance is also in well at 120 pounds particularly when High Quest a threeyearold is asked to shoulder 118 pounds There is no remote chance that Bob Smith will accept such a weight as 118 pounds for High Quest but the rating of Mr Vos burgh gives an interesting line on where he places the threeyearold among others of his age ageAt At this weight he has to give Sgt Byrne winner of the Paumonok Handicap and a rare sprinter four pounds while he has to give George W Wideners Chicstraw six pounds poundsHigh High Quest might be able to give away Continued on twentysecond page HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second page the weight but with so many more attrac ¬ tive engagements before him where he will only meet those of his age there is no oc ¬ casion for putting him to the test And many will question whether or not Sgt Byrne is able to give Chicstraw two pounds over six furlongs or any route routeSgt Sgt Byrne wound up his juvenile year brilliantly by beating a field of older horses including Winooka in a six furlongs sprint He began this season auspiciously by taking the Paumonok He is a sprinter of quality but like High Quest he is set something of a HandicapWatch task in the Toboggan Handicap Watch Her like Sgt Byrne is purely a sprinter and it may be even the high im ¬ post for a filly will be accepted for on all she has shown there seems to be less chance for her to go on over longer routes than many of the other good threeyearolds In her one start of the year she showed a high flight of speed but she was beaten and may not be entirely sound in wind windOthers Others in the Toboggan field which seem to be in nicely are Black Buddy Okapi and Universe which has been training in a fa ¬ shion to suggest he will be a good horse this year yearWith With the opening of Belmont Park it will mean the opening of the New York steeple ¬ chase season and ample provision has been made for the chasers during the twentytwo days of racing Then following the Belmont Park meeting will come Aqueduct where it will be endeavored to stage a cross country race dayThe every day The manner in which the steeplechases were filled at Pimlico during its session would indicate that there will be an alto ¬ gether new interest in this branch of rac ¬ ing Most of these horses which have raced at Pimlico will move on to Belmont Park and with the seasoning they have had in Maryland they should be ready for all that is offered offeredFor For the International Handicap to be run Wednesday two of the Sanford horses are at the top when Tourist II is handicapped at 166 pounds and Golden Meadow is in under one pound less weight Both of these are imported fencers and the third horse in the weights P Ambrose Clarks Irish Bul ¬ let is another outlander that is to take up 159 pounds poundsBoth Both Tourist II and Golden Meadow have been away from the races since 1932 but in the racing of that year they performed bril ¬ liantly Irish Bullet has not been shown this season but last year he raced his way to a high handicapsThis place in the handicaps This prize closed with twentyfive nomina ¬ tions The list of nominees is a notable one and it is to be expected that the renewal will be a worthy one even though the top weights in the field do not put in an ap ¬ pearance Michigan with its one man racing com ¬ mission Mark Hanna promises to have a world of racing this year Of course the big meeting is that of the Detroit Racing Asso ¬ ciation which is to begin next Thursday and continue for 123 days until October 6 6But But the book is out for a conflicting meet ¬ ing at Kalamazoo The season there is to begin May 26 and continue until June 16 This Kalamazoo venture has for its general manager A E Swanson while Tim Murphy who officiated at Havana two seasons ago will act as racing secretary and steward Ben Hagedorn is the director of the racing racingThis This is a mile course and the purses to be offered will be 300 with an occasional 500 award and possibly some of 600 value valueThis This racing will naturally take care of some of the poorer class horses for such award would not attract any other than the cheap ones but elaborate preparations have been made for the season seasonThe The long season of the Detroit Racing Association which is under the direction of Joseph A Murphy is by long odds the most ambitious ever attempted in that city Judge Murphy has carefully chosen his official family with Charles McLennan as secretary and handicapper and Roy Dickerson to do the starting startingOther Other officials are Herman P Conkling C F Henry and Sidney Brown They have all had a long racing experience and each enjoys the confidence of both the horsemen and the public Judge Murphy has a list of fourteen special prizes during the long sea ¬ son with the Detroit Derby of 25000 added as the bright and particular feature featureThis This Derby like the Preakness of the Maryland Jockey Club is over the mile and threesixteenths distance and its value will make certain that many of the best three yearolds will journey to Michigan for the running It is to be run June 16 which is a date that will fit in nicely with the Amer ¬ ican Derby to be decided June 2 and the Belmont which is to be decided June 9 9The The purses for the overnight races will range from 800 to 1000 with some of 1500 and such a distribution will induce many of the big stables to send a division for that racing racingIn In connection with this Michigan racing there is a peculiar angle to the claiming rule While it is open claiming a section of the rules requires that any person claiming a horse must first become licensed to do so with the Michigan Racing Commission But any established stable is exempt from that rule This is an odd rule and it is not clearly understood how a man may be licensed to make claims but that is a regu ¬ lation Under such a rule the open claiming is to a great extent nullified for the license is required and naturally open claiming be ¬ comes impossible impossibleAnother Another change in the usual claiming rules is found in a prohibition against the sale of a claimed horse except in a claiming race for a period of sixty days That only applies in many of the rules to the sale of horses back to the original owner ownerThis This section reads readsNo No horse claimed out of a claiming race shall be sold or transferred wholly or in part thereof to anyone within sixty days from the day it was claimed except in an ¬ other claiming race nor shall such horse remain in the same stable or management of its former owner or trainer trainerThe The prohibition against the sale of a claimed horse to anyone for a period of sixty days is to say the least a decided change from the existing rule generally ac ¬ cepted in claiming regulation The prohibi ¬ tion has been only against the return of the horse to his former owner for a period of sixty days or a prohibition against the for ¬ mer owner starting such a horse for that time should he be reclaimed or purchased from the claimant
