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Here and There on the Turf Granville May Need Stronger ; Rider Appears Stout Belmont Candidate Firethorn Ran to Top Form Holiday Racing Popular Everywhere . . ... 4 Granville now has lost three heart-breaking decisions and was prevented from making a showing in a fourth important engagement by falling down at the start. Perhaps William Woodwards good three-year-old found the charm in his third defeat by a narrow margin, which was in the Suburban Handicap Saturday and hereafter will be on the front end when such close finishes occur again. Jimmy Stout, who has ridden the son of Gallant Fox and Gravita in all his races this season, is generally blamed for all of the colts defeats, not due to any inefficiency or injudicious tactics but because he was unable to match the finishing strength of Eddie Litzenbcrgcr in the Wood Memorial Stakes, George Woolf in the Preakness and Harry Richards in the Suburban. Both Woolf and-Richards are heavier and naturally are stronger than Stout as well as being regarded better all around jockeys. The Woodward colt now heads for the Belmont Stakes in which he appears Brevitys foremost opponent, although some other three-year-old may jump up to give them both an argument. Granville certainly is consistent if nothing else and if that steadiness is evident Saturday; Brevity better not have any bad luck. It may interest the riders of other Belmont participants to know that the start will be made right in front of the stand and just below the stewards station, and if any of them take a slam at Joseph E. Widericrs colt, it shouldnt escape the notice of .the officials as did the rough stuff marring the start of the Withers Stakes. Preston Burch, trainer of Firethorn, made no secret earlier in the week of the fact that he was well pleased with the condition of the four-year-old son of Sun Briar and Baton Rouge and that he was confident the Walter M. Jeffords color bearer would run his race in the Suburban. In Maryland, where he raced twice, Firethorn failed to display anything like the. ability which made him one of the better three-year-olds last season, but since arriving at Belmont Park he came around to himself as indicated by two fine trials for the Suburban. In the race itself he ran as he is accustomed to doing when showing his best form, trailing in the early stages and making his run through the final half mile. Richards, who rode Firethorn several times last season, knew his mount and the colt picked up rival after rival until he had only Granville to overtake. He then was placed under the severest sort of pressure and got to his younger adversary in the very last stride; None of the other ten starters in the Suburban had excuses enough to make up for the margins by which they were beaten. Continued on thirty-fifth page. y i, n y . u v j -1 . i HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second page. Whopper ran to his notch to finish third, being close to the pace all the way and not being able to run down the leaders when called upon while holding on well enough to defeat the others. Good Goods was crowded back at the start, but he does his best running from well back and that can be regarded as too much of a setback. Good Harvest, winner of the Metropolitan Handicap, advanced to third place on the stretch turn in Saturdays race and then demonstrated that the distance was too great by dropping back to finish a soundly beaten fifth. Except for Goldstream and Identify, which furnished the pace for six furlongs, the others were never contenders. Airflames-winning streak was halted upon the occasion of his first eastern appearance but whether he could have made the Juvenile Stakes his fifth triumph but for a combination of circumstances, is doubtful. The Ariel colt did not have the services of his regular pilot, Johnny Bejshak, who suffered a fractured collarbone in an accident in an early race and he was in close quarters between Apogee and Billionaire during a good part of the five furlongs dash straightaway. As Apogee raced out from the rail Scintillator finished very fast to slip past on the inside to defeat the Hal Price Headley filly by a head. Apogee, victorious in the Fashion Stakes and Old Colony Stakes in previous starts, probably was best as the race was un as she carried top weight on the scale with 122 pounds and was compelled to race Billionaire and Airflame into submission. The winner is a handy sort of colt, having earned one victory and three seconds in his previous four starts. Memorial Day was an important one at other tracks in the country, both Rockingham Park and Hawthorne entertaining crowds of record proportions. Roman Soldier continued on his winning way by accounting for the New Hampshire feature and as in his two previous efforts this season the Cohort four-year-old carried 126 pounds. He, like Firethorn, was one of the better three-year-olds last season, being a star during the early half of the year as the Sun Briar colt was in the latter part. Latonia also accommodated a large crowd for its holiday offering, with the Quickstep Handicap as its feature. This event marked the winning return of Myrtlewood, Brownell Combs very fleet filly, once holder of the six furlongs record. At Detroit there wasnt any question the attendance established a new record, so on a:l fronts the holiday demonstrated once again the great popularity racing now enjoys.
