Evening star., 1923-05-06

in him al the wrong time.
Mckee Was too sEreWd a trainer
not TO recognize that this tendency to
he Il front runner was much Il part
of the colts nature that it was M
wise to attempt to curb Il. Ther. Was
nothing to do hut make the best Of
il. He left all his sympathy and af-
fection with Shooting Star and turned
! his mind and talents to Machine Gun.
Machine Gun was the reverse OF his
half-brother. az intelligent, we'll
behaved colt who permitted himself
t" b" rated nicely. and showed a ten
dsucy I" come from behind lie fin
ish.d his two year-"ld season un-
beaten.
Tod Pennington was Inclined to be
jubilant. but he took care to temper
his enthusiasm in the presence OF
Sandy Mckee.
Mind YOU" warned SANDY. Shoot
| Ing Star is the better of the two
! only he doesn't know how to distrib-
ute his speed. Some day he viii
learn. and then You will see Il race
horse WORTHY of the Pennington coli
ors.
Pennington threw au amectiouate
arm around McKee's dropping shoui-
dcrs "All things are possible on
| racetrack," he consoled.
DUT Shooting Star showed no iudi-
- cation OF any better understand
ing Of his duties. Mckee accepted
the situation. and, when the next sea-
son rolled around, coupled the half
brothers as running companions and
sent them after three year-old honors
together. Almost from the start they
proved an invincible combination,
Shooting Star killing off all the early
competition in the race. and Machine
Gun unlimbering in the stretch.
The faster the pace, the better for
the courageous stakehorse who comes
| from behind. Shooting Star led the
field over the first quarter in 90
and the half mile post by 40 l-5; and
| by that time most Of the contenders
were dizzy. Many a jockey who tried
TO lay off that terrific pace found
himself vertheless influenced by the
! sight of that flying figure far out
in front. Experience tola him that
Shooting Star would come back to
the field. but anxiety and caution
prompted him. to keep within driving
distance in case the unexpected should
happen and the bay colt forget to
quit.
Shooting Star never attained the
honor of a call after the three-quar-
/ ter pole was past. Gradually he be-
gan to understand that such tEing
was not expected of him. Little
Travers, who usually had the leg UP,
made no attempt to press his mount
when the field began to overhaul
them, for both horse and man were
aware that they were due to be
1 passed at the right time by ONeill
on Machine Gun; and as Terry sported
the cerise and green. what did it
matter?
| The son of Lady Courageous fin
ished in the ruck and then was led
away shamelessly to the stables.
| where he ran at his groom open
| mouthed, kicked over water buckets,
scattered his feed and behaved with
| characteristics clownishness.
| 1t was about this time that turf
| men began to discuss the possibil-
tiles Of a match race between Ma
! chine Gun and the crack Canadian
three -year-old Trafalgar. The lat
! ter had made racing history by WIN
ming the Canadian derby in his first
! start, and, like Machine Gun, he had
never been beaten. He came from q
long line Of English derby winners,
and he was regarded so generally as
invincible over q mile or longer that
few horsemen had the temsrity to
! risk the reputation of their stables
against him.
Tod Pennington received an invita-
ton to bring his stable across the
border. lie laid the matter before
/ Sandy Mckee.
'If they want the race. let them
come after it," advised the trainer
cannily. "Ten thousand to the win
ner, a mile and a quarter, and old
Latonia in October
THE Pennington handicap?'
why not? If they think Trafalgar
can take it away from us, that's their
chance
Right as usual" Tod acknowl-
edged. There's nothing like meet
ing a man on your own ground"
y ***
A Ii. through the summer months