view raw text
TOP WEIGHT HORSES MISSING War Admiral, Sir Damion, Stagehand and Thanksgiving Will Not Start in Metropolitan on Saturday. 1 NEW YORK, N. Y., May 18— The four top weights in the Metropolitan Handicap, which will have its forty-sixth running Saturday, as the feature of Belmont Parks program, will be absentees from the starting field, a survey of the eligibles revealed today. Fighting Fox, which had been assigned 122 pounds by John B. Campbell, The Jockey Club handicapper, therefore will be the starting top weight. War Admiral, Thanksgiving, Sir Damion and Stagehand are the quartet of high weights not going postward. War Admiral has not been training steadily and Stagehand is on the retired list until this fall or next winter, while Thanksgiving and Sir Damion are passing up the ,500 added test of a mile because their imposts are deemed excessive. Thanksgiving incurred a twelve-pound penalty for his victories in the Excelsior and Philadelphia Handicaps, and Sir Damion, one of six pounds for his triumph in the Dixie Handicap. Fighting Fox, a good second in the Excelsior, probably will be the favorite, as well as the starting high weight, as the opposition to William Woodwards candidate will not be as determined as otherwise could be mustered. Joe W. Browns Brown King, which has been improving steadily, as he became acclimatized and familiar with racing conditions in this country, is expected to be the second top weight, under 118 pounds, unless Edward Friendlys Jacola is a starter, i She was assigned 115 pounds, but considering her sex allowance, is rated above the South American importation. Possible starters are: Maxwell Howards The Chief and Arnold Hangers He Did, at 117 and 115 pounds, respectively. Alfred Van-derbilts Heelfly, at 112 pounds, is regarded as a certain acceptance, while the probabilities among the lightly weighted eligibles are Great Union, Sun Alexandria and Lady Maryland.
