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W E I G H I N G IN By EVAN SHIPMAN SARATOGA, Saratoga Springs, N. Y., Aug. 27. Belairs Sabette ran a splendid race to capture the Alabama yesterday, but Mrs. Ben Whit-akers staunch little filly, Grecian Queen, defeated by a crushing concession of 12 pounds to the winner, showed a truly remarkable effort, nor has this frail, but stout-hearted, daughter of Heliopolis ever impressed us quite as much as when just failing to withstand Sabettes powerful stretch run. It was a thrilling race, and a two-horse contest from the drop of the flag. Greentrees Cherry Fizz sprinted off to an early lead over Grecian Queen and Sabette, but she was out there merely on sufferance. Jockey Nick Shuk, riding Grecian Queen for the first time and doing an excellent job of it, made his first move off a slow pace at the half-mile pole or a little before, and between the turns Grecian Queen was sailing along in the clear. Jess Higley, with Sabette, was in no hurry to tangle with the top-weight. He did not begin to push until reaching the three-eighths pole, a point at which Grecian Queen held a three or four lengths advantage. When Sabette finally began her relentless pursuit, the interval separating her from the leader diminished gradually and at a beautifully calculated rate. Grecian Queen entered the stretch still with a clear advantage, and for more than a brief moment it looked as if she were going to succeed where such previous filly champions as Next Move, Twilight Tear, High Fleet and Fairy Chant had failed. With a furlong still to travel, Grecian Queen retained a length, but Sabettes long strides brought her level with Mrs. Whitakers game -filly at the sixteenth pole, and from there to the wire it was a desperate struggle, with weight giving the ultimate answer. Sabette won, and Grecian Queen succumbed by a neck at the end, but there is credit enough and to spare Grecian Queen Never Better Than in Defeat Alabama Winner, Sabette, Resembles Old Print Small Field Normal for Saratoga Cup Running Unsound Platers Present a Sad Spectacle for both fine fillies. This will live as an outstanding renewal of one of Saratogas great fixtures. AAA The narrow defeat for Grecian Queen interrupted a winning series composed of the Coaching Club American Oaks, Gazelle, New Castle Handicap and Monmouth Oaks. The Heliopolis filly has now started 10 times this season, winning seven races and nearly 25,000. Her condition for this Alabama engagement was faultless, and reflects great credit on trainer Jim Conway, who has kept her sharp over a five-monthe period nowi actually putting more flesh on her slight frame as this campaign progressed. Grecian Queen is a lovely little thing, her lines delicate and yet strong. She has good, clean limbs, showing none of the wear and tear of racing that is so regrettably evident with many of our stake colts and fillies at this time of year. She is blessed with a remarkably equable temperament as well, and Conway says that it takes very little work to keep her on edge. Altogether, she was a pretty picture as we watched her stripped under a tree on the Saratoga lawn yesterday, and we felt that we previously had either not quite appreciated her great charm, or that she had really improved since we had last seen her at Delaware. Perhaps, too, the task she was to attempt so bravely in a few minutes won our sympathies, but, for whatever reason, Grecian Queen was carrying our warm good wishes when she stepped on the track. - A much more substantial model, and lacking Grecian Queens trim elegance, Sabette is nonetheless a fine type of race filly, a little plain maybe, but of the sort who really fills a horsemans eye every bit of her there for use, and hard as nails. They say it takes a tough one to stand Mr. Fitz methods, but, give him the material and that old master certainly achieves admirable results. The owners for whom he trains want stakes colts and fillies, and if they cannot stand the gaff, they have no place in this barn. Mr. Fitz does not coddle his charges. The survivors of this hard, but excellent, school have proved their mettle, and, year after year, they win their share, more than their share, of our most coveted fixtures. Sabette belongs in this category. Appraised in the walking ring, she has the "lean and hungry look" of a Lady Cassius, the steel and whipcord lineaments of an old English sporting print a resemblance that must endear her to that infallible connoiseur, her owner and breeder, William Woodward. On the track, Sabettes action is bold and free, the gait of the true stayer. In the early part of the season, we had been inclined to dismiss this one as a plodder, but she is gifted with considerably more speed than we formerly gave her credit for, possessing the versatility that is essential to the American classic winner. Among the best Alsabs we have seen these including Myrtle Charm and Armageddon Sabette most nearly approaches her sire in type. AAA Alerted and Mameluke should make the mile and three-quarter Saratoga Cup an extremely interesting race Friday. This weight-for-age marathon is not as popular with horsemen as it might be, or as many of us would like it to be, and, for a long time back, the. fields have been woefully small. Nevertheless, the few horses who have started over this gruelling distance have usually made the Cup a thoroughly worthwhile contest, the prestige accruing to a winner for out of proportion to the races value in money. Alerted gave notice in capturing the Saratoga Continued on Page Thirty-Nine WEIGHING IN I By EVAN SHIPMAN Continued from Page Forty-Eight Handicap last week-that he is now back at something very close to his peak form, sufficient recommendation to make him the choice here. The only question as far as the Bull Lea horse is concerned has to do with his. temperament; grown cunning of late, he sometimes refuses to extend himself, but he was certainly willing enough on the occasion of the recent Handicap. Mameluke, winner of the Metropolitan last season, has never been a sound horse, but trainer Veitch has brought him along very carefully for this engagement, his finish in his last start here making a good impression. The other two starters for the Cup-, Great Captain and Bit o Fate, lack the class of the top two, although Great Captain, another from Mr. Fitz barn, has, from time to time, flattered his connections that he might eventually turn out a good one. Well string along with our old favorite, Alerted. A A. A Speaking of the wear and tear of racing as we did in an earlier paragraph, reminds us of the deplorable condition of some of the platers active at our major tracks. Some of these horses are so sore that their jockeys can hardly urge them into a canter when they bring them on the strip, and it is a continuing wonder to us how these old cripples ever manage to race at all, even though most of them who give such signs of flagrant unsoundness finish up the track. Yesterday, we were shocked at the appearance of Royal Castle when that six-year-old Princquillo horse once a good stakes winner came out for the final mile and an eighth event. His ankles have been fired so many times that they look like deformities, and, believe us, we are not searching for any fine phrase. His gait, as he went past the stand, was a shuffle, the oldtimer acting as if he feared to place the least weight on those monstrosities. Now, Royal Castle, with the same ugly ankles, had won four straight races this season at Belmont Park. They looked fully as bad then as they do now, although at that time, he did not favor them nearly as much. Yesterday, we were confident that Royal Castle would be a trailer all the way, and we were ready to protest his ever being allowed to start. To our wonderment, we saw his jockey, Albert Schmidl, begin urging him. on the first turn, and we actually saw Royal Castle respond. Well, ankles and all, he never stopped trying. On the outside all the way, Royal Castle gave as courageous an exhibition as we have been privileged to watch in a long, long time, only failing to win the race by a harrow margin. Royal Castle is a thoroughbred, but it is not sport to race a horse in his condition, and complete ignorance is the only excuse for enjoyment of such a spectacle.
