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- --t Here and There on the Turf OHara Plans Something New ! Seeks Big Race in August Rules Committee Meets Soon j Healey Takes No Chances T ."J First news of Walter OHaras stakes plans for the three meetings he will conduct at Narragansett Park this season have come to light, and show the intrepid New England- promoter operating true to his past performances in arranging something out of the ordinary. His big event of the season, unless he arranges another, will be the Narragansett Special, which had its inception last all when OHara had high hopes of bringing together Cavalcade and. Equipoise. Neither of the two was able to face the barrier, however, and victory went to the speedy Time Supply. For its inaugural running the Narragansett Special had an added value of 5,000, and this will be the sum given to its first renewal unless the starting field happens to include two or more horses which have been victorious in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes, American Derby and Classic, in which case the added money will be doubled. Considerable thought to the Narragansett Special evidently has been given by OHara, judging by the new conditions-for the race. They have been arranged to provide a very great inducement for the nations outstanding three-year-olds to go against the best older horses under handicap conditions as early in the season as August 21, something that has been rarely done in the past. OHara jsees the opportunity to add much to the importance of the Narragansett Special by bringing together the topnotch three-year-olds with the best members of the older division, but without the younger horses the event would be nothing more than a financially attractive handicap. The chances are only about fifty-fifty, if they are that great, that two winners of the five three-year-old events mentioned in the Narragansett Special conditions will be available for participation in such, a race in August. It usually has been the .case that , they have been eliminated for the season because of injuries. Last year High Quest, winner of the Preakness, and Peace Chance, victorious in the Belmont Stakes, did no more racing after the latter event, while Cavalcade, triumphant in the Kentucky Derby, American Derby and Arlington Classic, was unable to get to the post after the last named contest. With such an open sea son for three-year-olds expected, however, enough winners of these five races may be still in action during August, and therefore struck by the rich appeal of the Narragansett Special. Now that the public knows what OHara has in mind for his principal offering at Narragansett Park, they can begin to expect announcement of details for the other stakes and overnight purses before very long. Very likely, the New England promoter will only arrange the program for the first of the three meetings at the Paw-tucket course, which will open June 17 and close July 6, at this time and will work out details for the other two sessions after he has been able to get an accurate line on conditions. It is only natural that he should make up his mind now as to the Narragansett Special and to make it attractive to both three-year-olds and older horses. The first Narragansett meeting comes during a period when the leaders of both divisions will be very busy, but August racing provides just about the first opportunity for the three-year-old stars to look around for other fields, to conquer. Members of the rules committee of the National Association of State Racing Commissioners will meet with chairman Leo Spitz in Chicago next Saturday morning for the purpose of cleaning up the loose ends left from the annual convention at Miami in January. Perhaps the most important task confronting the committee will be adoption of the change generally made in the new modified claiming rule which had been accepted at the regular session. Most states have" either eliminated entirely the maximum amount for which a horse may be claimed or have placed the limit at ,000, which to all practical puposes is the same thing. Comprising the commiteee, in addition to the chairman, are James F. Hayward, Maryland; Isaac Collins, Ohio; Edward J. Brown, Washington; James C. Thornton, Rhode Island; John Sloan, New York; Thomas Underwood, Kentucky; Walter H: Donovan, Florida; Ralph H. George, New Hampshire, and Joseph D. Frost, Michigan. Todays absence from the field in the Chesapeake Stakes Saturday may be best explained by trainer Thomas J. Healey"s belief that the C. V. Whitney colt had too little time between the six-furlong race that started off his seasons campaign and the mile and a sixteenth Havre de Grace feature. Today had not the opportunity to get the training foundation for a hard face at a mile and a sixteenth, but was ready for a test at six furlongs, as he cleverly demonstrated. Trainer Healey realizes as well as any one just how much harm, can be, done a colt by rushing him along, especially with the horse not physically equipped. A colt can be entirely ruined as a high-class performer by being called upon to do something for which he has not been . fitted. While Today dodged the Chesapeake, it does not mean he will sidestep the Wood Memo-ial at Jamaica next Saturday or the Kentucky Derby a week later. He has just about time to make the grade in conditioning, but trainer Healey certainly is one person wise enough not to take any chances in this respect. Work watchers at Belmont Park the other morning saw Linus McAtee sending the Brookmeade Stables crack three-year-old prospect, Psychic Bid, through a smart trial. The Brookmeade Stable, which Mrs. Isabel Dodge Sloane owns and Robert A. Smith trains, possesses Cavalcade, Special Agent, Young Native and a whole horde of promising two-year-olds in addition to Psychic Bid. The establishment is without the services of a regular jockey. McAtee has been getting himself in condition for the past several months to attempt a riding comeback after having taken things easy for several years. McAtees appearance on a Brookmeade colt is very suggestive of a deal being concocted shortly.
