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y 11 ... . , Here and There on the Turf Maryland Racing Flourishes Deliberator Vs. Wise Duke Chicago Fans Getting Anxious McAtee Ready for Comeback Try j.---------. .... t Most cheerful racing news of the moment is that concerning the increase in purses to be made by the Maryland Jockey Club for its annual spring meeting at old Pimlico. Horses will run for 00 minimum purses instead of 00, which prevailed last year. Maryland Jockey Club officials reached the decision to boost the purses after receiving reports from Bowie, where a successful meeting is being staged despite an unusual run of inclement weather. The Maryland tracks ever have had the interest of horsemen in mind, and they have been quick to increase the distribution when business warranted it. Now that the sport is enjoying better support at Bowie than it has for a year or two, the Pimlico management feels that its meeting likewise will be patronized more heavily. Increasing the Pimlico purses will have the, effect of keeping some stables from shipping earlier to New York, where Jamaica starts off the season with 00 minimum purses, but even with 00 given to the events for cheaper horses Pimlico woultf. have had ample racing material for good daily programs. A large number of the stables now in Maryland are planning to ship to New England for the summer season and as the first meeting, which is at Rockingham Park, doesnt start until May 15, they can finish out the Pimlico session before moving northward. Pimlico closes May 11. Also some of the major establishments will go to Belmont Park from the Hilltop course and racing at the Nassau plant isnt due until May 15. So, it can be seen that Pimlico is in a position to do without an increase in purses at this time; therefore their action is all the more laudatory. A question which quite a few racing fans have pondered concerns the comparison of ability possessed by Deliberator and Wise Duke, the two speedy sons of Wise Counsellor which Sherrill Ward uncovered at Hialeah Park. Deliberator is the property of the Everglade Stable, maintained by Fred Burton, Chicago coal man, and Wise Duke is owned by H. H. Hector, the big feed and grain dealer of Miami. In their only meeting, which took place in the Hialeah Juvenile Championship, Wise Duke defeated De-liberator by a head, thereby stopping the latter colts winning streak at four victories. Wise Duke had been to the post twice before the Juvenile Championship, running second in his first start and capturing the other in easy fashion. Many observers believe that Deliberator would have kept his record clean by winning the Hialeah stake but for being repeately bumped by Wise Duke, which raced greenly in that event and also in his two previous appearances under silks, but nevertheless the question as to which was the better colt has not been definitely settled. However, they may be pitted against each other again in the Aberdeen Stakes, which with ,500 added, is rich enough to bring them both out. This event is on the program at Havre de Grace, which meeting gets under way Monday. As far as Burton is concerned, Deliberator is considered the better colt of the two, the Chicagoan believing that his home-bred is a colt of considerable class. Trainer Ward wisely refrained from expressing an opinion and will leave it to the winning post to decide. Otto W. Lehmann, president of the Arlington Park Jockey Club, officially announces that his association has taken a nominal amount of stock in the new Washington Park Jockey Club, which is owned and controlled by Chicagoans of whom John P. Harding is the leader. In his statement, Lehmann says it was done with the idea of improving the sport on the Chicago circuit through the idea of co-operation and it is reason enough. Race tracks that get together for harmonious action will last much longer than those that dont and they will offer much better sport while doing it. History of racing has demonstrated time and again that the sport quickly degenerated in communities where rival associations could not work together, even though their meetings did not actually conflict. That the spirit of co-operation entertained by the officials of Washington Park, Arlington Park and Lincoln Fields has been contagious is indicated in the fine outlook for the sport at these tracks this season. Judging from conversations with several casual racegoers, the general racing public in Chicago can hardly wait until the season is opened at the Homewood course on Saturday, May 25. The public is looking forward to seeing races between horses from stables that were absent from the Chicago circuit last year although they were regulars in previous seasons. Also several establishments that have sprung into prominence during the past few years also have indicated their intention to participate in Chicago racing this summer. Opening of the metropolitan season at Jamaica a week from today is expected to see Linus McAtee don silks for the first time in several years. Well supplied with worldly goods, the little Celt retired from the saddle at a time vhen he still had several good years ahead of him. In other words, McAtee was tired of riding, but his long inactivity has caused him to change his mind and he plans another fling at the sport in which he excelled. McAtee cannot be expected to be as good as he was a half-dozen years ago, because age undoubtedly has taken its toll, but if he can regain good physical form, his knowledge and thinking powers will cause his comeback to be successful. He should be particularly good with two-year-olds and in classic events in which premium is placed, on smart riding.
