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REFLECTIONS By Nelson Dunstan • Platter Pointing for Preakness A Thrilling Finish at Gansett Wood Memorial to Pack Jamaica Big Field to Contest Rich Race NEW YORK. N. Y.. April 17. Platter will not go to Louisville, but wili be pointed for the Preakness. . . . Eddie Arcaro says Stir Up is a greatly improved horse and in his opinion the best three -year-old in the country. . . . Fred Osborne, a minister of the gospel, has retired from the pulpit to become a California breeder of the thoroughbred. . . . Ben Jones will not start Twilight Tear in stake events against colts, so take her off I L 5 * - M i i s 9 i - - l - i | r a your Derby and Preakness lists. . . . Bing Crosby has definite ideas on the careers of his horses and we will print them one day this week. . . . The first yearling sale of the season will be that of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society at Toronto. ... A foal by Beau Pere — La France is due to arrive at the Mayer farm next week. . . . Don Cameron tells us "everything is jake" with Count Fleet. . . . Hollywood Park will surely get dates later in the summer. . . . The Keeneland-Churchill Downs War Relief program starts on April 24. . . . 84.500 fans attended the four major meetings on Saturday, one of the most miserable days on a race track within our recollection. New York fans witnessed a thrilling finish of the Excelsior Handicap as only a neck and head separated Alex Barth, Grey Wing and Boysy at the finish line. From the head of the stretch it was a ding-dong battle with the throng in an uproar. But from all accounts the Spring Handicap at Narragansett was just as thrilling with the first four horses separated only by heads and noses. While the majority of campaigners | are not ready for such stern racing, the trio who battled it out in the Excelsior had to be at the peak of their form. A race such as that would di horses more harm than good unless they were "legged up" as they must have been. Saturdays Wood Memorial will undoubtedly pack the Jamaica track to the rafters. If 30,000 will turn out on such a day as last Saturday, it is safe to say that between 40.000 and 50,000 will be on hand this week-end. and especially so if Pukka Gin and Stir Up battle it out in the Wood. At the moment both these three-year-olds are equal Derby choices at 4 to 1. but Saturdays contest is bound to send one ahead of the other. The Chesapeake and the Blue Grass stakes will bring others into the Derby picture and it is our idea that a good sized field will respond to the bugle on May 6 even though each day brings announcements of withdrawals. Apparently Challenge Me made a real impression on those who witnessed his Arkansas Derby, for, previous to that race he was held at 60 to 1. He is now at 5 to 1. Wily Max Hirsch had Tola Rose ready to run over the moon in Saturdays Bowie Handicap. The seven-year-old son of Head Play was three lengths in front of Pensive at the finish. Pensive is an eligible for the Wood Memorial, and so. too. are Director J. E., Armed, Gramps Image. Galactic and Tambo, who finished in that order in the seventh race at Pimlico on Saturday. From all indications, the Wood will draw a large field and, while Pukka Gin and Stir Up will be the center of attraction. the presence of Pensive, Olympic Zenith, Bull Dandy and Free Lance will add to the interest. We keep hearing that this years crop of three-year-olds does not amount to much, but, as we see it. this is one of the most interesting Derby re-i newals in many a year. Royal Prince will not start in the Chesa- peake Stakes a weekfrom Saturday. But. as he was a supplementary entry to the Preakness, his owner paying ,500 for the privilege, it is obvious he will be pointed for the event, which is the second leg of the "Triple Crown." Platter, too. will prob- ably be awaiting the group which moves from Churchill Downs to Pimlico. Platter and Royal Prince ran one-two in the Wal- den Stakes last fall, and the fact that they are passing up the Derby will add color to the Preakness. Director J. E. ran third to this pair in the Walden and, while he is one of the fastest three-year-olds around, there is a question, based on his Florida racing, whether he can hold that speed over the Derby and Preakness routes. ___
