view raw text
-----------------T kHere and There on the Turf Seasoned Colts Take Juvenile Stakes Promising Youngsters Not Tempted Bradley May Bely on Billionaire Keeneland to Build More Barns 1 . 4 Two events for juveniles, the traditional Aberdeen Stakes at Havre de Grace and the Lafayette, once a fixture at the old Kentucky Association course, now offered at Keeneland, were the outstanding events on Tuesdays program, yet neither enjoyed the importance they would have with added money above ,500. At one time the Aberdeen had a net value to the winner of 0,000 or more, and horsemen had an incentive to point their most promising colts for it, but with the smaller sum available the field for the Havre de Grace stake was composed for the most part of youngsters which had been developed during the winter. Both Benjam, the winner, and Grim Reaper, the runner-up, had raced early, the Bomar Stable colt having shown good speed at Hialeah Park, while John Hay Whitneys colorbearer was not far away from the outstanding two-year-olds shown at Santa Anita Park. More two-year-olds whose racing careers had begun only recently were in the field for the Lafayette than in the Aberdeen, yet seasoned juveniles accounted for the first four places, with the undersized yet speedy Chic Maud carrying the Calumet Farm silks into first place. Like Benjam, she had been campaigned at Hialeah Park, where she won two of her three starts, her single defeat coming In the Nursery Stakes No. 1, in which she got away none too welL Green Bottle, which compared favorably with Grim Reaper among the two-year-olds shown at Santa Anita, was the runner-up in the Lafayette as third honors went to Knee Deep, which had not indicated much promise in his four Florida efforts, although a previous outing at Keeneland represented considerable improvement, That their fields were largely composed of seasoned juveniles, the Aberdeen and Lafayette probably proved more worthwhile as attractions while still lacking a value that would interfere with the program of conservation now pursued by many associations. With todays running of the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, the Kentucky Derby field may be narrowed down even further, even though only a small number of three-year-olds will clash over the mile and one furlongs distance. A disappointing performance by Brooklyn in the final Keeneland feature may cause E. R. Bradley to make Billionaire his sole dependence for a fifth victory in the Churchill Downs feature. The master of Idle Hour has a large sized wager I I , with J. H. Louchheim that Brooklyn will beat Pompoon in the Derby, both to start and one to finish as good as fourth. Judging by the splendid manner in which Pompoon has come along so far and the indifferent reports being circulated as to Brooklyns condition, such a move by Bradley would not be unexpected unless the son of Blue Larkspur displays top form in his race today. Other eligibles for the Derby failed to exhibit worthwhile ability in the allowance affair over the mile and seventy yards distance at Jamaica, Tuesday, which was taken by the speedy Rudic. Among the Derby candidates the Reigh Count colt turned back was Maedic, which proved himself one of the Continued on twenty-seventh page J. HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second pagej better two-year-olds of last season. Macdic was making: his first start since his disappointing effort in the Flamingo Stakes. Gurkha, a Gallant Fox colt which graduated recently in fine fashion and had Derby intentions, also failed to finish in the money, as second and third honors went to Flying Scot and Scrooge, neither of which was named for the Churchill Downs race. Perhaps Maedic will be sent to Louisville in the hope that the course will be muddy for the Derby, as he may still excel as a soft-track horse. During its first spring meeting, which closes today, Keeneland met with almost constant difficulties in filling its program and numerous extra races had to be carded, as the original events failed to receive a sufficient number of entries. Several new barns are to be constructed during the summer, thanks to a moderate profit, and a concentrated effort will be made to fill them with seasoned horses of the cheaper grades, both for spring and autumn meetings, so that future programs can be filled with fewer difficulties. The Keeneland directors, practically all of whom are connected with racing as owners and breeders, do not mind seeing small fields in the better contests if the races for the cheaper horses attract good-sized lineups. Sufficient horses were cn hand at Keeneland during the present meeting to have made up well filled cards, but many of them had not been made ready for campaigning, while numerous others were forced Into inactivity due to a coughing epidemic
