The San Francisco call., 1908-11-16
Fitz Herbert Looms as
Derby Winner
EfheIberf Colt viii Play PrOn1i-
HeHf Part in California
Winter Racing
Bv ]. r. Jefery

Eitz Herbert, the Ethelbert colt that
won the Oakland handicap for l. {.
Hildreth at Emeryville Saturday. looms
as a prospective winner OF one or both
Of the derbys TO be decided in California
this winter. A year old that can
successfully cOncede weight TO an all
AGED field Of cracks as Fitz Herbert
did Saturday must be put down as
horse Of great promise and class tltz
Herbert seems destined TO play a prom
luent part in California racing tnlS
winter and il may be that he viii prove
the horse OF the season. During the
early part OF the New YORK racing
season Eitz Herbert was deemed TO be
in the first flight Of the years year
Olds and he very nearly lived up TO
that reputation. although he was
hardly equal to the task OF successfully
coping with Sir Martin and Fayette,
John Madden's pair of cracks The
fact that he was only once unplaced in
Is races in the east attestS his sturdy
reliability and consistency. His duels
with the crack hlly France were out
standing features Of the eastern racing
season
Fiuz Herberrs debut was at ,Aque-
duct April 10. and 6Oyle beat nun q
head at four and a half furlongs IN :5z,
q new track record In his next race
Trance gave him seven pounds and a
beating. This was in the ozone stakes
at AQueduct. q half mile dash. run in
.46 2-5. Then he ran second TO High
Private in the Canarsie stakes and
seemed TO be unlucky and place run
ner only. but he speedily dispelled this
notion April p he won the WoodhaVen
stakes and defeated Trance by two
lengths. Again the hlly was trying 10
give him seven pounds and this time
she failed. The good colt Preceptor
was third. Then the horses moved
over 10 Jamaica and in the Elmhurst
stakes he ran q dead heat with Trance
at five-eighths. The time was one min
ute fat and il was a new track record.
This time IL was Fitz Herbert that was
trying TO concede seven pounds In ac-
Cual weight. His next race was for
purse at Belmont park, IN which he
defeated Joe Madden, Edward and Pre-
ceptor among others, gave them all
seven pounds and, with l2z pounds up,
ran four and half furlongs in .53.
Then came another set 10 with Trance
and a defeat. This was in the Bouquet
on even terms won by three-Quarters
Of & length in fast time Then he won
his next four races.
At Belmont park May p he defeated
PreceptOr, tayette and two more at
I'VE furlOngs straight. in :5S 4-5. with
ll9 pounds on his back. AT GraNesend
June he won from Uncle Jim, NoodOo
and Witching Hour at the same dis
tance. IN 100 SO. with 122 pounds up
giving them all much weight Next he
beat LawtOn Virgins and Gliding Belle
al I'VE and half furlongs easily. car
lNlng lZ6 pounds to ia on LaWton
Virgins and 10 on the hlly. At
Sheepshead bay July he scored from
Harrigan, Practical and five more at
I'VE and a half furlongs in 1907 2-5.
and gave them all five or more pounds.
Then he went slightly amiss and was
not raced again until September u at
Sheepshead bay. where he ran un-
placed 10 Medisnt. Field Mouse and
BObbin in the Great Eastern handicap.
He was top weight with 119 pounds
and close up fourth. His last win
ming race in the east was at the same
track three days later. Here he gave
Wise Mason 10 pounds and won by a
head in 1:07 Is with Madman third.
in the Junior Champion stakes at
Gravesend he ran third to Mediant
and Suffra gette. and his old foe. Trance.
defeated him in the Holly handicap.
His last eastern race was for the Pros
pect handicap. for which he finished
third TO Joe Madden and Trance
He was started twice in California.
Tn the Opening handicap. in which
he was top weight by the scale. he
lost al chance in a Jam on the first
turn and finished unplaced. His Oak
land handicap triumph in track record
time marked his succeeding essay.
Fitz Herberts pedigree shows an un-
common mingling Of blood lines with
French strains prominent