Three-Year-Olds of 1935: Firethorn Gains Prominence as a Two-Year-Old by Winning Walden Handicap, Daily Racing Form, 1935-04-08

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THREE-YEAR OLDS OF 1935 Firethorn Gains Prominence As a Two-Year-Oid by Winning Walden Handicap Not Eligible for Kentucky Derby But Is Headed For Belmont Stakes Editors Note This is the sixth of a series of articles covering the three-year-olds of 1935, their racing credentials as juveniles and prospects during the current year. By NORRIS HOYDEN. Owner, W. M. Jeffords. Breeder, W. M. Jeffords. Trainer, P. M. Burch. h fAmphion C Speculum or Rosebery rsundridge.... J Suicide rW L Sierra Springfield c Sanda 73 "I TStFrusquin fStSimon 5 Sweet Briar II. ..J Isabel S Presentation.... Jrin 5- ,L Dubia - f Fair Play Hastings- e f Man o War ........J "Fairy Gold S S LMahubah JlSockS 3 . Merry Token E fHainault Swynford a v. I Baton J Bromus a fBatanoea oi,irode Q 1 Pink Clover Sts. 1st. 2d. 3d. Unp. Won. 1934 record.... 10 2.2 2 4 0,720 By NORRIS ROYDEN. If Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords has a first-class three-year-old prospect in Commonwealth, so has her husband in Firethorn, a colt which attained his juvenile brilliance more quickly than the Bostonian gelding. Firethorn is a strikingly made brown colt by Sun Briar and Baton Rouge, by Man o War, and combines the Sun Briar-Fair Play cross which has been successful in the instances of Sun Beau and Chance Sun. Firethorn was not a precocious two-year-old, although from the beginning he was considered a smart prospect by trainer Preston Burch. He did all his campaigning in allowance races or stakes, but was unable to gain brackets until the running of the Walderi Handicap, in which he defeated a notable band of two-year-olds. Previously he had been a fast-finishing third in the Spalding Lowe Jenkins Handicap and he concluded his juvenile campaign in similar fashion in the Endurance Handicap. The Sun Briar colt was given his first test of competition in an overnight event at Saratoga, won by Balladier. In his second outing, he was away slowly and displayed an even effort in finishing fifth "behind Box-thorn. After a months vacation, Firethorn showed up again at Havre de Grace, where he raced evenly to run fourth back of Scatter Brain. That try served to sharpen him up and in his next race he forced Nautch to step five and one-half furlongs in 1:06 to beat him a nose. Firethorn was best in the race, losing much ground on the turn. Although still a maiden, Firethorn was next called upon to start in the Richard Johnson Stakes at Laurel, in which he finished fast after a considerable loss of ground on the turn. He was fifth at the end, as victory went to Go Quick, i-.autch being second, Scatter Brain third and Dasher fourth. Firethorn showed enough in the Johnson to be installed an odds-on favorite in a maiden race at one mile, but for some unaccountable reason he could do no better than run second to Braving Danger in slow time. In the Spalding Lowe Jenkins Handicap, Firethorn trailed the field of seven well back until leaving the back stretch, then he cut loose with a fine burst of speed by moving up on the outside of all others and through the stretch he rapidly overtook the leaders until at the finish he was in third place a half length back of Billy Bee, with Morpluck winning by a neck. Behind him were Toolbox, Sailor Beware, Brown Twig and Go Quick. Firethorn crashed through to prominence in the Walden, in which he staged another of his remarkable closing rushes to defeat Morpluck by half a length, while others in the beaten field were Polar Flight, Diab-lesse, Our Reigh, Gillie, Brown Twig, Billy Bee, Sailor Beware, Black Helen and others. Even though he was fortunate in escaping the terrible jam occurring at the first turn, Firethorn displayed a very creditable effort in attaining this victory as he got to the front shortly after entering the stretch and held Morpluck safe in a sharp duel to the wire. The Jeffords colt followed this triumph with one in an overnight purse in which he again was rated off the pace until reaching the second turn, but he moved up when called upon to wear down Gillie and beat that capable colt by a length, Direct Hit proving best of the others. Closing his campaign in the Endurance, Firethorn ran third, just failing to overtake Sound Advice for second honors, as an easy victory went to his running mate Commonwealth. He was unable to hold a good position in the early part of the Endurance, but began overtaking the leaders on the second turn as he made his move on the outside. The track was slow and Firethorn was burdened with top weight of 119 pounds. In the Jenkins, Walden and Endurance, Firethorn demonstrated his fondness for distance racing, as well as giving a fair idea as to his class. He is one of the best bred candidates for three-year-old honors, in addition to combining the fashionable lines of Sun Briar and Man o War, Firethorn has in his dam Baton, a sister to the Withers winner Boatswain, while his second dam alro produced Son o Battle. She was by Roi Herode, whose blood is proving a good cross with that of Fair Play. Firethorn is not an eligible for the Kentucky Derby, leaving Commonwealth to worry about that race, but he is headed for the Belmont Stakes. rHeofea-,-


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800