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»8§MtfSSand. SW" I JHE JUDGES STAND I By Charles Hatton Gaver Still Prefers Shut Out The Incongruous Case of Empire Lucky Draw Surmounts Bad Luck Points for Stakes at Jamaica i NEW YORK, N. Y., June 28. The Brooklyn has renewed public interest in a long-standing symposium in turf circles. The question of whether Mrs. Payne Whitneys Shut Out or Mrs. Payne Whitneys Devil Diver is the superior performer, has intensified as their careers expanded until now it is virtually impossible to discuss them at any length and remain discreetly non-partisan. "Princeton Johnny" Gaver is less disposed to argue the point Shut Out is the better runner, however, than to rejoice that both are munching oats under the Greentree roof, on Belmont Parks fashionable millionaires row." Either seems, for the nonce, quite competent enough to cope with the others of the handicap divisions beasts of burden. By the time this pillar of turf-trivia comes under eager gaze of the Pulitzer prize committees, Gaver will have studied the weights for the Massachusetts Handicap and the Stars and Stripes. Possibly he will develop designs on both those 0,000 features. On the absorbing subject of Devil Diver versus Shut Out, Gaver remains loyal to the latter chocolate-coated son of the Chocolate Soldier casually enough to have driven the Divers wild-eyed enthusiasts frantic had any been within earshot when Princeton Johnny remarked: "When they are both good, Shut Out is better, I think." During the last steamy week at Aqueduct, Shut Out defeated Market Wise rather more handily in ~ | the Celt than did Devil Diver in the vastly richer Charles u Hatton Brooklyn. But it must be confessed Devil Diver has garnered an impressive succession of stakes this season, having previously captured the Toboggan, Metropolitan and Carter. Whereas Shut Out has yet this year to enhance the imposing roster of stakes he won last year, including such classic annuals as the Derby, Belmont, Classic and Travers, his admirers proffer in extenuation that he was in no end of trouble in the Suburban and Brooklyn. Whirlaway has run his last race. The Equipoise Mile last Saturday was more eventful, it now develops, than the result indicated. That the worlds richest horse finished a faltering fifth to Best Seller was of less importance than the fact that it marked the end of his career under colors and heralded the beginning of a new career fof him in the stud. When the son of Blenheim II. and Dustwhirl pulled up sore, the sagacious Ben Jones realized that the time had finally come to determine "Mr. Longtails" future. Over the week-end he conferred with owner Warren Wright and they agreed it would be inviting catastrophy to make any further attempts to race the Croesus among thoroughbreds. Today it was announced that Whirlaway would be retired forthwith to Calumet Farm in Kentucky to await next years breeding season. Turf fans will regret the passing of the colorful horse from the racing scene, but they must applaud the action of owner Wright and trainer Jones. American breeding is enriched the sooner by the retirement of Whirlaway now. As a race horse he has won glory enough, indeed. Perhaps fame in equal measure will be won by him as a sire. Much to nobodys surprise, Governor Dewey, of the Empire State, has approved a 30-day trotting meet at Empire City, converging much of the Commonwealths standard-bred sport at the hilltop, even to Bill Canes 0,000 Hambletonian. Cane, however, continues to prefer the "trotting" derbys traditional Goshen setting. The incongruous part of all this is the explanation: "Empire City is most acceptable because it is easily accessible by train, street car and subway." The Yonkers courses inaccessibility was the ouster in removing the Empire City Association meeting to Jamaica, at a loss of revenue to the club. Lucky Draw proves rather than persuades. The theory now has crystallized among Gothams sophisticated racegoers that George Wideners fiery gamecock I bay Jack High gelding will do until a better one comes along. He was 1 to 4 in the Great American, where only three brash and lightly-burdened colts could be mustered against him. Lucky Draw was pocketed securely for a half-mile. While the slick striding bay from Erdenheim attempted to crawl over the tops of Dance Team and Ravenala, favorite players tore their hair. Operative 6 7-8 delights in talent scouting the two-year-old fields, like some maniacal philatelist in pursuit of a fugitive Nicaraguan. He calls attention to Lucky Draws 1:12, which was a creditable run Saturday at Aqueduct. It seems a pity Lucky Draw is not an entire horse. For one thing, he becomes automatically ineligible for Belmonts fabled Futurity. We believe he is the last topflight performer broken by the doyen of American horsemen, Andrew Jackson Joyner. The gentleman from Carolina would have liked to have seen his race Saturday. For that matter, was anyone so eccentric he did not. This latest legend of Erdenheim has an interesting background. His dam, Tatanne, was a stake winner of the Christmas and New Years Handicaps, and the Jefferson Park Derby at New Orleans. The next dam, Titanite, is by Sardanapale — St. Astra, by the Epsom Derby winner, Ladas. She was purchased in France by the Philadelphia sportsman, from Baron Maurice de Rothschild. St. Astra is the grandam of the classy French horse, Asterous, conqueror of Colorado. Speed is the forte of Jack Highs progeny, but Lucky Draw may boast some long-winded ancestry on the distaff side. Having swept uninterruptedly through Jamaicas Youthful, Belmonts Juvenile, and Aqueducts Tremont and Great American, Lucky Draws next objectives are Empires East View and Wakefield, at Jamaica. Mention of this Erdenheim standardbearer reminds The Judge of a circumstance that gives him a false sense of insecurity as a thoroughbred breeder. We are the breeder-by -proxy, it seems, of one of the Philadelphian crop of 1943 foals. You may recall that a couple of seasons back we suggested in our characteristically impulsive fashion that George Widener breed his lovely mare Thorn Apple to Eight Thirty. This was done, he told us recently, and the result is an attractive chestnut filly that, we have no doubt, will become the second of her sex to win the Kentucky Derby. Since we have thus improved the breed, perhaps Belmonts prexy will allow us to suggest a name or two which registrar Fred Klees may find acceptable. A filly by Eight Thirty from Thorn Apple suggests interesting possibilities. Thorn Apple is a curiously apt name for a daughter of Jamestown, for Thorn Apple is a British name for aspects of what we call Jimson Weed, first known in this country around Colonial Jamestown. In India this plant is known as "Dhatura," which might be a suitable name for Thorn Apples filly. India is, traditionally, a land of bizarre and ingenious crimes and subtle concealments thereof. This dhatura is suspected to have been frequently used by professional poisoners. Surely, you know of the mystery of Haji Lai Deb. He lived at Buncorah. It occurs to us "Buncorah" may strike Klees as a possible oriental name.
