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Here and There on he Turf Texas Derby Tomorrows Feature Keeneland Prospects Very Bright War Admiral Impressive in Debut Is Marylands Chief Derby Hope .4 Racing tomorrow vrill be marked by the running of the Texas Derby, which should qualify one or more candidates for the Kentucky Derby, and by the opening of the eleven-day meeting at Keeneland. Principal hopes for the Texas Derby, a mile and one-furlong affair with 5,000, added, are Reaping Reward and Military from the Milky Way Farm and Heelfly owned by the Three Ds Stock Farm. Reaping Reward, one of the better two-year-olds of last season, has not raced since his victory over Privileged and Dellor in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes last fall, but he has trained well for his first outing of the new campaign. Military is an improved son of St, Germans and Killashandra, which collected second honors to Fairy Hill in the Santa Anita Derby. Both of the Milky Way colts appear natural distance runners, but because of his seasoning. Mates half brother may be the chief dependence in tomorrows contest Heelfly, a very fast colt was beaten the other day, but his connections still are hopeful he will be able to extend his speed over a longer distance. Keeneland is opening with prospects unusually bright for a successful meeting. At its inaugural season last fall, the Lexington track earned a small profit and its sponsors were quite jubilant as a loss had been expected. Conditions in this part of Kentucky have improved greatly over the winter, a high average for tobacco having brought a large amount of money into the community, and Keeneland officials naturally hope for a highly successful meeting, one that will net enough profits to permit continuance of construction plans. Keeneland needs at least five more stables as only about 500 horses can be accommodated at tne present time and its sponsors are anxious to install a sand training track that can be used in all kinds of weather. The beautifica-tion plan also is far from being completed, although Keeneland now is one of the most attractive racing plants in the country. A good brand of horses will be available for Keeneland racing, many of them being supplied from stables which have trained on nearby private tracks such as at Calumet Farm, Idle Hour Stock Farm, Dixiana and the C. V. Whitney farm. However, many other horses of the better class have been shipped in from other points and the racing secretary should meet with little trouble in filling the higher class events. Featuring the meeting is the ,000 added Blue Grass Stakes, at a mile and one furlong, and this race will have an important bearing on the Kentucky Derby, because it will draw such horses as Brooklyn, Billionaire, Galsun, Black Look and Flying Cross. It has furnished the Kentucky Derby favorite in the past and may do so again this spring. Older horses will have opportunities in the Phoenix and Ben All Handicaps and juveniles will sport silks in the Lafayette Stakes. Each of the latter will be endowed with ,500. Samuel D. Riddle did not nominate Man o War for the Kentucky Derby, nor has he tried for the Churchill Downs special since that brilliant thoroughbred swept all before him until this year when he named War Admiral for the classic. War Admiral, a son of Man o War and Brush Up, by Sweep, has become one of the more -important candidates for the Derby, particularly since his sensational triumph at Havre de Grace Wednesday, when he defeated several other highly regarded three-year-olds over the six furlongs distance. Taking an early lead, although shouldering top weight of 120 pounds, War Admiral literally toyed with his company, drawing away in the stretch to win with much to spare. Because of his victory, the Glen Riddle Farm colt must be considered a favorite for the Chesapeake Stakes, to be run next Saturday, and a good performance in that mile and one-sixteenth event will send him to Churchill Downs with a very large following. War. Admiral, a compactly formed but medium-sized colt, scored an easy victory at the Harford course in winning the Eastern Shore Handicap last September. In five other starts as a two-year-old he was victorious twice, second twice, and third once, finishing third to Pompoon and Fencing in the National Stallion Stakes and taking secondary honors to Bottle Cap in the Richard Johnson Stakes and to Fairy Hill in the Great American Stakes. During mid-summer the Man o War colt was laid low by illness and was unable to pursue the schedule originally planned for him. He apparently has been brought back to the races In first class condition by the veteran trainer, George Conway, and right now, considering the failure of Tedious and Airflame of the A. G. Vanderbilt stable. War Admiral must be regarded as Marylands hope for the Derby. Only the day previously Conway uncovered a likely Preakness candidate in Over the Top, another son of Man o War, which was not nominated for the Blue Grass special.
