The New York herald., 1922-02-26
WEATHER DECIDES
DERBY CANDIDATES
If Clear and Warm in March
Many Eastern Horsemen
Will Point for Classic.
II. P. WHITNEY HAS EDGE
His InclOsed Track at Brook
dale Enables His Charges
to Work All Times.
II. P. WHITNEY HAS EDGE
By HENRY v. KING.

BY HENRY v. KING.
If the weather is warm and clear
during March and April the Kentucky
Derby and the Preakness may each
have to be run in two sections. If
the ground hog told the truth and
there is frost and snow and heavy
winds next month there will be small
fields in each of these turf classics
land a majority of starters will be
horses which wintered in the South
Seldom were there so many three
year-olds Of Derby quality in the East
rs this year. Almost every big stable
showed a colt some time or other last
year which promised to develop into
"A high class three-year- -old-one that
would travel a distance. And almost
all of them have wintered so well that
'their trainers feel confident they
would have more than an outside
chance IL they could be prepared prop
'erly. But few horsemen believe they
tcan get their charges ready for mile
and quarter race so quickly. Both
Tbe Derby and Preakness will be de-
icided early in May and to get a three
year-old up to such a long race takes
several months of jogging, galloping
and breezing.
All the thoroughbreds around here
have been jogging under the shed since
the first of the year and before the
end Of the week almost all of them will
be galloping. But only the weather
man can say when they will be per-
Emitted to go on the track and breeze.
THE first of March usually brings some
heavy thaws and fine weather, but the
month also usually brings some frost and
heavy snow. And 1t Is the prospective
snow and frost which have the trainers
at the local tracks UP the proverbial
tree.
To send a colt out on the track for
R few days and then bring him back
20 shed work sets him back materially.
and often plays havoc with his condi
ton. For colt wintering on the local
tracks to get to the Derby he must have
a track to work on almost all Of March
and April. He gets no time here in
May, for 1t Is necessary. for him to be
on the ground a week before the race
and 1t takes two days to make the trip
from here to Churchill Downs.
Fitz Can't Get Colt Ready.
Jim Fitzsimmons says he is unable
10 get colt ready for the Derby,
~Some trainers might be able to do It."
he said, but I can't. l haven't enough
time. OF course. If I wanted to hurry
him along and take a big chance of
breaking him down l might be able to
do it. But it's impossible to bring him
along slowly and get him in proper
shape for a mile and a quarter race so
eorly because the weather man is al
most sure to interrupt my work during
March or April. IF have a colt good
,oI, 70 mi, nnr rIx,,h ha tc
10 be hurried and broken down"
Fecause the Derby Is so rich--it will
be worth more than $4,000 to the WIN
ner this year-all owners are anxious
to win II and some of them are urging
their trainers to get their charges ready
for It. But their wishes cannot be
granted unless the weather man is
generous.
No owner is more anxious to start
horse in the Derby than Benjamin
Block Is with Norwich, the champion
Juvenile of last season. The ugly little
champion of last year wintered exceed
iugly well at Jamaica and since he
began jogging has spread out immensely
and looks like a different colt. Fred
Burlew, the trainer who developed him
for Mr.. Block, also is anxious to start
him in the Churchill Downs classic.
but he doubts being able to. Like all of
the trainers at Belmont Park. he says,
only the weather can say whether he
wilt or not.
Harry Payne Whitney has a big edge
on the sportsmen who winter In this
vicinity. He has, a big incloscd track at
his Brookdale Farm in New Jersey and
incement weather doesn't interfere with
him to any great degree. He can breeze
his horses any time and keep them go
ing during blizzard.
May BE Breezing at BrookdaIc.
Little has been heard from Jimmy
Rowe. the veteran trainer at Brookdale.
but trainers who know him and his
facilities for conditioning a horse say
he probably is breezing some of his
three-year-old and older horses already.
lie has half dozen colts and filies
which are Derby horses including
Bunting, which won the Futurity, and
Whlskaway, the son of Whskbroom,
which showed marvellous speed at Sara
toga last summer. Horsemen who know
Rowe's methods and his fine stock pre-
dict he will have three or four primed
for the Derby and the Preakness
Some of the other Eastern three-year-
olds which raced like Derby horses last
season and are likely TO be pointed for
the two classics IL weather permits are
Joseph E. widener's Runantell, Richard
II. Wilson's Pillory, Morton L.
Schwartz's Column Harry +. Snclair's
Iai-Sang, George IT. Bulls Mustard
Seed, George Odom's Modo and Law
renee Waterbury's Gallantman.
Training in the South there are sew
eral colts which showed grand form here |
last season. Among them are the |
%alapa Farms Missionary and Lucky |
Elour
still other colts which showed speed |
enough to warrant the belief they would
rave a chance in the Derby are Clifford
: Cochrsn's June Grass, Willis Sharpe
J.ilmer's Sunreigh. J. III. Cosden's Lord /
baltimore and Big Heart and John San
fords Sleveconard.