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""" " " : THREE-YEAR-OLD PROSPECTS OF 1939 XALAPA CLOWN By NORRIS ROYDEN i. - Xalapa Clown won all three of his starts as a two-year-old, including the Ardsley Handicap, and thereby became an outstanding three-year-old prospect. But the son of Eternal and Loma Linda, by My Play, went to the winter races and his reputation alternately was dimmed and illuminated so that now he is very much of a question mark among the candidates for three-year-old honors. Mrs. Bessie Franzheims colt is now in preparation for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and, although his chances in the classic do not appear very bright, he has the speed to be troublesome as far as he can carry it. Off of training that consisted mostly of speed work, Xalapa Clown all but stole the Santa Anita Derby, only Ciencia being good enough to come up from behind and run him down. In. the Derby and similar races, Xalapa Clown not only will be going a greater distance than the mile and one furlong of the Santa Anita Derby, but he probably will encounter stronger opposition and he will have to show an improvement. The ability to do better probably is within him, and it may be best brought out bya change in training tactics, whereby the Eternal colt is held to a slower pace in his workouts and permitted to uncover his speed only in the late stages. A rangy colt with natural speed, he is bred well enough to go any distance, although his sire, Eternal, is better known for begetting fast horses. Xalapa Clown is from Loma Linda, by Man o Wars brother, My Play, and from Mollie King, by Trevisco. The next dam, Christmas Star, produced Mars and Escoba, both capable routers. In fact, Loma Linda is bred much like Mars. Through Eternal, Xalapa Clown gets his trimness, but this is also the Ben Brush line through Sweep, and stamina is imparted, too. Xalapa Clowns first victory was achieved when he was held at odds of 40 to 1. He made his debut in mid-September at Aqueduct, where he ran five furlongs in :58 to score by half a length over Skyflier, coming from behind. Several weeks later, in a six-furlong dash at Jamaica, he defeated Sea Captain by a nose, but his margin of victory would have been much better had he not met with repeated interference during the opening three furlongs. His chance to display quality came in the Ardsley, a test of a mile and seventy yards at Empire City, in which he was assigned scale weight of 122 pounds. He won by a length and one-half over Ciencia, having something left at the finish Lovely Night was third. His time was not exceptional, but he did all that was necessary. At Santa Anita his first start was in a six-furlong dash, and he failed to get off in his stride, yet he was rushed up to the leaders only to weaken in the stretch and finish fourth, back of Black Bun, Sabriel and Roman Hero, the first-named being his stable-mate. Xalapa Clown made amends for that defeat by running six furlongs of sloppv going m 1:11 to account for his next outing by six lengths over Black Bun, as Smart Crack was third and Roman Hero fourth. . In the San Vicente Handicap, in which he was called upon to shoulder 120 pounds he went smartly for five of the seven furlongs and then shortened stride to land in sixth position, as Impound nosed out Our Mat, Porters Mite placing third That defeat caused him to be an outsider in the Santa Anita Derby field Although compelled to break from an outsite post position in the Derby, Xalapa Clown sprinted to the front and enjoyed a good lead until inside the final furlong, where SkevmZhf b1?.h? hG-ld ?? V6 Ut ImPnd, Sorters Mite and thether likely members of the division in the starting field. Bramble Bonnie Scotland i! Ivy Leaf Roseville Reform g. Albia f f Domino I Himyar ui L Pink Domino... -j ? Mannie Gray .- iBelfeRose ; ! Beaudesert g Monte Rosa r -j J Wisdom Blinkhoolie Jt f Sempronius.... "S Aline 3 . LHamptonia Hampton Jjq 2 "S Feronia j n f Hanover . . I Hindoo 0 X L Retained II... ... Bourbon Belle g v iReclare .V Reform S - I Clara q2 . T Hastings I Spendthrift 1 x f Fair Play ..". , , J Cinderella ,4 .2 LFairy Gold S Bend Or Dame Masham a r -s 5 . S j f Rock Sand........ Sainfoin L Mahubah "S Roquebrune 3. I Merry Token Merry Hampton g- Mizpah J fTredennis Kendal S f Trevisco. ..-.......;.. , St. Marquerite 5 . .. I The Test j John o Gaunt .2 J Cup of Assay o J Star Shoot I Isinglass I Christmas Star "S ., Astrology L Breakwater , Hindoo i Ricochet
