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Here and There on the Turf Withers Pace Too Hot for Omaha Needs Own Time to Find His Stride Should Beat Rosemont in Belmont Washington Park Success Seen t- James Fitzsimmons crossed his fingers and sent out Omaha to run in the Withers Stakes. The veteran trainer knew better .than any one that Omaha would be caught tit something of a disadvantage in that mile race even though the son of Gallant Fox had shown fine speed in the Preakness and was in a position to move to the front when the horses reached the backstretch. But William Woodward, breeder and owner of the colt as well as his famous sire, and he was anxious for Omaha to go Gallant Fox one better by adding the Withers to his list of conquests. Gallant Fox did not. run in the Withers, although he accounted for the Wood Memorial Stakes which Omaha failed to do. Even though Omahas, speed tad been sharpened up for the Withers, it .was not enough to offset a brilliant performance by Rosemont, which turned in the m fastest mile effort of the year in 1:36. Rosemont was at his best for the Withers, which meant that he had few cares about jthe nature of his opposition. As a consequence, he came from behind a pace that Continued, on thirteenth pagej. HERE AND THERE ON THE-TURF Continued from second page. saw the half mile run in :45 and the three-quarters in 1:11 to finish out a mile that had Omaha driving in back of him. Omaha moved up, with Rosemont- when the- latter -made his rnove. but in the stretch the Fbx-catcherParms colt slowly drew away from the Kentucky Derby-Preakness. winner. Many experts believe Omaha faltered because the early pace in the Withers was so brisk that Willie Saunders was compelled to place the Woodward colt too quickly on his stride. In the Derby and Preakness, Saunders took his time about calling on Omaha and when he was ready so was his mount.v Undoubtedly Omahas hard race and his defeat in the Withers - prompted Woodward and Filzsimmons not to make any other immediate plans1 for the colt other than his preparation and engagement in the Belmont : Stakes. Had the son of Gallant Fox taken the- Withers with an easy performance, his connection might havet been tempted to start him in the Suburban Handicap against the older stars and they might even have shipped him west for the Latonia Derby. Now Fitzslmmons is concentrating; on having Omaha on edge for the Belmont, which mile and a half affair will give the colt his opportunity of squaring things with Rosemont. Omaha probably will rule a strong favorite for the Belmont because his distance-running ability has been established, although the son of The-Porter and Garden Rose will be well supported to duplicate his Withers triumph. Omaha may be able to beat Rosemont over the Belmont distance, yet may find the latter colt his equal or peer in such events as the American Derby and Arlington Classic, whose distance is a- mile and one-quarter, or the Detroit Derby", which is at a mile and three-sixteenths. After the Belmont, regardless of its outcome, Rosemont can be expected to try Omaha at the shorter distance in one of the rich western specials. The latter hold unique positions in that the colts may meet with more determined opposition from the filly division. The time is at hand when the fillies become more dependable racing tools and the colts-will not be able to take as many liberties with them as they have done up to now; Off to a--winning day at its opening last Saturday, Washington. Park since has -met with a spell of inclementweather "that has kept Chicagos racing patrons way from the course in large numbers, but the management professes to see a hopeful sign in the amount of business that was done when the: rain was coming down steadily and. the track was a, quagmire. Washington Park has practically suspended the policy of giving away complimentary tickets,, establishing a flat price of one dollar for admission to the track. This sum includes all taxes, which amount to 28 cents. The new management of. Washington Park has taken the attitude that major racing, in Chicago can- not be carried on unless the gate provides a- good proportion of the revenues. So far the adverse weather has prevented this policy from getting a fair trial, although a good idea of its effectiveness should be learned when the conditions for attractive racing are greatly improved. Washington Park has the lowest mutuel takeout of any track now operating, it being six and one-half per cent with breakage to the penny, which is practically nothing. If a mutuel track is to survive any great length of time, the take must be lowr the lower the better, and in order to carry oni the track must look elsewhere for a large share of its income and the turnstiles furnish the answer. A racing player should realize that he is better off paying one dollar to get into a. track where the take is six and a half per cent than gaining free admission to a course where the takeout is ten per cent. If Washington Park and the other Chicago tracks can establish the gate as a good revenue producer, then they should not want a larger cut of the mutuel-handle but rather would be content witb. an even smaller one. The quick-thinking Silvio Coucci used hist whip so freely at the post at Belmont Parle the other day that he lost hold of it so he; borrowed Don Meades bat, that lad being convinced that his mount had no chance in1, the race. The? stewards fined each; of the Jockeys 5 for their part in the transaction so it may bo a long time until such, an oc currence happens again. This affair; while-, out of the ordinary, is a reminder of one of the many stories told about Chief Johnson, the Indian jockey who was a familiar1 figure in western racing for many years. Johnson was riding a pacemaker at Juarez when another horse loomed alongside and, the pair began a. hard-fought stretch battle. During the duel, the two riders had a. verbal argument in which the other jockey, who; had lost his whip, told Johnson, that he possessed an unfair advantage Thereupon ,the Chief threw his. stick into the center-field and proceeded to beatiout his opponent in a hand-riding duel.
