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REFLECTIONS By CHALLENGER Suburban Renewed at Belmont Pk New Mutuel Record Possible Result Lincoln Fields Peabody Memorial Hollywood Stages Will Rogers Cap Here finally is that day on which we have been predicting new mutuel records were in order at Belmont Park First and foremost it is good horse racing that counts arid it necessarily follows it is good horse racing that acts as the magnet for recordbreaking throngs Since the advent of mutuels however it has become some ¬ thing of a game to compare and to look for new high figures as registered on the totalisator Last years record made on Decoration Day was smashed this season when on the day of the Withers the throng sent 1588009 through the machines That is not a record however nor is the 1707200 which was wagered at Santa Anita on the day Seabiscuit won the Santa Anita Handicap and in the doing became the worlds moneywinning champion Providing the weather is inviting we look for new records in the Empire State and even though Eight Thirty is not a starter we would not be surprised if a new attendance figure was hung up for the past two seasons Saturday might even see a bigger throng than will attend today but it is safe to predict that the total of the two days will be bigger than any previous FridaySaturday since mutuels came to the Metropolitan area areaThe The history of the Suburban is a most interesting one and few rosters down through the years boast a greater assortment of champions Comparatively few threeyearolds are listed as winners the last being Crusader which in 1926 defeated American Flag and King Solomons Seal in 203 In the following year Crusader won as a fouryearold and no horse before or since is credited with that feat With one exception the Suburban time has been surprisingly fast for the past nine years When Eight Thirty won last year he scored in 201 tying the time made by Aneroid in 1937 In 1938 Snark registered in 201 and in 1939 Cravat was timed in 202J The fastest Suburban ever run of course was that of Whisk Broom II back in 1913 This son of Broomstick incidentally being the only horse on record which won the difficult frio of the Metropolitan Suburban and Brooklyn Whisk Broom II was timed in 200 flat and for the past quarter century it has been argued whether he actually ran it in that time or whether the dockers erred Avith their stopwatches It remains however that it is on the record books and that only a super horse will ever beat it on an American race track Chicago fans should enjoy a fine day with Lincoln Fields staging the 5000 added Francis S Peabody Memorial Handicap Though this is written before the entries came over the wires the most interesting trio eligible for the event are the Woolford Farms Joe Schenck Miles and Ramsays Mucho Gusto and the Valdina Farms Viscounty Interest will mainly center on the old warrior the nineyearold Mucho Gusto which won the event in 1936 and again in 1940 when he defeated the good marathpner Shot Put Mucho Gusto has been to the post eleven times this year and is credited with five consecutive victories He is by Marvin May Sweetheart Time and there we have one of those confounding items of breeding for though we often hear of like begets like few have ever heard of Marvin May a stallion whose where ¬ abouts have been unknown for quite some time Rare indeed are racers which scored a consecutive double as an eight and nineyearold Exterminator was a sevenyear old when he won the Saratoga Cup for the third consecutive time in 1932 and Discovery a fiveyearold when he won the Brooklyn Handicap for the third consecutive time in 1936 Should Mucho Gusto win today his feat of taking a consecutive double at his years will go down as one of the unique feats in turf annals Though todays Argonaut Handicap should draw a large throng to Hollywood Park in California tomorrows 10000 added Will Rogers Handicap will be of more significance in that it is to be contested by threeyearolds which are pointed for the 25000 Hollywood Derby to be run on July 19 The top weight of the field in the Will Rogers is Staretor which has been assigned 126 pounds This son of Messenger Fair Star gave a splendid account of himself when he ran second to Whirlaway in the Kentucky Derby and many horsemen are of the opinion he is one of the most improving threeyearolds now in training Rated just two pounds below him is the Circle M Ranchs Battle Colors by Man o War out of Beaugingham The Will Rogers is at seven furlongs and is the only race for exclusively threeyearolds between now and the running of the Derby There will be many overnight events however for those prepping for the mile and a quarter event to be rim on July 12 Porters Cap is a certainty to point for the Derby but though Whirlaway Our Boots Curious Coin Dispose and other highclass threeyearolds are eligible it is a question which of them will go West for the event eventMemorial Memorial Day has always witnessed large throngs at Suffolk Downs and it is expected the 41107 attendance last year will be equalled if not exceeded when the field goes to the post for the 5000 Tomasello Memorial Handicap The fact that large throng is expected is reflected in the addition or 129000 feet of freshly leveled a parking space capable of caring for 2000 additional cars The Saturday feature is the 5000 Paul Revere Handicap at one and onesixteenth miles and for which thirty three were nominated Ringie has been assigned the top weight of 116 pounds on the form which he displayed in the Philadelphia and Handicap and the Southern Marv land should rule the favorite New England rounds out racing in five and in all probability the total Friday and Saturday attendance major cities will exceed the same two days in any previous season throughout the countrv
