The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-10-06

EDGE TAKEN
OFF BIC
RACE
Failure to Match ZeV and My
Own for Honor Hurts
Interest.
By DAVIS J. WALSH.

NEW YORK, Oct. 6.-After
due, elaboration and a lot of
hokum, the learned gentlemen
comprising the Jockey Club COM
mittee have announced that
Harry Sinclair's Zev will race
Papyrus, English champion, in
the international event October
20, with Admiral Cary T. Gray
sons My Own as second choice.
It doesn't seem to matter that
Zev has failed to prove to the
satisfaction of all concerned that
he is the better horse. Opinion
IN the matter, in fact, differs
widely, according to whether
you hail from New York or
Washington, D. C.
It is an honest difference of
opinion, and IN consequence the
business Of selecting Zev, without
the formalIty OF racing the thing
out to the obvious conclusion, ap-
pears to he a Lit flat about the
arches. One could just as readily
declare the Yankees better than tho
Giants and IeI the impending world
series go by default.
The members of the selection COM
mittee are Major August Belmont,
the man behind the big race; Joseph
n Widener, William Woodward,
Robert l.. Gerry and Walter s.
Vosburgh. They severally and IN
toto, know more about horse racing
than the writer could learn il he
lived to see the Mississippi run
east and west. Yet, it is barely
possible thar he could give them u
few points On the subject of horse
sense and it's use in an emergency.
The facts in the case are these:
Zev and My Own are the Leading
throoyear Odds Of the American
turf, Jet have never met. They
were to have faced each other In
the trial sweepstakes, one Of the
Official races to determine the
American nominee, but lev cast
. frog In winning the Lawrence
Tor the international race, and
was out Of training when My Own
won the sweepstakes inpressiveEy.
Therefore. to settle the question
0e superiority, 1t was suggested by
Cen. William Mitchell that the
horses race this afternoon for the
honor Of netting Papyrus. Sam
Hildreth, Zev'G trainer, held out for
q distance Of a mile and an eighth.
Admiral Grayson declined to permit
his colt 10 run except at mile and
q half, the distance Of the interna.
tfonal race.
Enter at this juncture, the com,
mites. It gravely announces that
ZsV IL 70 race PapYrus at a mile
and a half. although Hildreth's
stand II q tacit admission that tho
horse isn't ready to go that far
today. It must be assumed, there.
fore. that the committee is guess
ing that Zev will get himself ready
In the two weeks intervening be-
fore the big event. The committee
might employ it's time to better ad-
vantage than to guess I'm a matter
Of this importance.
Granting that the record Of Zev
- more impressive than that of
Ny Own. II is nevertheless the
opinion OF many that the selection
OF the Sinclair colt without q trial
race being run has taken some Of
ths edge from the Importance of
the international match. Even a
Ja1sT meeting between My Own and
me international winner will not
r!aSnd broken fences or "unspiIl'
the well known milk. Admiral
OfaySon wanted only the homer
% seeing his horse race against
Lngiand's best, October 20. or havs
proved that My Own was not
worthy. He got neither.