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REFLECTIONS By CHALLENGER Card Many Stakes Friday Saturday Suburban Looms Best Race of Week Peabody Memorial at Lincoln Fields Speculation on Seasons Champion Since the winter closings this is the first week in which major tracks from coast to coast will stage important stake events on both Friday and Saturday New attendance and mutuel records will undoubtedly result for not only has racing hit its stride but on the lists of the races to be contested are some events which are nationally famous and others which have a certain importance in their own locality On Friday Belmont Park will stage the 30000 added Suburban Handicap which since 1884 has been one of the most important contested on the New York circuit That it will be the meeting ground for Eight Thirty and Mioland is alone sufficient to pack the beautiful Elmont course to the rafters On the same day Delaware Park near Wilming ¬ ton will throw open its gates with the running of the 4000 added Dover Stakes At Suffolk Downs they will stage the 5000 added Tomasello Handicap and in California at Hollywood Park the 10000 added Argonaut Handicap at one and onesixteenth miles for fouryearolds and older horses and at Lincoln Fields the 5000 added Francis S Peabody Memorial Handicap for threeyearolds at one mile and one sixteenth The 1940 mutuel record was created on Decoration Day and although the figures have been topped this year in all probability ji new mark will be set next Friday FridayInaugurated Inaugurated in 1884 the Suburban now has one of the mightiest rosters in American turf annals Prior to the turn of the century it was won by General Monroe Troubadour Raceland Salvator Montana Henry of Navarre Ben Brush and the great race mare Imp winner in 1899 In 1902 Diamond Jim Bradys Gold Heel was first over the line and in later years was followed by Hermis Beldame Ballot Fitz Herbert Whisk Broom II Friar Rock Grey Lag Crusader and in more recent years Equipoise Ladysman Head Play Firethorn and just last year Eight Thirty which scored over Cant Wait and Third Degree in the sensational time of 201 andto earn 19850 For weeks fans have been contemplating the outcome of a meeting between Eight Thirty and Mioland It was first thought this outstanding pair would meet in Saturdays Metropolitan It now seems a certainty they will meet in next Fridays Suburban renewal and should Eight Thirty be returned the winner he will be the second horse in the history of the race to score a consecutive double The only horse to accomplish that feat to date was Crusader which won from American Flag in 1926 and defeated Black Maria in the following year Though none of the other tracks are offering a race with either the tradition or value of the Suburban splendid events are being staged throughout the country next Saturday At beautiful Lincoln Fields at Chicago the Francis S Peabody Memorial Handicap on Friday will be followed on Saturday by the Joliet Stakes for twoyear olds at five furlongs At Hollywood Park on the weekend they will contest the 10000 Will Rogers Handicap at seven furlongs for threeyearolds At Delaware the 4000 added Wilmington Handicap for threeyearolds and older horses at six furlongs will be the feature of the day and Belmont will renew the Coaching Club American Oaks next weekend All racing points have shown a vast increase in both popularity and mutuel handle and as this week brings the month of May to a close and we go into June it is likely new attendance and mutuel handles will set new records throughout the country In California the interest is apparently just as keen as it was at the recent Santa Anita meeting Few tracks offer a more splendid program from start to finish as that mapped out by Jack Mackenzie for coast fans yet this meeting will not reach its peak until the middle of July when the 75000 Hollywood Gold Cup is slated for decision The second running of the Peter Tan on Friday once again confused the threeyearold division After his victories in the Derby PreaknesS and Henry of Navarre Whirlaway stood out as the undisputed champion and one New York scribe was for naming him the horse of the year right here and now The manner in which King Cole won the Withers after running second in the 1reakness seemed to cinch the second honors for him but in the Peter Pan the best he could do was third to Robert Morris and Bright Gallant At first it was said King Cole was the fastest miler in his division When he held his own to finish second in the Preakness some experts contended he could hold his speed up to one and oneeighth miles But in the Peter Pan he had all of his early speed to the head of the stretch only to finish third after an early duel with Grevillo from the Belair Stud At the moment Whirlaway stands out in the light but beyond him the division honors are a tossup Mioland faces a tough campaign After next Saturdays Suburban he will entrain for the Coast and in the Gold Cup meets Challedon Bay View and possibly Whirl away though that does not seem likely according to the plans announced by Ben Jones Challedon Eight Thirty and Mioland are now considered the top trio of the handicap division In the early months of this year Mioland was regarded as the champion this partly being due to Challedons poor showing in California Now the Howard horse must meet one and then the other of his foremost rivals Should he defeat both by chance he will be the acknowledged champion Then a meeting between Mioland and Whirlaway at weightforage would become the natural of the year Should he lose to Eight Thirty in the Suburban and to Challedon in the Gold Cup then a meeting between Eight Thirty and Challedon would become a drawing card suffi ¬ cient to warm the cockles of the hearts of any set of officials East or West
