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1**81 SSBl"" SPPpi " H iM Wk% / -» ■-" .-9 *siilSi OB ffl H4/i: Ww 1B1 39 Hi Hi /% fe- Wt ■ flR h SARGE SWENKE— Believes it is difficult to compare horses of different periods. ► I REFLECTIONS I By Nelson Dunstan __ Metropolitan First of Big Three Older Horses After Rich Purses crown, the Suburban promises to bring together one of the best fields of handicap performers to meet in recent years, the list including Whirlaway, Challedon,, Attention, War Relic, Mioland, Market Wise, and to that may be added Third Degree, jbit, Porters Cap, Cant Wait and Our j Boots. The Brooklyn boasts practically the ■ same list of horses and, should Whirlaway | be successful in vanquishing this group in both events, it is a foregone conclusion he will pass the Biscuit, as he is now but approximately 6,000 behind the Howard handicap star. In all probability, these two events will be the toughest that Whirlaway will experience this season, , for there is no doubt that he will be asked ! to make liberal weight concessions to many of those certain to oppose him. Events which play a major part in the Metropolitan turf scene will be staged at Belmont Park next week. Tuesdays feature will be the Charles L. Appleton Steeplechase, which may bring together Cottesmore, Redlands and Ossabaw, the one-two-three horses in last weeks International Steeplechase Handicap, and also named are such good jumpers as Bath, Castletown, Massa and Cupid, the latter being the John Hay Whitney pair who ran one -two in the Gran Nacional Steeplechase at Agua Cal-iente, in March. On Wednesday they will stage the 0,000 added Acorn Stakes, a one-mile test for three-year-old fillies, and on Thursday, the card will be headed by the Belmont Spring Maiden Steeplechase. No stake Swenke Amused at Comparisons Fine Babes to Meet in Juvenile — ■ # NEW YORK, N. Y., May 15. Tomorrows 0,000 added Metropolitan Handicap, at one mile, is the first of the "big three" of Metropolitan fixtures for older horses. The other two are the 0,000 Suburban Handicap at one and one-quarter miles, to be run on Saturday, May 30, and the 0,000 Brooklyn Handicap, also at one and one-quarter miles and to be run at Aqueduct on Saturday, June 27. Besides being the race in which Whirlaway will probably make his first New York appearance, in quest of Seabiscuits golden i j j | j i j I ! j I | I I I | ! I : , ] | « 1 1 event is carded for Friday, but on Saturday, besides the ,000 added Juvenile below, the feature will be the 67th running of the Withers, which, with 5,000 added, is at one mile. Practically every well-known three-year - old of the season is named for this and, in all probability, New Yorkers will have their first glimpse at the colorful little Alsab who, after eight defeats, won the Preakness in stake-record time. From all indications, a good-sized field will go to the post, and it will probably include such as Apache, Bless Me, Sun Again, Shut Out, Devil Diver, Amphitheatre, Bright Willie, Dogpatch, Fair Call, More Than Few and others. Alsab has been made a supplementary entry for the Belmont Stakes, three weeks from tomorrow, and it is difficult, at this time, to see how he is going to be beaten in that event, which is the third leg of the "Triple Crown." From all indications, he will be started in next Saturdays Withers, and it will be just another testimonial to his courage if the little colt goes in this, and also in the longer race just two weeks later. We read where Sarge Swenke is "amused" at some of the comparisons being made with his horse and some of the champions of former years. He is not alone in that, for quite a few other people have been amused with those who claim that his charge is "another Man o War." Sarge is credited with saying: "I am not saying some of these horses who only ran a dozen or two dozen times and won nearly all of their starts were not good, mind you, but if they had been running when Alsab ran all the time, maybe they wouldnt look so good." That statement appears a bit vague, but while Sarge is right when he says you cannot compare horses of different periods, it still remains that turf historians still think Colin, Man o War and Sysonby were not only good horses, but were entitled to be called "great," and every one of them raced less than two dozen times. Alsab has given racing fans more than one thrill, but there is one point we have never been able to square in our own mind, and that is why the horse has been raced so consistently, forgetting for the moment that Sarge Swenke takes a poke at those who were not. Further down in the column of his interviewer, we read: "Had Alsab been stopped and turned out, as many advocated, he would almost never have returned to form." Does this mean, by chance, or does this verify, by chance, that the horse has some sort of a leg ailment, and that it is necessary for Swenke to rub him down constantly? If so, in fairness to himself, he should say so, for Equipoise had to be put on the shelf — so did Seabiscuit, and ever so many other horses. Yet, they came back to become great handicap performers. Alsabs performance in the Preakness was well-nigh perfect, and he may go on in future starts to live up to all that he promised in his late juvenile career. Swenke can laugh, be amused and quietly snicker at great horses of the past, but he cannot laugh off those eight straight defeats. With only five starters, The Jockey Club Plate was mainly featured by the hollow victory of Jack S. L., who carried the historic "all scarlet" silks of Alfred Hennin Morris. Jack S. L., a ,000 yearling, is named after the late Jack Letellier and is owned by the widow of that popular New Orleans sportsman. She is the mother of Mrs. Anthony Pelleteri. Some two weeks ago we stated in this column that Red Sonnet, Four Freedoms and Jack S. L. shaped up as three of the best juveniles of the season to date. Add Hickory Head to that trio and make it four. The victory of Jack S. L. in The Jockey Club Plate was the easiest and most pronounced of the meeting. Unfortunately, Red Sonnet is not eligible for the ,000 added Juvenile, co-feature of the Withers at Belmont Park a week from tomorrow. Hickory Head! Jack S. L. and Four Freedoms are but three of the many royally-bred juveniles who will go postward in this race that should give us a good line on many in the baby division. It is whispered that Calumet Farms Ocean Wave, chestnut colt by Blenheim II.— Columbiana, is one of the fastest ever raised under the experienced eye of Ben Jones. All in all, it shapes up as a mighty interesting division. I
