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PATTERNED AFTER MIKE HALL Erstwhile Plater Pilate Named for Rich Arlington Stakes. ; Displayed Brilliant Speed in Last Maryland Handicap Now the Property of Cooney and Schuttinger. - Pilate, which may be treading the path of Mike Hall, Sandy Ford and other platers that developed into high class stakes winners, is a candidate for the Arlington Handicap, Arlington Gold Cup and the Stars and Stripes Handicap, three 0,000 added specials, to be offered during the thirty-day meeting at Arlington Park in July. His nomination for three attractive engagements, along with that of Dark Seeker, for the Arlington Oaks and Arlington Matron Handicap was made by Andy Schuttinger, who, with E. F. Cooney, owns the four-year-old son of Friar Rock and Herodias, by The Tetrarch. Schuttinger, formerly one of the countrys kingpin jockeys and a successful trainer in recent years, having the development of Questionnaire to his credit, is sole owner of Dark Seeker, which was obtained from W. S. Kilmer. The story of Pilates rise reads like fiction, but it is another glamorous chapter added to the annals of racing. He was bred by William R. Coe, Wyoming copper king, in Kentucky and came to the races under his silks. Because of unsoundness, the son of Friar Rock did not make his first start until August 25, last year, when trainer Benny Creech risked him in a ,000 claiming affair, for maiden three-year-olds and over. He won that sprint of six furlongs after a half-mile duel with Effervesce, but he was taken to a new stable, that of John Whalen. Under Whalens management Pilate ran in eight races, five of which he won, four consecutively. In all he started ten times last season, winning seven, being second twice and unplaced once. While Whalen obtained him for ,000, he ran Pilate for as low as ,000 in claiming races, but as fall progressed in New York the colt improved steadily until in a handicap at Empire City he easily took the measure of a good band of second raters, including Sun Mission, Night Patrol, Reveille Boy, Waterway and Stormy Dawn in a dash of one mile and seventy yards. This led his owner to send him to Laurel to run in the 5,000 added Maryland Handicap, at one mile and a quarter. In the Maryland Handicap Pilate estab-Continued on twenty-second page. PATTERNED AFTER MIKE HALL Continued from first page. lished himself a colt of stake ability, running such a fine race that he was purchased for a good sum by the new racing firm of Cooney and Schuttinger, although both had long been connected with the sport. Carrying 108 pounds and ridden by A. Robertson, Pilate displayed phenomenal speed in the Maryland, quickly assuming the lead and running his opponents dizzy as he galloped the first quarter in :22, the half-mile in :46?s, the three-quarters in 1:11 same as the track record and the mile in 1:36 track record is 1:37. A furlong from the finish Pilate was several lengths in front and, although he held on doggedly, his terrific early pace took its toll and he was unable to stave off the final rush of Clock Tower, then at the peak of his form. The Morton L. Schwartz colt just got up to win, however, as the finish was so close only the judges could decide it. The ten furlongs were covered in 2:02, just four-fifths of a second slower than the track record. After passing to his new owners Pilate was raced once more and won easily over a good band at a mile and seventy yards in the mud. He had previously shown himself to be just as free with his speed in heavy going as on a fast track. Pilate has been wintering well at Belmont Park along with others in the fairly large stable Schuttinger has assembled and his Arlington engagements are among the highlights of the 1932 campaign mapped out for him. Dark Seeker is a daughter of Traumer Sun Quest, by Sun Briar, that proved herself more than once in juvenile racing last season. She is of a line that improves with age and should find the conditions of the Arlington Oaks and Arlington Matron Handicap to her liking. .
