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Here and There on the Turf Bahrain Standout Like Omaha - Better Odds Laid in England Play Is Much More Divided Peace Chance Coming Along I --4 As expected by the majority of English racing fans, experts and bookmakers, the Aga Khans Bahram won the 1935 renewal jof the Epsom Derby. Freddie Fox brought the principal member of the potentates .triple entry up on the outside in the stretch of the worlds most famous horse race to defeat Robin Goodfellow, Field Trial and the other three-year-olds meeting over the mile and a half distance, after having be-n rated behind the pace from the start. Bahrain was regarded as a standout for the English classic just as Omaha now is being mentioned as a certain winner Saturday of the Belmont Stakes, Americas only true counterpart of the Epsom Derby. The jAga Khans representative had a fair-sized field to beat, whereas Omaha will be confronted by only four or five opponents. American racing fans have, at one time or another, wondered at the prices quoted by the English bookmakers. For example, the advance odds of Bahram were 10 to 11. Under similar circumstances, the layers in this country would have offered 9 to 10 on the Aga Khans colt Second choice in the advance odds was Hairan, at 100 to 12. He would have been 8 to 1 at Belmont Park, Continued on tenth page.. 1 HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second page. and Theft, the third choice at 100 to 9, might have prevailed at 10 to 1 or 12 to 1. Other quotations on the Epsom Derby that would seem very strange if offered by an American bookmaker were 13 to 1 and 28 to 1. Commissioners on our track simply do not deal in anything but round numbers and except in cases of short odds such as 1 to 3 or 1 to 6, they always are to one dollar or in multiples of five or ten. Several reasons are apparent for the English system, one of which naturally is their monetary system. Another, and one which deserves much attention, is the fact that the English layers adhere to a much closer percentage than their American contemporaries. The reason for this is that the English bookie generally can expect an all-around play, whereas in this country more frequently than not the commissioners are called upon to round out their sheets with the action on two or three horses. The odds on the Epsom Derby, amounted to a total percentage of slightly more than 106, whereas the Swift Stakes at Belmont Park Tuesday, which was full of contention, resulted in a final book of 111 per cent. Usually, however, the total is greater. The Aga Khan had three starters in the Epsom Derby and separate odds were quoted against each. That is not the cus-1 torn in this country, all being grouped together, although a person seeking to wager only on one member of an entry could be accommodated if he tried hard enough. The total percentage of the three Aga Khan colts was slightly more than 70, which is equivalent to 2 to 5 and that probably would be the odds quoted against the entry by an American bookmaker. No mote than 10 to 1 could be expected against the second choice with the remainder of the odds being in accordance with local customs. American layers would be only too happy to reduce the percentage of their books, if they could be assured of the general all-around play received by the English commissioners. Joseph E. Wideners Peace Chance, deprived of the opportunity of disputing Cavalcades claim to the three-year-old championship last season after showing a brilliant performance to win the Belmont Stakes, is being sent out for short speed trials these days by trainer Peter Coyne. In preparation for the Arlington Classic, Peace Chance suffered a knee injury, which an x-ray later showed to be a slight fracture. Given steady treatment and a long rest, Peace Chance reported to Coyne this spring with his ailment apparently cured. The son of Chance Shot and Peace, by Stefan the Great, did nothing more than gallop during the spring training season in Kentucky and. it has just been lately that Coyne set him down for slow speed. Watched very closely by his trainer, Peace Chance so far has displayed no weakness and Coyne now will go ahead with a long, slow program of getting the four-year-old up to racing peak. No spring or mid-summer engagements were made for the first illustrious son of Chance Shot, so he cannot be expected to return to competition until the Saratoga meeting in August. If all goes well, the Widener colt undoubtedly will be pointed for traditionally-important events like the Saratoga Cup and Jockey Club Gold Cup. He was not nominated for the Narra-gansett Special, although Coyne may decide by July 15 to make Peace Chance a supplementary eligible for that race, to which Walter E. OHara may add the attractive sum .of 0,000.
