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Here and There on the Turf Club Steaks Defeat. Carlaris Out of Derby. Single Foots Failure. Jockey Club Vacancies. When Club Steak won the Aberdeen Stakes 6 she was hailed as a possible contender for the e two year-old championship of the year. But • there were many who did not see that race e who argued that she had beaten nothing and j that it was ridiculous to name her as a a topnotcher. Now that she has suffered her r first defeat these critics of twfpyear-old form n have a chance to say "I told you so." It may be they were right. It may be that • Club Steak is strictly a spring filly and when D the real good ones are shown she will have no place in the list, but she surely ran two wonderful races before she tasted defeat. It was not so much the ones that opposed her as the ease with which she won. And it must be remembered that she was particularly un fortunate in her race Saturday at Havre de Grace and it should not be taken too seri ously. True, the daughter of Meridian was in a winning position in the stretch, but she had made up a lot of ground and tired when the pinch came. Of course, a filly with any pretentions to a championship should not tire in such a race, but it will not do to entirely discard Club Steak on this one race. Possibly Club Steak is just a miss with a great turn of speed and lacks the courage that is so essential, but it is possible to have mere speed carry a two year-old well along the road to fame before the distance is stretched out until stamina has its real test. As was intimated in this column yesterday, Carlaris is now probably definitely out of the Kentucky Derby, to the great joy and rejoicing of the various future books on the big race. This imported colt was the medium of heavy backing after he won the Coffroth Handicap so impressively and was made th? favorite for the Derby. Of course, his definite declaration will bring a revision of opinion on the probable result of the rich prize and several of the eligible? that had less chance with W. T. Andersons swift running colt in the field, loom up more prominently. Carlaris was depended upon to lead the field and he was calculated to kill off, or at least take a dc-al out of any other of the starters With him out of the way, it would seem that a colt of Pompeys speed will have a much better advantage. With two colts of great speed in the field, as was promised, there was the chance they would kill each other off and leave the race to the starters that could plod along behind them and wait until they came back to them before making a rush. There is probably no other eligible in the field the withdrawal of which could have more effect on the probable running and the prob able outcome of the Kentucky Derby. Single Foot has failed again. His perform ance in the Philadelphia Handicap on Satur day, suggested that he has lost all his form and if Harry Rites brings him back to anything like the condition that gave him a full measure of fame, he will have to improve greatly over what he has shown. In the running of the Philadelphia Handi cap the son of Wrack and Virginia L. showed absolutely nothing and he may be forgotten as far as the Dixie Handicap is concerned. But Edisto, the son of Johren and Tunnii . by Broomstick, showed form that gives him a new importance. This horse simply cantered off with the Philadelphia Handicap and the ease with which he led a good band home gave evidence of both his present condition and his j speed. It was a good band that followed Edisto home and he may be capable of beating a better one in his present condition. The Seagram colors have always been popular on both sides of the Great Lakes and it appears , that this year the stable is a particularly strong one. Redstone barely missed making it a double for the stable Saturday when he was only beaten by Bob Smiths Golden Spire. When Nicholas was put to jumping this year, in an effort to cure his erratic temper, there were high hopes that he would prove a good horse through the field. He was even credited without schooling as good a jumper as Autumn Bells, and that is some accomplishment. But that was in schooling. His craay swerve in the running of- the hurdle race at the terminal course Saturday, would suggest that he remains a bit erratic. Of course he is still a green jumper and he may settle down. He knows how to jump and he can run fast, but that will not do much good unless he becomes dependable and both runs and jumps straight. Kentucky began its 1926 campaign with a record breaking crowd at the old Lexington course. No fewer than eighty-six horses were started in the eight races that were offered showing that there was no end of trouble in satisfying the demands of the horsemen. Then, for the Monday races, with a card of seven, there were ninety-six named. Three of these Monday races each attracted eighteen entries. This gives an idea of the tremendous number of horses that are fit and ready to run at Lexington, while at Churchill Downs there is a big colony waiting for the opening of the meeting at Louisville. There will be no lack of excellent material in the Middle West to supply both Kentucky and Illinois with all the horses that could possibly be needed for big racing programs. There has been some little speculation on just what member of The Jockey Club will be chosen to take the place of the late Francis R. Hitchcock on the board of stewards. Thn names that have been most frequently men tioned are those of Robert L. Gerry, George H. Bull and Adm. Cary T. Grayson. All three of these turfmen are excellently equipped for a place on the governing body j of the turf. There are other members of The Jockey Club that would grace a place on the board of stewards, but no other three in the club have devoted more time and talent to the sport. By the recent deaths in the membership of The Jockey Club, there are now four vacancies - in that body and it is expected that there ? will be four elections before long. The Jockey f Club has a restricted membership of fifty and 1 at present there are only forty-six members. • While great care has been taken in the election . of members to The Jockey Club, it has I been more or less a close corporation, in which New York has been much more numerously represented than any other section of the f country. That has been but natural, but the „ time has come when, in the interests of the i turf at large, there should be more members ~ j from Kentucky. It would be well indeed if at least one of the vacancies would be filled by f any one of the big men of the Kentucky turf. " No individual is suggested for there are more ? cligibles from which a choice could readily be e made. J. N. Camden is a member at this 3 time from Kentucky and there is an excellent . chance now to add another Kentuckian to the p club.
