Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-10
RUNNING TO FORM
Horses at Charleston Reward
Wise Bettors on the dope"
BIG HANDICAPS COMING ON
Expert Review of the Two Year
Olds So Far Shown
at Track.
BIG HANDICAPS COMING ON
BY JOE KNIGHT.

| CHARLESTON, S. c., February TO-
| Gradual improvement in the attendance
| at Palmetto Park from day to day and
| what is more significant, great increase
in the volume of public speculation have
featured the popular side of racing here
| this week.
1t is fact that the general public out
side of Charleston has seemed 10th tc
credit that the speculation at all times
! since the meeting began. a fortnight ago
/ has been of the brisk variety. First, OF
| course. the big operators We're predOmi-
| nant in the ring, due to their familiarity
with the oral system of wagering in
| vogue here, or, more properly speaking
to the Charleston public's lack of it.
| However, since the crowds from
| Charleston. augmented by steadily
growing influx Of tourists from the north
| have taken so kindly to the sport and
| doubts on the part of the management
| or fears of apathy by the ''two-dollar
brigade" that indispensable concomitant
! of a succe ssful race meet, have been dis
PEELED.
The presence OF more layers from the
north included in the weeks arrivals in
dcates now beyond doubt that the
/ old-time character of the ring-open to
all layers-soon will be assumed.
| AS to the sport itself from the first day
| it has left nothing to be desired. AS is
| always the case where a lay-up precedes
| winter race meeting, horsemen with
| handicap and stake performers have gone
| slow with their charges, while the own
ers of performers in the platter division
have been, if anything, too eager to rush
| their horses into winning condition. Two
| factors aside from this general good turf
| policy have emphasized this condition
and furnish an apology, If apology be
| needed, for the mediocrity Of some of the
| days cards, we'll contested and keenly
| speculative as they have been.
One is the improved condition of the
| track and the other is the necessity on
| the part OF the more astute owners. as
| they see it. OF keeping their classics
horses under cover Both are attests
| of the fact that the present meeting will
be continued successfully, and speak
abundantly of the confidence of the
! horsemen. who are the real bone ana
sinew at any race course. When the Pal
metto course was resurfaced with a clay
and sand covering it transformed the
| footing in short space OF time from
hard-going sort Of course. liable at any
rain to become a veritable morass, to
softer packing. but able to withstand
rains.
Coming Stake Events.
1t followed. therefore. that a $4,000
| handicap performer or $1,000 stake
horse, if trained fine would be the re-
| cipient of a temporary setback in con-
ditioning. This would not be such
factor in the training Of the cheaper sort,
| and has not been. Therefore. in framing
the first two program books. Racing Sec
rotary Pons and Assistant Racing Secre-
tary Gerhardy perforce gave ;he horses d
chance which We're most ready to race
With such events near at hand. how
ever as the ST. Valentines Day selling
stakes, the Debutante stakes. the Spar
| tanburg selling stakes. the George Wash
ington handicap and the Juvenile stakes,
horses of the class of Caugh Hill and
Carlton G. in the older division and the
best two-year-olds at the course will be
seen regularly under colors.
Form has been SO well preserved at
Palmetto Park, and the general public
is so familiar with the consistency dis
played in great preponderance of the
fixtures and overnight events so far de-
cided, that comment seems unnecessary.
Turf history was made at Charleston last
winter in the matter of winning faVoriteS.
1t is written into the records that II per
cent of the favorites at Palmetto Park
won. a record unsurpa ssed in many years
at any winter race course. So far the
percentage of winning favorites has been
| nearly on parity with that of last year
for the corresponding time. though track
conditions. changing in the middle of the
for might SO far elapsed. have been any
thing but conducive for the maintenance
of public form, and the ''uncovering" of
| several "sleepers' which is a concomtant
| of the beginning OF any race meeting, has
| been the case here. as elsewhere.
! In the main, however. the public has
| been phenomenally successful in its pre-
determination Of the winners, and if the
present state Of affairs continues there
will be no ground for complaint on the
| part of Work-watchers and form players.
who constitute such great proportion
! of the so-called ''reGulars.''
Each inauguration of winter race
meeting sees hailed almost at once as the
greatest tWo-year-oid of the year some
| performer of exceptional ability. To
achieve such distinction here SO early
| in the meeting is much to the credit Of
any youngster In any owners barn, for
there never have been In the south in