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New Jersey r — - By William Phillips Balaklaya 1 1. s William Penn Win Impressive Irish Colt Appears Best of Average Lot Bought by Strickland at Hialeah Vendue GARDEN STATE PARK, Camden, N. J., May 10.— The first realy promising two-year-old to make his pearance at this meeting won the fourteenth running of the William Penn Stakes here on Wednesday. He is George F. Stricklands Balaklava II., an Irish-bred sen of Royal Charger, who completely mastered his field through the last sixteenth of a mile of the William Penn, despite running green as grass. There has been a general feeling among horsemen that the juvenile crop seen here thus far is below the usual par. A couple of fillies have displayed a little more than corn- more verve and dash, and a better line on their ability | will be forthcoming when the Rancocas Stakes is run next week. The best colts that were shown before the William Penn seemed to be R. T. Curleys Supper Money and C. B. Barters Burma Charm, but neither of these come close in a comparison with Balaklava II. It was astonishing to see the sudden spurt of speed put forth by Balaklava n. when Sam Boulmetis struck him just once with the whip. He seemed to lift right off of the ground. With bounding strides he almost left Sammy behind as he opened up on his field. Even while taking command the colt was "shadow jumping" and swerving, and Sammy was taking a stranglehold on him at the end— still three lengths in front of Busy Harvest, who in Florida finished a fast third behind Brookmeades Encore in the Gulfstream Park Juvenile Stakes. Balaklava n. ran the five furlongs in :59, nothing sensational, but patently creditable. If we were asked as to. our opinion between the Royal Charger colt and Encore, we would have to judge that Balaklava H. Is a much more imposing individual and a more promising prospect. Beaten a Neck in Racing Debut Tommy Kelly trained Balaklava n. last winter in Florida and turned him over to Heard when he shipped his stable to, Chicago. The colt started one time at Gulfstream Park and was beaten a neck by California Kid, a highly regarded youngster in the Rex C. Ellsworth bam. Heard reported this morning that Balaklava II. was coughing a couple of days after his arrival here and that he went slowly with his training. It was only because he turned in a gocd five-furlong workout that Heard entered him in the William Penn. Strickland purchased Balaklava II. for 1,500, as Heard recalls, from a public sale last winter at Hialeah. The quality of the Royal Charger strain is well known in this country liis son Turn-to won the first Garden State, but we are not acquainted with his dams side of the family. He is out of Michma, by Michoumy. Bred in Ireland, foaled in England, and brought tb this country by C. F. Morriss. Strickland has nominated Balaklava II. to several stakes, including The Garden State, but says he intends to race him sparingly and give him a chance for full development as a three-year-old. His next start will be in the Cherry Hill, to be renewed here on Wednesday, May 23. H. A. "Jimmy" Jones reported this morning that everything was running smoothly at the Calumet barn. Fabius shipped well and is bedded down at Pimlico, awaiting the Preakness, and Princess Turia and Beyond are settled at Belmont Park, where the Kentucky Oaks victress and running-mate will make a try for the Acorn. The Calumet division at Churchill Downs, composed mostly of two-year-olds, will soon be shipped to Chicago. Fabius is intended as a definite starter in the 0,000 added Jersey Stakes that will be run here on Saturday, May 26. Jimmy thinks Needles is the better horse than Fabius at present, but opines that the Florida-bred has won the Flamingo, Florida and Kentucky Derbys without encountering any bad racing luck, and that a change might be due. He recalls: "Whenever you have a horse that comes from far back, i like Needles, something may happen to keep him from getting up. When we raced Ponder and Whirlaway, who both came from behind, they were beaten in more than .one race when they were the best horse." Cox Had His Bad Day Last Monday . Talking about luck, take the case of jockey Norman Cox. Last Monday Cox was making a bid for command with Tonys Chance in the feature race, when the leader, War Tune, cast a shoe that hit Cox by the eye. The goggles, although shattered, kept the eye from being injured, but Cox was stunned momentarily and " his mount,lost the decision by just a head. In the following race the veteran reinsman was again making a strong stretch bid astride Panmure, when the colt appeared to jump his own shadow, brode stride, and came again, too late. . . . Willie Hartack has been blanked out of the winners circle the last two days here, and his followers are crying loudly. No more so , than Willie, who is under the constant pressure of having his mounts heavily backed in the mutuels, just because he is the rider. On Monday he rode three winners, but Tuesday and Wednesday he lost 13 straight, of which six were public choices. No wonder the public backs him when one looks at his record. At Laurel he. rode only 35 horses, but won 16 races to be the leading rider for a phenomenal .46 winning percentage.
