view raw text
Nelson Dunstan REFLECTIONS By Nelson Dunstan Racings Map Expands This Week Skip OddsOn Choices at Belmont Count Fleet Due to Write History Jockeys Must Toe Mark or Else NEW YORK N Y May 15 15Racings Racings map expands next week with Lincoln Fields opening a 30day meeting Monday and the long Detroit meeting opening on Saturday the card featuring the 5000 Boots and Saddle Handicap a sixfurlong dash for threeyearolds and older horses Detroit like Suffolk Downs will be a trolleycar meeting But while Belmont has no trolleys ifc does have a stakes program that will have fans hiking the familiar route from Queens Village to the beautiful Elmont course On Tuesday the feature lechase followed on Wednesday by the 10000 added Acorn a onemile test for threeyearold fillies Thursdays card will be topped by the 2000 added Spring Maiden Steeplechase while on the weekend the time honored Juvenile with 5000 added will be featured with the 15000 added Withers historic onemile test for threeyearolds The Juvenile is at five furlongs for two yearolds and has a roster including many who went on to lasting fame This years renewal closed with 152 nominations including many of the royalty of thorough ¬ bred production Calumet Farm Kas named Pensive said to be a most promising colt but so many are named who are yet to make their first start comment is diffi ¬ cult Galactic winner of the Pimlico Nursery is but one of those certain of support Count Fleet will start in next Saturdays Withers they tell us If he does and then goes on to win the Belmont Stakes he will be the first to accomplish the winning of the Triple Crown and Withers since Sir Barton took all four in 1919 Sir Barton was a better horse than generally credited He was badly beaten by Man o War in his last start and he did not live up to his promise in stud and it was this combination of setbacks that dimmed his career Don Cameron is more intent on The Counts winning of races than breaking of records But even so do not be surprised to see a new Withers mark now 135 for it was over the Belmont track that Count Fleet ran the mile in I34f5a new track record and also the fastest mile run by a juvenile anywhere ill the world That old horses for courses fits in here if it ever did anywhere Blue Swords will also be a starter and we note Walter Kelley says The Count will not break his heart We dont think so either but we do think The Count has a fine chance to hang up a new Withers mark TheWithers closed with 52 nominations and the list also includes Vincentive Slide Rule and Strategic but it is a question which of them will oppose the top pair Oddson choices at Belmont spell poison On Friday three in a row fell by the wayside Our Page winner of her two starts last year was the first of the trio but was bleeding so badly from the nose at the finish it is doubtful if she will be seen for some time to come Then Vagrancy voted the outstanding filly of the land last season But she was anything but a champion as Calumet Farms MarKell gave her a running lesson and took The Ruthless by eight lengths The third to fall by the wayside wasMrs E D Jacobs Haile who was beaten three and a half lengths by Targe a Swashbuckler colt trained by George Washington Carroll of Market Wise fame That was Targes fifth straight victory and it could develop that the diminutive Tuf ano trainer has another good colt in his barn The form reversals have caused no end of comment and that was especially the case after Vagrancy was beaten so badly in the Rifthless The Belair filly was anything but the hardhitting miss of 1942 Yet form reversals are like the weather for you can do little or nothing about it beyond avoiding the oddson favorites that are so made on reputation of the year before Our Page and Vagrancy are two examples and we can only hope the streak ends soon If not the walk to Queens Village will be mild to the longer walk home They threw the book at Don Meade on Friday and it was a foregone conclusion they would In New Orleans this past winter the state commis ¬ sioners reversed a decision of the stewards at the Fair Grounds but we cannot recall an instance where the New York racing commissioners failed to uphold a decision rendered by The Jockey Club stewards After the meeting Herbert Bayard Swope said Our decision was without prejudice We did not want to deprive Meade of the opportunity of earning his living so he is at liberty to exercise horses in the morning He can apply again for a license to ride The issue is now squarely up to Meade This department has no intention of saying anything beyond that we hope he has it in him to take the setback and justify another asking to ply the trade he knows so well He has been his own worst enemy and no one knows it better today than Don Meade Arcaros case was not discussed at Fridays session We have been told the Greentree rider is a changed boy Lets hope so for racing has no place for lads who try to bounce others over the fence If one or both get back they had better depend on their skill they both have plenty than on rough riding For if there is a next time it will be the last time Some of the boys are so intent on knocking Man o War off his lofty pedestal they are now inferring he would probably be considered a glass case champion today That is indeed strange when you consider Man o War raced 21 times while Colin and Sysonby raced but 15 times each Artful 8 Salvator 19 and in more recent years Gallant Fox 17 Twenty Grand 25 and Challedon 44 Every one was a champion of his or her era and so acknowledged on any list of the great horses of this country Among the 10 greatest horses on any English list were St Simon who raced 9 times and Ormonde who raced 16 times Mahmoud raced 11 tunes Blenheim n 10 and Bahram 9 But our breeders paid fancy prices for them just as an American going into the breeding business once offered one million honesttoheaven American dollars for Man o War We have seen many a fine horse since Man o War and in Count Fleet we may have the finest of them all Time will tell It has become downright amusing but regarding Man o War we hope some day they will dig up one that is different to the old barber shop quartet a he ran only 21 times b he did not race as a fouryearold c who did he ever lick d with a wink they did not take saliva tests in those days
