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WEATHER AGAINST TRAINING Incessant Rain at Farms Near Lexington Retards Preparation of Kentucky Derby Hopes. LEXINGTON, Ky., April 9. It rained here today like as if it had never rained before. It was the seventh day of rain or snow out of the first nine in April. Consequently every one connected with horse breeding farms was blue, for wet weather is not good for foals and their dams, and seven out of nine days is more than enough, particularly, when it comes after a winter as hard as the past one. Bluest of the blue, perhaps were a quintet of horse trainers, H. J. "Diclc : Thompson at Idle Hour Farm, Alec Gordon at Coldstream Stud, Bert Williams at Calumet Farm, Clyde Van Dusen at Dixiana, and Harry Hart at Le Mar Stock Farm. All have large strings in charge, and the first named four have Kentucky Derby candidates, which cannot be got ready without work and best work is not to be had over farm tracks as muddy as are those hereabouts today. The Derby eligibles at Idle Hour are: Col. E. R. Bradleys Banister, Bien Joli, Bow-to Me. Trainer Thompson today said that he continues to gallop his charges through the mud, and still thinks he has an "outside chance" in the Derby if he can get that "good break in the weather" he has been expecting since the last week in March. Thompson plans to ship the Bradley horses to Churchill Downs about April 22, which will be a day or so after the arrival of Colonel Bradley at the farm from Palm Beach. Alec Gordon has three Derby eligibles, Coldstream, property of Coldstream Stud, and Bulwark and Noble Star, which are owned by Elmer Dale Shaffer, son of C. B. Shaffer, master of Coldstream Stud. He will ship to Churchill Downs next Monday. Clyde Van Dusens charge for the Derby is Dixianas Erin Torch, which is to be shipped on April 15 along with the others of Charles T. Fisher horses to Churchill Downs. In the Warren Wright string at Calumet Farm, Bert Williams has three eligibles, Count Morse, Crossbow II. and Pharosay, which will be sent to Louisville in time for the opening at Churchill Downs. Harry Hart has no Derby candidates among the twenty-seven in training at Le Mar Stock Farm, which will be shipped to New England in May.
