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Here and There on the Turf Derby Trainers Await Sunshine ; Must Move Fast to Be Eeady License Tax Repeal Big Help Havre de Grace Prospects Good ! i This week will see training preparations for the Kentucky Derby stepping along at a very brisk pace, especially in the Blue Grass, where handlers of the leading candidates have been unable to follow a set plan of action because of the inclement weather prevailing during the past month. Fair and warmer weather is predicted for that seer tion of the country over the week-end and, with Tom Young, the Churchill Downs superintendent, working his crew overtime the course should soon be whipped into a condition permitting the Derby hopefuls to be set down for ambitious trials. As this was written, the Derby was just three weeks off, but the candidates for Americas most popular race have only two and a half weeks to get ready for the gruelling mile and a quarter event. If they cant top off their conditioning by Thursday before the race, they Will not be able to race to their best mark. None of the Derby hopefuls in Kentucky can afford to miss a single trial between now and Thursday, May 2, and this goes for the favored Chance Sun, Weston, Chance-view, St. Bernard, Boxthorn, Nellie Flag, Calumet Dick, Skip It and the other candidates quartered in the Blue Grass. All of these three-year-olds have had enough steady galloping to be well legged up and they have had some speed trials, but the time is approaching when they must be asked for good speed over the longer distances so their lungs will be properly developed for the severe Derby test. No horse short of condition has ever won the Derby, insofar as the writer knows. Blue Larkspur was just a notch below the peak of his form in 1929 and he finished fourth. Trainer Dick Thompson had to undergo an emergency operation just at the time the Bradley colt was due for his final Derby workout and it wasnt what he would have ordered. Derby horses that have been doing their training at Columbia and those which saw winter campaigning will have a distinct edge in seasoning if not in conditioning over their contemporaries in Kentucky and Maryland. The Columbia group includes the Brook-ineade Stables Psychic Bid, Special Agent and Young Native; Mrs. John Hertz Our Reigh and Count Arthur; Morton K Schwartz Good Flavor and J. H. Louch-heims Morpluck. A month ago all of these horses possessed conditioning enabling them to go miles in around 1:46 and the Derby candidates in Kentucky are just about able to do that now. All of these may be expected under colors a week before the Derby hopefuls in Kentucky. Much doubt also exists as to the advanced conditioning of Derby horses which have been in Maryland and surrounding territory all winter and spring. Commonwealth is regarded as the most promising of these and, judging by the support he has received in he.Juture books, he evidently has done all "asked of him in training. Whether that has been enough only racing can determine. The Bostonian gelding is now at Havre de Grace, where he may be expected to show under colors during the next two weeks. Today, C. V. Whitneys leading hopeful, is also at Havre de Grace, but he only recently arrived there from Kentucky. Several of Alfred Vanderbilts Derby eligibles raced at Bowie, but they were either palpably short of form or inferior in ability. They trained at Sagamore Farm in the Worthington Valley. Greentree Stables prospects have been working at Holmdel, N. J., while the Long Island colony boasted of quite a few, including the Belair Stud Stables strong hand, and these are reported in good condition at this time of the year. However, the fact remains that the Columbia-trained and winter-raced Derby candidates are much farther advanced in their preparation than all the others. Kentuckys two important tracks, Churchill Downs and Latonia, received a lucky break if Judge Humphreys decision that the sales tax law repealed the race track license statute is upheld in the Court of Appeals. Kentuckys attorney-general issued a ruling last year that the race tracks would be compelled to pay the state 3 per cent of its pari-mutuel takeout in addition to the 52,500 daily license fee. Churchill Downs went to bat on the case and Judge Humphrey ruled that the Louisville course would only be compelled to pay the 3 per cent of its take. This means that only on Derby Day will the Louisville track be placed in a position of paying more than 52,500 in. taxes. Should Churchill Downs handle a million dollars on Derby Day, its take of ten per cent and the breakage would amount to about 20,000, of which three per cent would be ,600. However, during the remainder of the meeting when an average play of 00,000 would be very good, the take on such an amount would be 4,000, with three per cent of that figuring 20. This is a saving of ,780 over the old tax of ,500. However, Churchill Downs average may not reach that mark unless Derby Day is included on the computation and Latonias average may be even less. Dade Park and any of the other smaller tracks that may operate also will benefit by the decision if it sticks in the higher court, although Continued on twenty-second page. HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF: Continued from second page. their license fee is but 00 daily. Sponsors of the sales tax law either overlooked entirely the race track tax law when they put through the measure at a special session last year or else a fast one all done up with pink and blue ribbons was put over. Havre de Grace opens its annual spring meeting of two weeks today with prospects of a finer session than the successful one which Bowie just closed. Bowies racing was considerably marred by bad weather, but bright conditions at the Harford course are predicted. Havre de Grace also should have more attractive sport due to the fact that several prominent stables, such as the main division of the C. V. Whitney establishment, in charge of T. J. Healey, will swing into action there, having dodged the meeting at the Southern Maryland track. With general conditions looking up in that section, a marked improvement in patronage is expected by Eddie Burke and his associates in the operation of Havre de Grace.
