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Charles Hatton THE JUDGES STAND Need for Futurities Removed Suffolk Figures Enlightening NEW YORK N Y June 11 11Now Now Cocopet has become a supplementary nominee for the purseproud Lassie Stakes at Washington Park and we have no doubt those racing men who regard these supplementary closings with a jaundiced eye will have some pithy things to say about this policy The RaggedyAnn little filly from the Lazy F Ranch has been successful in each of three sallies postward She does not stand out in basrelief among the twoyearold filly starlets quite but there is scarcely any doubt she is one of the best Next Wednesdays Astoria at Aqueduct may be revealing on this Spa Directors Confer Soon Blue Swords Dwyer Probable point We should think the Long island staice win tnere fore be of especial interest to midwestern horsemen with Lassie eligibles All of which is aside from our main theme however What this entry of Cocopet does is to renew the springs discussions of the supplementary closing clauses attached to many of those fixtures which may be categorized loosely as futurities in the sense that nominations close a year or so in advance of the running runningThose Those horsemen who nominate a foal or yearling to one of these affairs troubling to help fatten the kitty by meeting each payment are naturally prone to resent this supplementary closing clause On the other hand many a Futurity would lack attractive ¬ ness at the gate as a contest of any real significance excepting for this clause clauseIn In the pioneer days of the turf in America when i to aqa any appreciable sums to staKe events owners ownersand and breeders contributed towards attractive purses through nominating early and often to the same prizes the cumulative funds representing a kind of jackpot The whole thing savored of a sporty proposition iHowever this particular reason for Futurities no longer exists at major tracks in the United States StatesThis This observer is neither quarreling nor crusading on the subject This is not where the grapes of wrath are stored It is just our entirely unsolicited suggestion that better races would result if both the futurity and supplementaryclosing conditions were dropped altogether Three months would appear an ample maximum time lapse between the closing of nominations and the decision of rny stake event under existing 1 conditions in American racing racingFuturities Futurities which do not attadh a supplementaryclosing feature cannot pretend to be infallibly championship affairs Futurities which do attach a supplementary closing clause are thereby deprived of a degree of their sporting essence of the original nominators nominatorsPerhaps Perhaps the gross values of some such stakes would diminish were our suggestion adopted and we are not so naive we are unaware this is a flyintheointment But we are confident it would be best all around were this whole project of Futurities abandoned Suffolk Downs published statistics describing who profits most from racing are something to enlighten those who fancy a license to operate a race course is somehow akin to a permit to operate a private mint Dave Man of many titles Woods publishes similar tables in the Fimlico program editorials from time to time While Herbert Bayard Swope is endlessly urging those who print tote handles at New York tracks to break down the sub ¬ stantial sums revealing how it is distributed We think his point well taken so few are conversant with the race track dollars division The Saratoga Associations directorate will confer next Thursday Which is not to suggest that directors will emerge from this meeting with any final definite announcement in the matter of the scene of the Spa meeting Horsemen have written the Saratoga Association advocating that the August meeting be staged at Belmont Park ParkHerbert Herbert Bayard Swope the excellent chairman of the New York State Racing Commission has stated that convenience to the public will be of prime consideration considerationGov Gov Thomas Dewey who is interesting himself far more than any one had hoped in New Yorks thoroughbred and standardbred sport has suggested thab a comparison of revenue from Belmonts spring and Aqueducts current early summer meetings be the deciding factor factorWe We think Saratogas 30 days will be conducted at Belmont Park New York trainers blood pressure skyrocketed needlessly about parking at Aqueduct As it turned out this was merely an interlude of some confusion about available space and it was straightened out within 24 hours hoursTrainers Trainers are alternating in the use of cars and doubling up to conserve gas and rubber as patriotically as those who must use these facilities in other industries Johnny Barker who succeeded Walter Kelley to the enviable post of trainer of f Blue Swords and others of Allen T Simmons Long Island division proposes to start Count Fleets shadow in the 25000 Dwyer renewal a week from Saturday Work r watchers were beginning to be curious on this point not having observed Blue Larkspurs son about any fast work during the wee small hours Blue Swords has freshened since the Preakness Indications at the moment are that Mrs Vera Braggs streamlined Gold Shower will be his most formidable rival in the Queens County Jockey Clubs mile and a quarter quarterBarker Barker has not previously conditioned a runner of Blue Swords high degree of quality but is an experienced horseman having for some seasons been with the Coburn brothers stable Whirlaway will board a train Tuesday ticketed to Washington Park This convergence of the worlds richest race horse and Albert Sabaths courageous 700 namesake Alsab at the Homewood course has some interesting implications Not the least of these is the exciting prospect they will meet again in one of the three 50000 handicaps Ben Lindheimer will present meetingsIt during the course of the combined ArlingtonWashington meetings It is not quite certain both will be thoroughly tightened in due time for the Stars and Stripes nevertheless Chicagoans seem assured of at least one encounter of the duo within the ensuing two months None of their epic clashes last autumn three In number was staged in the Toddling Town though both are Chicagoowned
