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r i m , 1 •| , 1 [reflections — By Nelson Dunstan Hoop Jr. Won Derby Like a Champion Pavot, Polynesian Await Him at Pimlico Devil Wrote History in Metropolitan Gallorette in Thursdays Top Flight NEW YORK, N. Y.. June 11. Hoop Jr. won the Kentucky Derby in hollow fashion, and not only will his name go down with those of Whirlaway and Count Fleet as winners by six or more lengths, but also with those of Old Old Rosebud. Rosebud. Regret. Regret. Sir Sir Barton, Barton, Paul Paul Jones, Jones. r i I • , M j j i I Old Old Rosebud. Rosebud. Regret. Regret. Sir Sir Barton, Barton, Paul Paul Jones, Jones. Zev, Bubbling Over and Count Fleet, as win-1 ners who led from start to finish. Hoop Jr. demonstrated that he is just as formidable in muddy going as he is on a fast track. His time of 2:07, as compared to Whirlaway s Derby record of 2:0125, is slow, but it is not slow when we go back to 1929, the last year that the race was run in the mud and was won in 2: 104 5 by the gelded Clyde Van Dusen. A fast track for this Saturdays Preakness will in no way impair the chances of Hoop Jr., Jr., although although it it might might move move up up some some of of his his i I I i i r l i, | 1 . t | r I 4 i e i r. a rt [[ t, _ . i i ! ! ! . I i ! 1 Lg ie i- us le »r n is Jr., Jr., although although it it might might move move up up some some of of his his m opponents who did not show to their best advantage over a muddy strip. Back in 1939 Johnstown defeated Challedon by eight lengths on a fast track at Louisville. When they moved over to Pimrlco for the Preakness. however, the track was deep in goo and it was then that Challedon reversed the decision by defeating Gilded Knight, with Johnstown a thoroughly beaten horse. Then Johnstown came back to lead from end to end in the Bel-f mont Stakes, and weeks later he won from Sun Lover, with Chal- ledon third, on a fast track in the Dwyer Stakes. Whether Jeep. Alexis. Pot o Luck, Darby Dieppe. Burn ing Dream. Bymeabond or Sea Swallow can reverse the Derby decision remains for the mile and three-sixteenths of this Saturdays Preakness to decide. There is even a greater angle of interest in that Pavot will be awaiting this group when they move over from Churchill Downs, and so. too, will Polynesian, the surprise winner over the Jeffords champion in the Withers. Ever since Pavot was defeated there has been controversy as to whether a mile is his limit or, again, whether he will improve over his first start of the year regardless of distance. In the second leg of the "Triple Crown" he will not only have an opportunity to turn the tables on Polynesian, but also demonstrate that he is the true leader of his division. With Free for All on the sidelines for the year, the meeting between Hoop Jr., Pavot and Polynesian is of such high interest that old Pimlico should be filled to the rafters on the week-end. Devil Diver never looked more impressive than he did in Saturdays running of the Metropolitan Handicap, which he won by four lengths from Alex Barth, in 1:3625. With this victory he became the first horse to win this race three years in succession since it was inaugurated, in 1891. In that "rubber contest with Apache he clearly demonstrated he was master of the Belair colorbearer when they met at even weights. We doubt if there is a handicap performer of today who can beat The Diver so weighted. He will probably start in this Saturdays 0,000 Subur- ban, at a mile and a quarter. Only 19 were nominated for this race and, with the two exceptions of Boy Knight and Apache, all of those who competed against him in the Metropolitan are eligi- ble. Alex Barth, who finished second in the Metropolitan, appears to be his most formidable opponent, for Bon Jour, winner at Delaware on Saturday, and Rounders, winner of the Brandywine Handicap a week ago, are both slated to go in the Dixie Handicap at Pimlico on the week-end. Gallorette, impressive winner over Monsoon and Recce in last Thursdays Acorn Stakes, will face a more difficult task in Thursdays running of the 0,000 Top Flight Handicap. The three-year-old miss from the W. L. Brann stable is in with 116 pounds. 10 less than the 126 assigned H. P. Headleys four-year-old filly Letmenow. Second on the list is Dare Me, at 124, and she is followed by the quartet of Legend Bearer, Moon Maiden, Miss Keeneland and Mrs. Ames, all of whom are in at 122. Gallorette has not only held her own with colts of her division, but proved to be best of the three-year-old fillies to date by her victory in the Acorn. Surprisingly enough, she is not named for the Coaching Club American Oaks, which will be run Wednes- day, June 20, but this is due to the fact that she is entered in the New Castle Handicap at Delaware Park, on June 21, and also in the Delaware Oaks, to be run at the same track on June 28. When kept among three-year-olds, we doubt If she will be beaten, but the Top Flight will be a searching test of her ability with older members of her own sex. The success. of Maine Chance Farms two-year-olds is becom- ing something of a sensation on Long Island. On Saturday Tom Smith scratched Lord Boswell and sent out They Say, a brown colt by Roman, out of Vagrant, by Man o War. to compete with five others in the Juvenile Stakes. Although They Say was a first-time starter, it had been whispered about that he was one of the best colts in the barn and, as a result, he was second choice to Twenty-Six, winner of his last start. They Say immediately went to the front to set his own pace and led from flagfall to finish. Last August Mrs. Elizabeth Gra.ham was the purchaser of some 00,000 worth of yearlings and, as we stated in this column a few days back, it appears as if Leslie Combs II. used rare judgment in the youngsters he selected. Although some of the other yearlings cost much more. They Say was purchased for ,200. The price of a yearling is no indication of his class, and it may be that before the season is over They Say will be earning just as much as the more expensive ones. In his very first start he earned more than he cost, as the net value to the winner of I the Juvenile Stakes was .860. _
