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■ —— — . — — — mmmm • ■ ■■■■■■i [reflections By Nelson Dunstan " — Suffolk Downs Has Successful Opening Thumbs Up Tops Santa Anita Cap at 130 Pimlico Offering Best One Day of Century Detroit Making Strong Bid for Horses NEW YORK, N. Y., June 12. Suffolk Downs broke the first record of its season when, on the opening day, 23.000 attended the 54-day meeting that is highlighted by many rich events. For the next three weeks there will will be be ,000 ,000 stake stake events events on on Saturday, Saturday, but but ■ —— — . — — — mmmm • ■ will will be be ,000 ,000 stake stake events events on on Saturday, Saturday, but but starting with July 4 the 5,000 added Yankee Handicap will usher in six richer stake events that reach their peak with the 0,000 Massachusetts Handicap, to be run on August 11, the closing day. Charlie McLennan, racing secretary at the Boston track, is well pleased with the response of owners, and especially so in view of the confusion of dates caused by the late opening of the season. McLennan has a "gentlemens agreement" with John B. Campbell, racing secretary tary on on the the New New York York tracks, tracks, to to avoid avoid differ- differ- tary on on the the New New York York tracks, tracks, to to avoid avoid differ- differ- ■■■■■■i ences on weight assignments for big events. As an instance. Campbell assigned 132 pounds for Devil Diver in this Saturdays Suburban, and McLennan gave the Greentree champion the same weight for the Dixie, which will be run at Pimlico. along with the Preakness. on Saturday. In this way they allow the owner or trainer to determine for himself the race in which he will start his horse. They have the same agreement for events which may conflict at New York and Suffolk Downs. Webb Everetts release of weights for the 00,000 Santa Anita Handicap caused considerable interest among eastern race fans. Thumbs Ip was given the actual highweight of 130 pounds, due to his fine "comeback" in the San Pasqual Handicap on Memorial Day. His stablemate, Busher. champion two-year-old filly of the 1944 season, was assigned 114, due to a fine showing in Saturdays San Vicente Handicap, when she defeated Sea Sovereign and five of the other best three-year-olds on the West Coast. Gay Dalton and Jury Box, the two handicap stars who performed so well in Mexico this winter, are next to Thumbs lp on the list, with 126 pounds each, and they are followed by Slide Rule and Okana, at 124 each, and then comes the trio or Brie a Bac, Marriage and Paperboy, at 122 each. There are many other well known horses on the long list and, while there are no Seabiscuits in the race, there are sufficient "name" horses to make it a magnet for California fans on June 30. This event, which is the worlds richest race, will precede the 0,000 Santa Margarita, richest race In the world for fillies and mares, by one week. The Pimlico officials went the limit to give Maryland fans what probably will be the finest one-day meeting to be staged at any track during the present century, on Saturday. Besides the 0,000 Preakness, the 0,000 Dixie Handicap, 0,000 Pimlico Oaks, ,000 Jennings Handicap and ,000 Nursery Stakes will be run. In addition to the five stake events there will be three overnight races to complete the card. The meeting of Pavot and Polynesian with Hoop Jr., winner of the Kentucky Derby, alone would be sufficient to pack the historic course, but with the added attraction, there is hardly a doubt that one of the largest throngs in Maryland racing annals will turn out this week-end. Delaware Park will be closed on Saturday in order not to conflict with Pimlico, but will reopen Tuesday to complete the meeting that runs until July 4. Garden State Park, at Camden, N. J., will open a week after the Delaware meeting closes, and, judging by preliminary reports, will continue the success that has been so marked at both Pimlico and Delaware this season. We were not wrong when, in this column last Thursday, we stated that the four New York tracks had formed a syndicate and had purchased the Corbett interests in the Jamaica race track. George D. Widener, Theodore J. Knapp and F. S. von Stade, representing Belmont. Aqueduct and Saratoga, respectively, formally announced the purchase two days later. Colonel Winn, representing Empire City, was absent, due to his presence at the Kentucky Derby, but his track is in on the deal, nevertheless. In keeping with the "hush-hush" policy of almost everything in connection with New York racing, the statement did not go beyond the fact that the purchase had been made. It may be that it is planned to scrap Jamaica after the war and build a more modern plant. To date the Jamaica management has been little concerned with the comfort of the public, but now that the four other tracks have taken over, they may decide that the recommendation to open the centerfield with seats, betting booths, etc., has some merit. Obviously, the* Detroit Racing Association is bidding high for horses and jockeys at their 85-day meeting, which opens Saturday at the State Fair Grounds at Detroit. In all, they will distribute ,754,500 to horsemen in the hope that they will attract some of the top runners of the country with the rich purses. They are liberal in trainers awards and have increased the jockeys fees to the point where the riders will receive 10 per cent of all purses of ,000 or more. At this track they also have a 10-pound apprentice allowance instead of the usual five, and this, too, should be a magnet for the boys who can take advantage of this innovation. With a program where almost everyone concerned can reap benefits, it is likely that they not only will hold Detroit owners, but also will draw many from other cities. They are bidding strongly for new stables and are going about it by offering the proper inducements.
