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Here and There on the Turf Black Helen Is Queen Ready Now to Tackle Colts . Grand Slam Smart Juvenile Tearout Makes Midkiff Happy - -------------------. Until Nellie Flag is ready to dispute it, Black Helen must be regarded as the queen of the three-year-old fillies. The fleet and very courageous little bay daughter of Black Toney and La Troienne, by Teddy, has done everything asked of her this season by William Hurley, her latest triumph occurring Saturday in the Coaching Club American Oaks, first of the two important specials in this division remaining on the nations racing calendar. Nellie Flag has yet-to clash with Black Helen and until she does, Edward Riley Bradleys representative holds number one position in her class. Black Helen and Nellie Flag probably will settle the question of supremacy in the Alabama Stakes in August, although they may meet before that time in one of those events in which they also are encountering top-notch colts. Black Helen has been to the post on four occasions this season and has come away Tvith the laurel wreath each time. Last "year, the Black Toney miss took seven in a row before losing in the Walden and Pim-lico Handicaps. Her efforts this season have been confined to the Florida Derby and Coaching Club American Oaks and a 1 Continued on eleventh page. -l HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second page. preliminary for each of those specials. Hurley, awie veteran of his profession, refrained f im permitting Black Helen a run against ie colts during that part -of the season when nature prevents fillies from being at tops, but now that the Belmont Oaks has been won and summer time is at hand, he can be expected to send out his capable charge for a chance at the outstanding colts. Either the Detroit Derby oh June 15 or the American Derby a week later will find Black Helen pitting her ability against such as Omaha for the first time. Only a nose separated Black Helen and Bloodroot at the finish of the Coaching Club American Oaks and the latter could have won by a length or so Tiad not Wayne Wright obeyed orders to permit Black Helen to prevail if she could. Bloodroot, a natural distance-running filly, held. Good Gamble safe while allowing the daughter of Black Toney to come up on the rail under Don Meade to take the lead in the final few strides. However, the Oaks winner carried 121 pounds over the mile and three furlongs route, whereas Bloodroots impost was 111 pounds. It is doubtful, considering all angles, that Bloodroot could have defeated her stablemate at level weights. The effort of Good Gamble was also a smart one as she also had a burden of 121 pounds and was beaten only a half length by Black Helen. She certainly Is proving herself a rare bargain for Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, who parted with ,500 to obtain her just in time to win a renewal of the Acorn Stakes. John H. Stotler once again demonstrates himself to be-a rare picker .of racing material and a good trainer along with it. Black Helen now returns to Washington Park, where she began her sensational career just about a year ago. She is better known on the Chicago circuit even though her latest success was in New York, because she left Arlington Park last July unbeaten and returned to the Homewood course to show a fast mile in her preparatory race for the Oaks. From Washington Park, Black Helen will be sent to Detroit if it is decided to send her after that Derby, but it she remains at headquarters to point for the American Derby, there will be no chance for interest in that event to suffer a setback by possible defeat in the Motor City. Similarly, the Detroit Derby will increase in attractiveness if the Bradley lassie uses that event for her first encounter with the leading colts. Believing we know Hurley pretty well, we predict the American Derby as being her next engagement. 1 John. Oliver Keene, who has bred many good horses at Keeneland, soon to be transformed into a sportsmens racing plant, has sent another quality colt to the races in Grand Slam, which he sold along with several other yearlings to Charles Bohn and P. A. Markey, Detroit industrialists who combined a year or so back to form the Bomar Stable. Grand Slam, a handsome chestnut son of Chance Play and Jeanne Bowdre, by Luke McLuke, captured the Prairie State Stakes at Washington Park Saturday with an impressive effort. Previously he had beaten the speedy Postage Due in the Pimlico Nursery Stakes, the latter coming back to hold Maeriel to a head in the Juvenile Stakes at Belmont Park while defeating White Cockade and Coldstream. In his other four starts, Grand Slam captured an allowance event easily, finished second twice and was beaten less than three lengths in the Aberdeen Stakes, which with twenty-one starters was a mad scramble. In the Prairie State, even though under 121 pounds and giving weight to all his opponents, the Bomar colt reeled off an opening ; quarter in :22 and a half-mile in :46 over a dull track to take a commanding lead. While weakening somewhat near the end, vhere his rider was able to ease him slightly, Grand Slam triumphed in handy fashion. He appears to possess much quality and as he is well engaged in the richer specials, Grand Slam has the opportunity to be one of the leaders of the year, something he is right now. The Bomar colt is exceptionally well bred, being a half-brother to Jean Valjean and from Jeanne Bowdre, a good racer herself. His pedigree is well fortified with staying crosses, so he should have no fear when his races are lengthened out. Daniel B. Midkiff, young Kentucky contractor who in recent years has constructed tracks, at the C. V. Whitney, J. E. Widener and other Blue Grass farms and who entered the ranks of owners with a gift filly, now is very happy he did not part with Tearout when he had the opportunity at Miami this winter. Midkiff had. Whizzaway : ; and sold that three-year-old only to see him pile up a long winning streak, but he made no such mistake with the brown son of Terry and Rail On, by On Watch. Tearout won the fifty-third Latonia Derby Saturday and 2,680, which will be more welcome to Midiff than a Futurity purse to one of the Wideners. Tearout came up to his Latonia Derby engagement an improving colt. He quit Florida with a victory Over Sun Fair-play, which later ran a close second to Plat Eye in the Chesapeake Stakes. In his first effort in the North, Tearout was a hard-finishing, close second to Whis-kolo in the Preparation Purse, a preliminary for the Kentucky Derby. Not an eligible for that race, he was beaten off in two races in muddy going, which is not suprising considering that his grandsire is North Star HI. Then he displayed an excellent performance in the Illinois Derby, in which he finished third back of Sun Portland and Roman Soldier. Off of this engagement, he successfully when after the Latonia Derby and judging from the manner in which he wortfK it, he may be troublesome in any other such races which the topnotchers sidestep. Tear-out was developed and is trained by Howard Wells, a leading member of the younger school of .trainers who evidently received a splendid education in his chosen profession from his uncle, Howard Oots.
