view raw text
Here and There j on the Turf j Laurel Opens With Good Pros- pects 1 Should Have Good Material j Pompoon Deserves Post Fa- j voritism J Optic Developed Recently j Laurels annual meeting of twenty-five days, always started about this time of the year, will be inaugurated today, with indications pointing to greater success than has been enjoyed by the Maryland State Fair, Inc., in several .years. Havre de Grace com- pleted its best autumn season in quite a period on Wednesday and, with a better brand of horses furnishing the sport, Laurel will need only a fair run of weather to go over the top. Laurels customary nine stakes again will be offered, beginning with the Capital Handicap this afternoon. This dash of six furlongs has ,000 added, and seldom fails to attract the best sprinters around. On the second Saturday the schedule calls for a renewal of the Richard Johnson Stakes, with ,500 added, and the third Saturday, October 17. will see the first of three double stakes programs. On that date the Maryland Futurity, for two-year-olds, bred and foaled in the Old Line State, and the Laurel Handicap will be staged, each endowed with ,000. The Laurel formerly was a penalty and allowance affair for horses of all ages. and it was always productive of a good contest. The final two Saturdays of the meeting arc the best, with the Selima Stakes and Maryland Handicap topping the October 24 program. The Selima vies with the Arlington Lassie Stakes for the honor of being the richest filly event in the country. It will not have as much gross value as the Lassie, but with ten starters the Laurel mile affair for filiies will net its winner a greater sum, 1,230 to be exact. The Maryland is for three-year-olds, at a mile and one-quarter, and carries a purse of ,000, which makes it attractive to those members of the division which have been beaten in the more important events for members of this division, the winners of which usually are put away by that time of the season. Two-year-olds will get the opportunity of going a mile in the Spalding Lowe Jenkins Handicap closing day, while the Washington Handicap, at ten furlongs, will cater to the older horses. The former carries a purse of ,500, and the latter 0,000, and both races should draw good fields. The Chevy Chase Steeplechase is to be run on Wednesday, October 21. Pompoon, deservedly the favorite for todays running of the Futurity, must carry the burden of 127 pounds and the fact that favorites frequently find the battle tougher than they can handle. If the long-striding son of can capture principal hon-nrfin Pompey-Donagh the worlds richest and greatest event Continued on thirty-ninth pagej . 1 I . HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second page. for two-year-olds he -will be the first choice to succeed since Top Flight made good In 1931. Jerome H. Louchheims colt has not raced since his victory in the Junior Champion, in which he had trouble with Flying Scot until the final sixteenth, and he has not competed over the Widener straight course since winning the National Stallion Stakes last spring. In the numerous satisfactory workouts he has had since his last engagement, however, Pompoon has been over the straightaway several times, and he is well acquainted with its demands. In the National Stallion, which was at five furlongs, the Louchheim colt breezed with the leaders until the final eighth and then drew away under hand riding. He goes into the Futurity with the best record of any of the starters, having lost only one decision in six starts. Beginning his campaign with a victory in a maiden affair at Pimlico, the Fompey colt captured an overnight race at Belmont before achieving his victory in the National Stallion. Lacking engagements he was laid aside until late in the Saratoga meeting, when he was started in a handicap for horses with lady owners, having been leased for the occasion by Mrs. Louchheim. John B. Campbell assigned him 130 pounds for that dash of five and one-half furlongs but he wasnt quite ready for it as No Sir, with 116 pounds up, ran the distance in 1:054, fastest time of the Saratoga meeting. On the strength of that effort Pompoon returned to Aqueduct to take an overnight affair at six furlongs in fast time, and then the Junior Champion at six and one-half furlongs, the same length as the Futurity. On the basis of recent form Optic promises to be the second choice. Unable to break out of the maiden class until the opening day of Belmont Parks autumn meeting, the son of Sickle Blue Glass, by Prince Palatine, followed that triumph up with two victories, each performance being more impressive than the other. Joseph E. Wideners well-bred colt, in demonstrating a marked fancy for performing over the straightaway, also has shown his fitness, and he should be aided by an allowance of five pounds from Pompoon. Calumet Farms Privileged gained many admirers by his success in the Champagne Stakes, but he also incurred a penalty of three pounds at the same time. However, he will have the services of Eddie Arcaro, whose riding of late has been unexcelled, and he is one of the most powerful finishers in his profession. A quiet air of confidence prevails in the E. R. Bradley camp over the chances of Billionaire, which is going into the Futurty as fit as H. J. Thompson can make him. Danny Brammer, who says he will retire after todays race, will be up on the brother to Brokers Tip, and horses run for him. Although a youngster, Brammer is being forced to quit because of increasing weight. Of the other Futurity hopes. Charing Cross seems to have the best chance.
