The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-16
''Irish Lad" Has u Big Task
Before Him This Year.
Will Be Slated in All the Big
Spring Handicaps.
CONSIDERED A WONDER
Many Think Him the Greatest
Handicap Horse on Earth.
To Enter Metropolitan, Brook
lyn, Suburban and Brighton.

New York, April Ito make a clean
sweep of the great spring handicaps is
the programme mapped out for Irish
Lad by Hermann B. Duryea, in whose
colors during the temporary retirement
of Harry Payne Whitney from the
turf, the Westbury stable, as well as
the thoroughbreds of the late William
g. Whitney. will race. That the stout
hearted son of Candlemas and Arrow
grass will realize in full the hopes of
his owners seems hardly to be expect
ed, but, barring accident, he will face
the flag in the Metropolitan Brooklyn,
suburban and Brighton handicaps,
and his trainers expect to see him at
least inside the money in all four
events. Should Irish Lad capture all,
or even three Of these races he would
make record never equalled on the
turf.
Irish Lad, winner of last years
Brooklyn handicap. runner up in the
Suburban Renewal and one of the
most popular thOroughbreds on the
Yankee turf, is now quartered in the
Whitney stable at Sheepshead Bay. He
Wintered at Aiken and has come for
ward in a manner that surprised even
his trainers. The second 3-year-o old
ever to win a Brooklyn, he has round
ed into strudy, thoroughly seasoned
handicap horse, with flights of speed
even greater than he promised in his
earlier years. He is one of those price
less pieces OF nOTSeueSn WIlCn one
hard race after another fails to wear
out, and, realizing this, Mr.. Rogers has
brought the Candlemas colt on care
fully, not pointing him for any race in
particular, but rather with a view to
a EEuelI1ng, record breaking. campaign.
If present plans are carried out Irish
Lad viii make his first appearance this
season in the Metropolitan at Morris
Park. Should race or two in the
meantime be deemed desirable, he will
start at Jamaica. but his trainer would
prefer that he should not face the flag
until Metropolitan day. He will pack
1923 pounds in that race, which is at a
mile, and if McCheSney does not start
will probably go to the post one of the
favoFites. After a few more races at
Morris Park, Irish Lad will be shipped
to Gravesend or the Brooklyn. Picking
up 125 pounds in this feature event of
the Brooklyn Jockey club, he is carded
to meet such crackajacks as McChes-
ney, 129 pounds; Hermis. 128 pounds;
Africander, 126 pounds; Advance Guard,
121 pounds; The Picket, 119 pounds,
and many others.
All going we'll Irish Lad will race
through the Gravesend meeting, and
go to the post for the Suburban. In
this famous handicap. as it now looks,
he viii receive his hardest trying out.
He carries a pound less in the Subur-
ban than in the Brooklyn. but in the
Sheepshead Bay fixture he is carded to
measure strides not only with all the
stars he meets in the Brooklyn, but
with Waterboy as well-WaterbOy, the
winner of last years Suburban Renew
al the Brighton and Saratoga handi-
caps and maker of new racetrack and
worlds records.
Next comes the Brighton, with its
$25, 900 purse, after which, if the game
4-year-old has anything like realized
the hopes of his trainers, he will go to
Saratoga to continue his campaign at
the Newmarket of America" Truly
a long and strenuous campaign has
been mapped out for this son of Can
dlemas, who, if he goes through it sue
cessfully, will have we'll earned the
title of tThe Iron Horse. Jr.'