view raw text
» -t Here and There on the Turf Two Draw Penalties in Metropolitan. Thanksgiving Likely Top Weight Sir Damions Impost Jumped Fighting Fox May Be Favorite 1. ■ ■ ,.- ■ . . . ■ _*_ * In their present form, Sir Damion and Thanksgiving would appear to have Saturdays running of the Metropolitan Handicap between them at the weights assigned April 1 by John B. Campbell, but under the conditions of Belmont Parks traditional mile test for older horses winners are liable to certain penalties. In this respect Sir Damion and Thanksgiving must take up higher imposts than was originally allotted them and so their chances of victory do not appear so promising, although they may be expected to start and enjoy wide following. Thanksgiving likely will be the starting top weight with a burden of 126 pounds, although Campr bell thought him a month and a half ago to be good enough to shoulder only 114 pounds. At the higher weight he will be handicapped at one pound under scale. War Admiral leads the Metropolitan weights at the five-year-old scale of 128 pounds, but the Samuel D. Riddle star doesnt appear to have done sufficient training of late to be ready for such a test and so his absence is expected. Thanksgiving therefore will be the top weight if trainer Max Hirsch believes Mrs. Parker Comings son of Bud Lerner and Inchcape Belle ought to try for the Metropolitan. A provision in the Metropolitan conditions provides that • a winner of two races of ,000 after announcement of weights must be penalized twelve pounds if his handicap was less than 115 pounds. Because of his victories in the Philadelphia and Excelsior Handicaps, Thanksgiving must take up the full penalty, but this would be only six pounds more than he carried in the Dixie, at a mile and three-sixteenths. But for originally being assigned 118 pounds in the Metropolitan, Sir Damion also would be liable for the full twelve-pound penalty for winning the Dixie Handicap, but only one-half applies and so his burden Saturday will be 124 pounds. However, this represents an increase of eleven pounds over the impost he so easily handled at Pimlico, and the switch is in favor of Thanksgiving. The latter needs it according to his performance in the Dixie, although in that event he went very creditably until weakening in the stretch. Both Sir Damion and Thanksgiving are in the category of free running horses, but they may not be quite as sharp for the Metropolitan as might be the case if they hadnt gone over the longer route of the Dixie so recently as just a week ago. Hence they may be in for trouble Saturday. One of the Metropolitan favorites, perhaps . the post time choice, is Fighting Fox, whose j assignment was 118 pounds and will be that Saturday. The speedy but non-staying brother to Gallant Fox dropped a very close decision to Thanksgiving in the Excelsior at level weights and he gave Entracte aj Continued on twenty-third page. HERE AND THERE ON THE TURF Continued from second page. warm argument in the Toboggan last week with 126 pounds on his back. Fighting Fox side-stepped the Dixie for the Toboggan and thereby being saved for speed work such as may be expected in a race like the Metropolitan, and many observers will be reaching the conclusion that Thanksgiving and Sir Damion arent good enough to grant him concessions of eight and six pounds, respectively, particularly after they have been called upon for i-oute running. Johnstown likewise is liable to a penalty in the Metropolitan, but he hardly will be a starter. He has been allotted 108 pounds, but under stipulations he would have to shoulder the three-year-old maximum of 115 pounds, one over scale. Plenty of other potential competition may be found among the other eligibles and the field further may include Brown King at 118, The Chief at 117, He Did and Jacola at 115 each, Heelfly and Sceneshifter at 112 pounds, and the light weights such as Great Union, Masked General, Danger Point and Lady Maryland. Danger Point was the surprise winner of the Metropolitan a year ago under 112 pounds. The James D. Norris veteran has slipped sufficiently in Campbells estimate to have drawn an allotment of only 105 pounds for this years renewal of the ,500 feature.
