view raw text
t. .............. ...t Here and There on the Turf Bradley Colts Disappoint Fast Start Aids Grey Gold Track May Have Bothered Brooklyn Matey Unplaced in First Start .--..4 Neither Billionaire nor Brooklyn looked like the probable winner of the Kentucky Derby in their performances Wednesday at Keeneland, in which they were defeated by Grey Gold, which up to that time was a maiden. It is true that the race was not run to suit either of Colonel Bradleys Derby hopefuls, but it was a consensus of opinion among horsemen and close observers that if they had the proper Derby stuff they should have overcome the advantage gained by Grey Gold when he was away to a flying start. However, Billionaire and Brooklyn are not to be condemned for their failure to come through as expected, and their partisans should ride with them at least until the running of the Blue Grass Stakes next Thursday If they do not measure up to Derby standard in that mile and a furlong contest, then their followers may look elsewhere for the probable winner of the Churchill Downs classic. During the latter half mile of the mile and one-sixteenth race Brooklyn was vigorously ridden by Basil James and he advanced sloXothe turn, where "n amount of ground,. as to lose a considerable Billionaire also was running wide in an effort to go around Grey Gold. At the three-six- I teenths post Brooklyn was, lapped on Billionaire," which in turn was at Grey Golds flank, but the latter colt had been rated, up to that point and soon afterward had bounded away into a clear lead again. Through the remaining part of the stretch rua Brooklyn gained slowly on his stable-mate, but did not quite overhaul him and had to be content with third honors. If Billionaire had gone after Grey Gold earlier in the race and given him any sort of a challenge for the lead, the possibility is strong that Brooklyn could have come up In the late stages for victory, but the fact remains that the E. W. Duffy colt had so much the best of the start that he was not called upon for his utmost until after reaching the stretch, and his opponents had been driving for some time. Keenelands course possessed a greasy cushion, which may have been against the long-striding Brooklyn. His trainer, H. J. Thompson, informed the writer some time ago that he did not consider the son of Blue Larkspur Knockaney Bridge a good mudder and quite possibly the track condition did not suit the colt Wednesday. Billionaire whose underpinning gave him trouble last Continued on twenty-third page.. HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second page. season, gave of his speed more freely and he probably could have reached Grey Gold earlier in the race if Earl Steffen had asked him for the task, but that veteran rider apparently expected the son of Sir Greysteel Crock o Gold to come back to him. Billionaire did not prove himself a superior mudder last season, but he displayed a capable performance in sloppy going in the Hopeful Stakes, in which he set the pace until Maedic, a first-class soft-track horse, ran him down in the stretch. Too much can not be taken away from Grey Gold in considering why the Bradley colts were beaten. He was in receipt of two pounds from Billionaire, and seven from Brooklyn, and was lucky to get a step lead at the start The Detroit-owned colt also had been trained at Columbia, where he had the opportunity, because of milder weather, to be whipped into condition more readily than Kentucky-trained horses. Howeyer, Grey Gold showed several fair efforts as a two-year-old, although unable to graduate. His best, perhaps, was shown in the running of the Spalding Lowe Jenkins Handicap at Laurel, in which he ran second to Clodion while defeating Bottle Cap, Rex Flag and other good juveniles. His connections thought well enough of him to start him in the Pimlico Futurity, in which he finished well back after being a factor to the stretch. Mateys failure to handle three others of like age at Havre de Grace did not prove as much of a shock as the defeat of the Bradley horses. The son of Man o War and Tavy, which won the Pimlico Futurity last fall when Privileged was disqualified, was called upon to meet three opponents which had raced during the winter, and the seasoning should do him much good, but whether he will be right for the Chesapeake Stakes renewal Saturday is a matter for trainer Preston Burch to determine. Matey was slow coming to hand as a two-year-old, and the same may hold true of him this season. Merry Maker, which beat out Sun-phantom by a narrow margin, was a disappointment in the Santa Anita Derby running after winning the San Vicente Handicap earlier in the meeting. Court Scandal, winner of the Flamingo Stakes, closed well and may have wanted a longer route than the mile and seventy yards distance of the Havre de Grace race. At Jamaica, Chico-lorado, now the Greentree Stables lone Derby hope, scored at the first asking over several other likely three-year-olds at six furlongs, but his defeated opponents did not include Sir Damion, which was withdrawn because of the off track.