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VALUABLE WEAKNESS STAKES TODAY 1 . Johnstown Against the Field in the Forty-Ninth Running of Fixture — — » Gilded Knight Considered Only Real Threat, Though Santa Anita Derby Winner, Ciencia, May Prove a Surprise — Expect Crowd of 40,000 ♦ BALTIMORE, Md., May 12.— Its Johnstown against the field in the forty-ninth running of the Preakness Stakes at old Pimlico tomorrow just as it was a week ago in the Kentucky Derby. Only six opponents are mus ered against William Woodwards high-speed arttot, and of them his stablemate Challenge, may be counted out, because a fast track is predicted as clear weather prevailed here today. Daring to oppose the phenomenal son of Jamestown and La France are three colts which aLady this season have viewed him only from the rear, and a colt and a f my hoping against hope to be the first to look him in the eye. Between them they will comprise the smallest field to go postward in Jockey Clubs great spring test for , • three-year-olds since 1918. Despite its lack of size, tomorrows Preak-. ness will be third richest in its history, with a gross value, with six starters, of 1,370. The winner, should it be any but Impound or Ciencia, will earn 3,735 The latter two were among the half-dozen supplementary nominees at ,500 each, and the £ard for victorv in their case would be 2,370. OVERWHELMING FAVORITE. Johnstown is so much an overwhelming favorite to complete the second of three steps necessary to become the third of the New York sportsmans horses to capture Americas triple crown that his odds will be the shortest in Preakness history. He would be a tremendous favorite even without being coupled with Gilded Knight, likewise trained by the veteran James Fitzsimmons, but for the Wheatley Stable maintained by Mrs Henry Carnegie Phipps. Gilded Knight, like Johnstown, also is undefeated this season but he hasnt begun to compile the brilliant record of the Belair colorbearer, although showing enough to give the impression to the 40,000 persons expected here tomorrow that he will prove the most determined of the Derby winners opponents. The son of Sir Gallahad III. and Gold Brick handed El Chico his first defeat in making his three-year-old debut in a six-furlongs dash, following up that effort with a clean-cut victory in the Chesapeake Stakes. Earlier this week here Gilded Knight cleverly accounted for the Survivor Stakes in sloppy going. Ciencia, only filly in the field, is the other candidate with no personal knowledge of Johnstowns manner of running this season Representing the King Ranch of Robert J. Continued on twenty-ninth page. VALUABLE PREAKNESS STAKES DECIDED TODAY Continued from first page. Kleberg, the daughter of Cohort and Science has done all her racing as a three-year-old at Santa Anita, where she easily won that Derby at a mile and one furlong. She was to have competed in the Pimlico Oaks last Saturday, but suffered an ankle injury while being unloaded from a van and not only missed that engagement but had to be hurried in her final preparation for the Preakness. TWO FILLIES HAVE WON. If the King Ranch miss is fortunate enough to win the Preakness, she will be the third of her sex to do so, Nellie Morse having been successful in 1924 and Rhine Maiden in 1915. Her chances appear remote, however, and in this her connections concur as they do not believe she is quite as good just now as when she achieved her California triumph. Challedon, only Maryland-bred colt in the field, will be striving to do better against Johnstown than he did at Churchill Downs last Saturday when he finished eight lengths back, although in second place. William L. Branns colt is the only other member of the Kentucky Derby field in the Preakness line-up. The son of Challenger II. and Laura Gal will be making his third start of the year, the first having been in the Chesapeake Stakes in which he finished at the heels of Impound as the Alfred G. Vanderbilt colt likewise was just behind Gilded Knight. Although his Derby effort marked an improvement, trainer Louis Schaffer doesnt believe his protege can do much better than he did in the Derby. VANDERBILTS MAINSTAY. Impound, third to Ciencia and Xalapa Clown in the Santa Anita Derby, landed similar honors to Johnstown and Volitant in" the Wood Memorial after his Chesapeake engagement. Vanderbilt believes the son of Sun Beau and Embargo Ai-ts will run his best race so far tomorrow but he hasnt any idea it will be good enough to bring about the undoing of Johnstown. Much in the same category as Challedon and Impound is Volitant, which will be bearing the Saratoga Stable silks of George Bull and John A. Morris. After being the runner-up to Technician in the Flamingo Stakes, the son of Display and Flighty Anna displayed a disappointing effort in the Chesapeake, but he came back with a vastly improved performance in the Wood Memorial to finish second, although well beaten by Johnstown. Challenge, the only other overnight entry, is given no consideration and he will be started only if the track is muddy or unless something unexpected happens to his more illustrious stablemate overnight. Only three of the candidates were asked for speed this morning, with Volitant, which had shown the best long trial earlier in the week, taking the honors. He went a half-mile in :47% handily after stepping the quarter in :23% and three-eighths in :35. Johnstown breezed three furlongs in :36, the quarter in :23%, and Impound had no trouble negotiating four furlongs in :52%, the quarter in 26 seconds. Trainer Fitzsimmons had both Johnstown and Gilded Knight stand in the starting gate for a few moments. I Preparations have been made to accommodate as many persons as Pimlico can hold and the crowd generally is expected to be in the neighborhood of 40,000. A gathering of this size will fill the long, rambling grand stand, the comparatively small club house and the terrace, as well as overflow to the extent of several thousand persons into the infield, where wagering and catering facilities have been provided. In the throng will be many distinguished persons, particularly in national affairs in ; Washington, but many visitors from distant I points up and down the Atlantic coast and from inland points are expected.
