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■ -■ *BB|f wMft*~ ? ■■■■■M REFLECTIONS By Nelson Dunstan - Mrs. Graham Picked Right Filly in Beaugay Helis Mas Breeding Formulas All His Own Eastern Yearling Sales at Meadow Brook Commission Decided Wisely on Spa Meeting NEW YORK, N. Y., June 6. Beaugay, winner of the Fashion Stakes, is not only the best looking but one of the fastest fillies to be seen in action so far this season. Leading from start to finish, she defeated Col. C. V. Whitneys Whitneys shifty shifty miss. miss. Enfilade, Enfilade, by by three three and and ■ -■ Whitneys Whitneys shifty shifty miss. miss. Enfilade, Enfilade, by by three three and and a half lengths, with the latter some 15 lengths in front of Geo. D. Wideners Datura, the only other starter. Beaugay is by Stimulus, out of Risk, by Campfire and, last year, she was a participant in one of the most unusual sales ever staged in this country. Arthur B. Hancock, Americas foremost breeder, decided to send two fillies into the ring at the same time — it being announced before the sale that the highest bidder could take his, or her, pick. Mrs. Elizabeth Graham was was the the highest highest bidder bidder at at 2,000 S22.000 and and it it now now was was the the highest highest bidder bidder at at 2,000 S22.000 and and it it now now ■■■■■M appears as if she made a mighty wise decision by taking the Fashion Stakes winner. Tom Smith has had exceptional luck with Mrs. Grahams two-year-olds this season, or maybe we should leave the word "luck" out and credit Leslie Combs II. and Tom Smith with selecting some very promising stock from the yearling sales. William Helis, the most spectacular buyer to enter racing and breeding in recent years, has very definite opinions of his own. Last fall, he decided to retire Rounders to his new farm at Jobstown, N. J. He figured that 10 mares would be a good schedule for this horses first breeding season. Rounders served 18 mares and then was put back into training. Last Saturday, Rounders won the Brandy -wine Handicap at Delaware Park and, to say that the men who had him in charge were delighted is putting it mildly. To their surprise, however, Helis ordered the horse back to the farm immediately after he won this race. There were two more mares still to be served and this was accomplished on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Rounders will now go back to the races and Helis insists that he will be none the worse for these two matings. The man who is so often called "The Golden Greek," is far more a disciple of "nature" than he is of Bruce Lowe, Frederico Tesio and other breeding authorities. Yearling sales will play their part in the news of the next two months. The Breeders Sales Company have announced that the Keeneland summer sales will be conducted from July 30 to August 2 and that about 450 of the finest babes will go under the hammer. The Fasig-Tipton Company will conduct the Eastern sales at the Meadow Brook Club on August 7, 8 and 9. each* sale starting at 10 oclock in the morning. Since the ban has been lifted and racing has continued to soar in popularity, there is no doubt in this writers mind that yearlings will be in high demand at both centers. There has been some activity in the horse sales market but prices are so high that the majority of horsemen have given up the idea of buying proven runners and will await the sales for new material. At first, the Fasig-Tipton Company thought two morning sessions would be sufficient but there has been such a volume of entries that it was necessary to add a third sales session. Both the Kentucky and Eastern sales officials are expected to make more definite announcements concerning the offerings within the next week. An unusual situation will prevail in this years running of the 00,000 Santa Anita Handicap in that the favorite is likely to be Gay Dalton, a horse who made his reputation in Mexico. Twice winner of the Handicap de las Americas, this horse moved northward with a reputation of having the speed and staying power to hold his own with the best handicap performers in this country. That theory will be thoroughly tested, for a likely starter is Louis B. Mayers Thumbs Ip, who staged such a pro-, nounced comeback in the San Pasqual Handicap at Santa Anita on Decoration Day. These two horses are but a pair of the 62 named for the worlds richest race. Brie a Bac. who broke the winning streak of Jury Box at Tijuana, is also named and just two fillies on the long list are Whirlabout and Busher, the latter being the champion two-year-old filly of the 1944 season. Very few Eastern horses are on the list, but among the others who are likely to go postward and who must be reckoned with are Paperboy, Slide Rule, Marriage. Bull Reigh and such fine three-year-olds as Sea Swallow, Sea Sovereign, Best Effort and Checkerhall. Governor Dewey, along with many others, may not like the decision of the New York State Racing Commission that the Saratoga meeting be staged at Belmont Park for the third year. Still, it was the most sensible decision that could have been made under the circumstances. Few realize the political pressure that was brought to bear and the Governor gracefully sidestepped the issue, although he did not hesitate to say, through his secretary, that his sympathies were with the upstaters. No one would prefer the return to Saratoga more than this writer, but we admire the commission for the decision it made. We do not agree that it might have been a season of poor racing and below the traditional sport for which Saratoga is noted. But it would have been a season of very poor living accommodations for the majority of those who could not afford the Gideon Putnam, which houses something like 175 guests. Saratoga merchants have done quite a bit of complaining at the loss of the meeting but unless one or more new hotels are built there, the racing people are going to do some complaining on their own part when the Spa is restored as a racing center.
