New-York tribune., 1918-10-20
Patriotic Match
Race for 2-Year
Colts Thursday
Red Cross Nets $4,000 Lib
erty Bonds From Eternal
Billy Kelly Clash

LAUREL, Maryland. Oct. 1s.-The
great two-ycar- old special to be run
at Laurel Park en- Thursday, with Billy
Kelly and Eternal as the two partici-
pants, the outcome of which the racing
fraternity and the country generally
have agreed shall be accepted as de-
terninative OF the Juvenile champion
ship of 1918, might appropriately be
called the Liberty bond-Red Cross
two-year-old race
1t will be Liberty bond--Red Cross
race exclusively. for neither Com
mander J. X. l.. Ross. of Montreal, nol
James McClelland, of Kentucky, fAe
owners, respectively, of Billy Kelly and
Eternal, will get one penny ont o.
the race. The $4,000 which the Mar
land State Fair Corporation viii turr
over to the owner of the winner in tho
form of Liberty bonds after the finish,
will be prevented by the winning
owner to one of the two North Ameri-
can Red Gross organizations--
triumphs, or the American, in case
Eternal drives home in front Of the
Dick Wellcs eelding.
And with these bonds from the Muly
and State Fair Corporation the owner
% The winner vii hand over to one Of
the Red Cross organizations $4,000 III
fourth Liberty Loan bonds. which will
have been lost by the owner Of the
loser.
Gold Trophy to Winner
The great special is to be q $4,000
3 side affair and the best the owner
of the winner will Go will be TO save
his stake. The race will be known as
the John r. Mclean Memorial Cup. 4.
3. Mclean Will present to the SUGGEST
full owner golden trophy.
And when this race shall have been
pulled off by Colonel Matt Winn. the
Laurel Park Poohah, the second
great Red Cross race in a bakers
dozen of months will have been run
at Laurel Park. For after the finish
of the $4,000 match at one mile and
quarter between Hourless and Omar
Khayyam at Laurel Park last October,
Major August Belmont, or New York,
turned over to the American Red Gross
the $4,000 Hourless won when he heat
Niuu, Il Canadian, like Commander Ross,
would have given the English
colts winnings to the Canadian Red
Cross.
Laurel Park specials of 1917 and
1918 differ. in that in 1917 the three
ycarold champions of l917 raced one
mile aud q quarter for a purse, but no
lido bets of consequence; the sweep
stakes were $500 . side; While the
juvenile stars of 1918 will race three
quarters OF mile for $4,000 a side
and d $4,000 purse. Neither Major
Belmont nor Niau was ever much of u
bctor. Commander Ross and McClel-
iand would rather back their hands
when they think they are right than
eat canvas back duck. The coming
special would be better race at seven
iurlongs, perhaps, but Laurel Park
track is mile track of the old
fashioned kind, and TO run seven fur
longs over 1t horses must start in
turn.
There was talk OF making an open
race of this special, but happily nothing
came of it. Billy Kelly and Eternal.
now that Dunboync, the Futurty win
iler, IS retired, are really the only two
year-olds left that could be considered
worthy to start in a championship
event.
Best Since SalyidfIe
Billy Kelly, for which Commander
Ross paid matter of $4,000 at Sara
toga in August, after kc had beaten
very nearly ereVy smart colt and fllv
IN training, is universally acclaimed
the esmartest two-year-old gelding that
has raced since Sa)videre, an unsexed
son of Belvidere and Sallie McClelland,
which won the Saratoga Special and
half dozen other rich and important
two-year-old stakes in 1906, and beat
Peter Pan, Ballot and the other brill
lant two-year of his time when
eFef he was of 4 mind to.
Alter the sou of Dick Welles and
elena had won the Flash, United States
Hotel and Sanford Memorial stakesand "a ND
The Grab Fag Handicap at SARATOGA in
august, earning all told matter Of
S2O,oo0 III less than four weeks racing
nc did not start during the last week
oi the August meeting g-Handicapper
sosburgh paid Il higher tribute to his
speed and courage than he had ever
pald to the racing attributes of anv
other two-year-old colt tilly or reid
ING. Vosburgh asked Billy to take I'D
lio pounds in the Adirondack Handi-
cap. Commander Ross sidestepped the
Adlrondack. Perhaps he had at the
BACK of his head a notion that some
ctner youngster might dcvelop to dis
pute Billy hellY's claim to the juvenile
championship and that some such
match as the one impending at Laurel
Park might be ruled off.
But Commander Ross had no idea
that the youngster Billy Kelly was
destined to meet in the race that was to
be determinative of the two-year-old
championship was Eternal Eternal had
won one overnight race at Aqueduct
ana one overn ght race at Saratoya in
both of which he had shown fine .ne.d
Beaten at Saratoga
But he had been beaten by Billy
Kelly in the United States at Saratoga,
and he had failed to keep other engage
ments in races at the Springs in which
he might have met Billy Kelly at a biz
advantage in weight
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