The Washington herald., 1918-10-21

Laurel. Md. Oct eo.-The great
syear old special to be run at
Laurel Park on Monday. October
IS with Billy Kelly and External
as the two participants. the out
come of which the racing frater-
nifty and the country generally
have agreed shall be accepted as
of the juvenile cham
pionship of 1918. might, and not
inappropriately. be called Tho Lib-
erty Bond--Red Cross 2-ycar old
special" 1t will be Liberty Bond
Red Cross race and nothing moro.
Neither Commander J. X. L.
Ross, of Montreal. the owner of
Billy Kelly, nor James w. McClel-
land. of Kentucky. the owner o.
Eternal. will get so much as a
penny out OF the race. The $40, 900
which, after the finish. the Mary
land State Fair corporation will
turn over to the owner OF the win
ner in the form of bonds OF the
Fourth Liberty Loan will, in turn.
be handed over by the owner of
the winner, along with $4,000 in
liberty bonds which the owner OF
the defeated colt will lose. to one
of the North American Red Cross
organizations, the Canadian should
Billy Kelly win, the American in
the event OF Eternal's triumph.
The great special is to be
$40, 900 a side AFFAIR, the stakes to
be put up in liberty bonds. The
winning colt will save his owners
stakes. It will be known as the
John R. Mclean Memorial Cup.
Edward B. Mclean will present
the winning owner with golden
trophy.
And when this race shall have
been pulled off by Col. Matt Winn,
the Laurel Park pooh bah, the sec
ond great Red Cross race in
bakers dozen of months will have
been run at Laurel Park. For,
after the finish of the $4,000 match
at Laurel Park between Houriess
and Omar Khayyam last October,
Maj. August Belmont. the owner of
the winning French colt, handed to
the treasurer of the American Red
Cross the $4,000 check that fell
to him as a result of Hourless
brilliant victory.
II Omar Khayyam had outrun
ana OulSld GU L1OullNSS III haN
most horse folk now concede to
have been the greatest race at one
mile and a quarter in the history
OF the American turf. Mr.. Viau. who
is a Canadian, like Commander
Ross. would have presented the
Maryland State Fair corporations
$4,000 check to the Canadian Red
Cross.
--ho r.,,-aI Dart- spa6fals of 1917
and 1918 differ in that the special OF
lOi7 was for 3-year-old champions at
Cne mile and a quarter for a big
purse. but no side bet of consequence.
while the Juvenile stars of the current
season will race for $1,000 side. Aug
ust Belmont and Mr. Wilfrid Viau
were never much for betting. Com
mander Ross and James McClelland
would rather back their judgment
when they think they are right than
to sit down to a canvasback duck.
II would be better If Billy Kelly and
Eternal could race over seven-eighths
of a mile instead of three-quarters.
But it would be impossible to give the
race at seven-eighths. The Laurel Park
track is one of the conventional
American mile tracks. with the start
ing place Of seven-furlong races in the
turn.
There was talk to within a day or
so OF the signing of the agreement
by Commander Ross and Mr.. McClel-
land of making this special a free-for-
all affair, but happily. nothing came
of it. Now that the F>uturity winner
Dunboyne is retired, Eternal and
Billy Kelly are the only 3-year-olds
running that could be considered wor-
thy to start in a real championship
race. Billy Kelly and Eternal each
has his admirers, Billy Kelly more,
perhaps, than Eternal
The races the Dick Welles gelding
ran under big weight at Saratoga in
August made a tremendous impression
on the popular mind. Billy Kelly.
probably. will be favorite Thursday.
But both are conceded to be as good 2
year-olds as the American turf has
seen since Colin. Colt and Uncle raced.
Billy Kelly, for which Commander
Ross paid matter Of 5000 at Sar-
atoga in August after he had beaten
practically every smart 2-year-old in