The Savannah morning news., 1904-02-18
CRESCENT CITY
DERBY OUTLOOK
EVENT GROWS IN INTEREST.
FORT PLAIN, OSTRICH AND FLORAL
KING MOST PROMINENT.

Fort plains Excellent Showing I'm
Last Four Outs Classes Him as
One of the Most Likely Candi-
extraordinarily Is Keen Among
Owners, and the Race Should Be
the Best of the Meeting-FIoral
King Beat n Nose on the Post In
Merchants Handicap.
New Orleans, La, Feb. 17.-Charles
w. Gesser's Crescent City Derby cam
didate, Fort Plain, has now won four
straight races at the meeting. His
clever race on Saturday when conced-
ing weight he easily beat Lev Dorsey,
st. Tammany, Sabot and Favonius at
a mile, has at once advanced his stock
as a Derby prospect. This event, the
most important of the meeting, is gen.
orally regarded as likely to result in
a three-cornered contest between Os-
trch, Floral King and Fort Plain, with
Rainland as the one having the best
chance to split these three at the fin
ish.
The Derby. will be run March II.
While the field promised little of class
at the beginning of the meeting, when
Foresight, ]. P. Mayberry, Rainland,
King Croker, etc, were winning the
2-year-old races. more recent form has
put an entirely different complexion on
the race, and, collectively, the best lot
will go to the post that has started in
several years. Among horsenen Derby
interest entirely -oyershadows the rae
ing.
Good Contest Promised.
Rivalry is keen among the owners
and trainers of the four or five leading
candidates, and it is certain that the
event will be the best medium of spec
ulation of the entire meeting, as it is
probable, also, that with a good track
it will provide the best contest. With
ninetytwo pounds up Fort Plain in
Saturdays mile journey easily out
speeded so fast horse as Lev Dorsey,
and finished pulled UP in Al rs on
slow track.
This race and his victory few days
previously, when, with 100 pounds to
carry, he defeated Sadducee, Joe Goss
and other speedy ones at six furlongs
in 1:13 3-5, stamp him as colt of more
than ordinary quality. Fort Plain is a
medium sized rich chestnut. very mus
cular, especially over the back and
loins, indicating weight-carrying abil-
ity. He is a reproduction of Sidney
Lucas in build, but on a smaller scale.
Floral Kings Best Race.
Floral Kings best performance was
in the Merchants Handicap, at a mile,
in which he had up 1903 pounds. Cap
tain Arnold, the best handicap horse of
the meeting, with an impost of Ill
pounds, beat him a nose on the post in
hor I 6rix Trih IA
three others finishing behind him. This
was certainly a race of Derby merit.
Doubt has been expressed as to
whether Floral King will go the mile
and a furlong Derby route, but some of
the most experienced trainers at the
track think that in his own class, where
all have their weight up, he can set so
fast a pace as to run his competitors
into the ground at the end of the first
mile and then come on and win easily.
The colt grabbed himself in the Mer-
chants Handicap and was let UP on.
Ostrich Up to Derby Form.
. Ostrich's race, when with III pounds
he beat a fair lot easily a mile in
1:44 As, showed running and weight
carrying ability quite up to the meas
ure of local Derby form, and Mr.. Rich
ards son of Imp. Order and Plumage
will be held in great respect on the day
of the race. Neither Auditor, Vestina
Belle nor any of the other Memphis
trained 3-year-oldS are considered Seri-
ously by the trainersphere.
If the Derby were run two months
from now, after Auditor had been sea-
soned by racing, Capt. Browns colt
would no doubt be the general choice
of the horsemen. But he is a slow colt
to fit, and it is not believed that after
a winters rest he can be got ready
to successfully compete with the very
tair 3-year-olds that have received their
preparation during the local meeting.
However, if he is sent on, he will have
strong following, as on last years
form he is undoubtedly the class of the
Derby lot.
Want n Derby Trial.
Were the race run in the next few
Plain would be the betting choices.
and there would not be much choosing
IN the matter of favoritism. Owners of
6-year-old candidates for the Derby
would be much elated if Secretary
Clark would put on a special race for
S-year- olds as a sort of Derby trial.
They say that their colts are ineligi-
bic to the condition races, and that
they cannot run them in the handi-
caps. now that form has been exposed.
without accepting much the worst of
The weights as compared with older
and tried horses. So great interest in
The Derby has recently been aroused
that it is claimed such an event would
no not only great drawing attrac-
ton, but that II would be an impor-
tant betting feature.