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Here and There on the Turf Chicago Season Opens Fleam and the Oaks How Thursday Moved Up Betting Ring at Saratoga With the running of the 10000 Illinois Derby at Aurora yesterday the racing moves into Chicago and its truly big season with the opening of the Washington Park meeting at Homewood This meeting will continue until June 23 and every indication points to a bigger turf year than has been enjoyed for some years In fact there are high hopes that Chicago will see better rac ¬ ing and more prosperous times for the sport than at any time since it was legalized in the state of Illinois IllinoisThis This is forecast in the general recovery that has been apparent at other racing points which have already conducted meet ¬ ings and particularly the Churchill Downs sport which has such a direct bearing on the Chicago season seasonFor For this opening day William H Shelley has prepared an attractive card topped by the Washington Park Handicap a sprint of six furlongs and this is one of seven specials that will be decided before the end of the meeting The prizes of course are topped by the 25000 American Derby to be de ¬ cided June 2 and from the seventynine nominations received for that running a re ¬ newal of big importance is assured assuredMrs Mrs Isabel Dodge Sloanes Kentucky Derby winner Cavalcade is named as a sure starter and others of first importance from New York that enjoy the engagement are the Greentree Stables First Minstrel George D Wideners Chicstraw both of which have returned to the races brilliantly Joseph E Wideners Peace Chance holder of the Churchill Downs mile track record C V Whitneys Roustabout A G Vander bilts Discovery and Mrs F J Hellers Agrarian one of the most improved three yearolds in training Kentucky is variously represented in the big prize with some that are willing to have another try at Caval ¬ cade to wipe out a Derby defeat defeatThere There are allowances in the conditions for the American Derby that will require Caval ¬ cade to give away weight to some worthy ones and that vrill make for a bigger field and a better contest contestBoth Both First Minstrel and Chicstraw have been heading for the mile and a half of the Belmont to be run June 9 but time enough elapses between the two runnings to make the keeping of both engagements entirely possible When William Woodwards Fleam was winner of the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park Tuesday she took on new importance as a worthy candidate for the mile and three furlongs of the Coaching Club American Oaks This is the best of the filly offerings of the Westchester Racing Association and to be run June 2 Its distance makes it a test of all that is best in the thoroughbred and last year James Fitzsimmons sent out the winner when he saddled Edelweiss for the Wheatley Stable StableFleam Fleam was in receipt of considerable weight when she only took up 109 pounds in the Acorn but she seems particularly adapted to the longer gallop of the Oaks OaksThe The Wheatley Stables Dusky Princess in finishing second to her stablemate also demonstrated that she will be better fitted for a mile and three furlongs than are any other of the starters in the Acorn that en ¬ joy the later engagement Two of these were Hindu Queen and Contessa This last named miss that races for Mrs John Hertz was giving Fleam nine pounds but even with that handicap the race would suggest that at best she is merely a sprinter sprinterHigh High Glee is not an eligible for the Oaks though an excellent excuse is found for her showing in the Acorn She was badly ridden by Robertson and suffered a severe handi ¬ cap right from the start The Whitney nom ¬ inee in the Oaks is Piety PietyAnother Another good one that Fleam will have to meet in the bigprize is Edward R Bradleys good filly Bazaar at one time seriously con ¬ sidered as the probable winner of the Ken ¬ tucky Derby This daughter of Tetratema proved herself last year and racing among those of her own sex she may prove a stumbling block to the best of them The good game finish of Selby Burchs Thursday in the Ornament Handicap at Bel ¬ mont Park Tuesday leaves no doubt of his being brought back a good horse this year He was highly tried in that running and while there have been faster races it called for qualityThis endurance courage and quality This fiveyearold son of Mars and Pretty Day by Ormondale is one of the remark able developments of racing Raced among the platers there was a fear early last year that he was of little account and both Selby Burch and his brother Preston Burch for a time ques ¬ tioned the wisdom of wasting much time with him It was suggested that he be dropped down to an alluring claiming price in the hope that he would be taken takenFortunately Fortunately Selby Burch decided to give the gelding one more chance and his pa ¬ tience was bountifully rewarded when Thursday began to climb up among thegood ories He was graduated from the Tanks of the platers and wound up his racing of last year battling along creditably in the handi ¬ cap division divisionThis This year there seems to be every reason to expect that the son of Mars will continue a thoroughly dependable campaigner campaignerGeorge George H Bull has made a wise decision in retaining the old Saratoga Springs betting enclosure for the new order of wagering For a time some consideration was given to a change but now it has been decided Continued on twentysixth page
