Here and There on the Turf: Head Play Briliant in Victory N. Y. Must Await Again for Cavalcade, Daily Racing Form, 1935-06-01

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Here and There on the Turf Head" Play Brilliant in Victory N. Y. Must Await Again for Cavalcade Juvenile Stars Have Bad Luck ! All Tracks Have Big Crowds ... . ..... -.-4 Fate has decreed that Cavalcade once more must wait his chance to prove to his multitude of followers that he is as good this season as he was last when he swept to the three-year-old championship. Similarly, New Yorks racing enthusiasts must also look ahead for their first opportunity of seeing Cavalcade at his best. Mrs. Isabel Dodge Sioaries colt ran only once on a metropolitan track as a juvenile and that was his first appearance under silks. He did not perform in New York as a three-year-old and in his two starts at Belmont Park this spring he was beaten at one mile by Head Play and then in the Suburban Handicap unseated Johnny Gilbert at the start. But for his mishap, Cavalcade might have prevented Head Play from winning the Suburban or even to have kept him from scoring so decisively. Without considering Cavalcade, Head Plays performance was just about the most brilliant in his career. Mrs. Silas Masons five-year-old ran one of the fastest races at a mile and one-quarter in American history as he covered the Suburban distance in 2:02. Belmont Park has an official record of two minutes flat for. the route, but no one pays any attention to it because the timer stopped his watch at the wrong pole. Actually the fastest effort at the distance was turned in by Sarazen at Latonia, the time being 2:00. Head Play carried 114 pounds-and he came from behind a terrific pace set by King Saxon for one mile. The latter was tabbed the quarter in :23, half in :46, three-quarters in 1:10 and mile in 1:36. The son of My Play and Red Head, by King Gorin, then went to the front to reach the mile and an eighth in 1:48 and finish out in 2:02, a length and a half ahead of the steadily closing Discovery. Head Plays Suburban triumph proved that his earlier victory over Cavalcade at one mile was far from being a fluke. It also demonstrated that J. Thomas Taylor has him in wonderful condition and that the Belmont Park course is cushioned to suit him. He can not be expected to do so well over pasteboard tracks, although muddy going does not find him at a disadvantage. The next time he meets the horses he defeated in the Suburban, Head Play will be compelled to carry a higher impost because the handicappers are sure to take cognizance of his sterling performance. He received nine pounds from Discovery and gave Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilts steady-going colt about a five-pound beating. Head Play acted as though he could give his other opponents greater concessions of weight at a mile and one-quarter. King Saxon carried 119 pounds, but very likely he is not a natural stayer. There are not sufficient words to describe the disappointment suffered by the thousands of persons who assembled at Belmont Park for the Suburban, when Cavalcade was shunted right out of the race when he unseated Gilbert at the start. Even wHhout Cavalcade, the Suburban was contested by a smart lot of thoroughbreds but the public was anxious to see the four-year-old son of Lancegaye and Hastily, by Hurry On, at his best, for which there had been every indication. Now the metropolitan racing fans will be compelled to wait until June 22 when the 0,000 added Brooklyn Handicap will be staged at Aqueduct before seeing the Brookmeade star in action again. Head Play and Discovery may be counted upon for this race also, so the Aqueduct management may as well begin planning now for a tremendous crowd on that day. The outcome of the Suburban wasnt the only surprise at Belmont Thursday,, another taking place in the Juvenile Stakes, which saw the two favorites, White Cockade and Coldstream, being led to the finish of the five furlongs straightaway by Maeriel and Postage Due. The quartet passed the judges so close together that a blanket would have covered them and the defeat of the favorites was no disgrace to them as both colts met with bad luck. White Cockade was in close Quarters through the final quarter and could not break through for his best finishing effort, while Coldstream was knocked back soon after the start and was taken to the outside for his run. Holding on well, he was defeated two necks and a head for first honors, both Maeriel and Postage Due having clear room all the way. The tremendous crowd at Belmont Park was only one of several which enjoyed racing in various parts of the country on Memorial Day. Perhaps the second largest to the 35,000 which gathered at Belmont was the gathering of more than 25,000 at Washington Park, where the conditions were anything but agreeable for a fine afternoon of sport. Rain threatened all day, a cold wind blew from the North, the track was heavy and the program wasnt as good as it might have been, yet the attendance was far beyond expectations and even more surprising was the great extent of the enthusiasm displayed. Rockingham Park hardly could have accommodated another person as Pompeys Pillar gained an upset triumph in the 0,000 feature. Detroit turned out in very large numbers to see its favorite, Azucar, defeated by the capable Canadian-owned Stand Pat. Latonia and Bainbridge Park were other tracks that accommodated wonderful crowds for the holiday. American racing surely is enjoying a healthy condition this yeart


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1930s/drf1935060101/drf1935060101_35_1
Local Identifier: drf1935060101_35_1
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800