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HEATHER BROOM SCORES J. H. Whitney Horse Gains Admirers as Kentucky Derby Threat. Accounts for Blue Grass Stakes as Keeneland Meeting Ends — Beats Third Degree by a Length. LEXINGTON, Ky., April 27.— Heather Broom became John Hay Whitneys principal Kentucky Derby hopeful with a decisive victory in the fifteenth running of the Blue Grass Stakes today as Keenelands highly-successful spring meeting of eleven days came to a brilliant close. Cleverly ridden by Basil James, the chestnut son of The Porter — Janet Blair triumphed over Green-tree Stables Third Degree by a length as Valdina Farms Viscounty completed the mile and one furlong another three lengths back. In scoring his first stakes triumph, Heather Broom, the only supplementary nominee to the ,000 added event, earned ,340 as ,000 went to the second horse, ,000 to the third, and 00 to the fourth, Calexico gaining the latter award as Hash, stable-mate of Third Degree, completed the field. A crowd, excelled only by the record-breaking gathering here last Saturday, turned out for the Blue Grass Stakes, as warm, sultry weather prevailed. The track was in a drying-out condition and officially classified as slow. Heather Broom ran the mile and one furlong in 1:54%, carrying 121 pounds, as did his four opponents. "IRON HORSE" FEAT. Heather Broom performed an "iron horse" stunt in running so well, as he had been given a nine furlongs workout Monday at Belmont Park, was loaded on a railroad car Tuesday to arrive here yesterday. He performed as if he was used to such handling. Asked to run beyond a sprinting distance for the first time, Wise Barrister showed that it did not affect him, and he carried i the Blue Ridge Farm silks to a head verdict over Valdina Farms Diavolo Boy, the favor- ite, in the Shandon Handicap, the secondary 1 attraction. Bomar Stables Detroit Bull fin-! ished at their heels as Neighbor was another j half length away after being all but left at [the post. Elooto, stablemate of the winner, ; and Star Banner completed the lineup for I the mile and one-sixteenth test. I T. P. Martin gave the four-year-old son of Wise Counsellor and Princess Margaret excellent handling in rating him off Detroit Bull until well into the back stretch, where j he advanced on the outside of the pacemaker | to hold him down on the inside in the slower going. After the field straightened out in the stretch, Wise Barrister went to the front gradually, having been rated well enough to hold the favorite safe at the end. Diavolo Boy had been restrained well back of the leaders until the final three furlongs and hia bid was timed just a trifle too late, although he had no difficulty running down Detroit Bull when the latter faltered. MAD SCRAMBLE. A mad scramble took place in the opening event, with the decision going to E. A. Rotellis General R., one of the more fancied of the ten lowly three-year-old platers clashing at six furlongs. Under Silvio Coucci, the son of Donnacona — Aptera won by a head over E. B. McAtees Stanislaus as S. H. Rutledges Mary Allie was a length back and narrowly before Sun Suite. The Ferguson family provided another winner at the meeting in Thea Dear, which took the measure of eleven other juvenile I maidens over the short four furlongs course. With Jimmy Bryson up, the daughter of Jack High — Dorothea came from behind with a rush in the stretch to defeat J. W. Par-rishs Centuple by slightly more than a length. J. C. Stones Sunny Swede was at the latters heels and clear of Columbias Boy. The winner was one of the favorites in an open contest. The first favorite to reward the talent was D. B. Midkiffs Dunvegan, in the third race, in which the four-year-old colt by Sweep All — Queens Village easily defeated eleven other ordinary platers at six furlongs. Blue Ridge Farms Witan was second, three lengths back and half a length before C. N. Finchs Bill Donoghue, with Inviting fourth. Another favorite to triumph was Joseph E. Wideners Welding, in the fourth event. The daughter of Haste — Sicklefeather was hustled along all the way by Warren Yar-berry to defeat Charlton Clays. Madam Capet by half a length as Indian Lake Stables Maenerva was another length back and well before Thumb and the four other juvenile platers composing the field.
