Assault and Lord Boswell Meet Again in 00,000 Belmont Stakes Renewal: King Ranchs Derby-Preakness Winner Seeking Triple Crown, Daily Racing Form, 1946-06-01

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WARREN MEHRTENS— Will be out to join the select group of jockeys who have ridden Triple Crown winners astride King Ranchs Assault in todays Belmont Stakes. Assault and Lord Boswell Meet Again In 00,000 Belmont Stakes Renewal King Ranchs Derby-Preakness Winner Seeking Triple Crown Hampden, Mahout Likely to 1 Cut Figure in Running of Mile and One-Half Fixture BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., May 31. — Belmont Parks spring meeting reaches a smashing climax tomorrow with the seventy-eighth running of the 00,000 Belmont Stakes at a mile and a half, supported by the thirty-fourth edition of the National Stallion Stakes in which two-year-olds will vie at five furlongs on the Widener course. A field of 10 crack three-year-olds has been named overnight for the Belmont, but all eyes will be on just two of the candidates. These are King Ranchs gallant Assault and Maine Chance Farms Lord Boswell. Assault will be going in quest of the third tier of the "Triple Crown" having already won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, as well as the Experimental Handicap and the Wood Memorial. The only blot on his record this year is a defeat in the Derby Trial won by Rippey. Ordinarily, a colt with such a record would be 1 to 10 to win the Belmont. This year, it seems probable that Lord Boswell, though beaten by Assault in both the Derby and Preakness, will receive almost as much support from the wagering public tomorrow. If Assault wins the Belmont, he will have equaled Gallant Foxs record of winning 00,000 in a single year, and he will become the seventh American "Triple Crown" winner. It is one of the elementary lessons of the turf student that there are six "Triple Crown" winners: Sir Barton, Gallant Fox, Omaha, War Admiral, Whirlaway and Count Fleet. Lord Boswell had his troubles in the Derby, in which he finished fourth back of Assault, Spy Song and Hampden, beaten by a wide margin, but he came back with a smashing race in the Preakness, closing with a tremendous rush in the stretch to be beaten only a neck. It was that finish that caught the eyes of many commentators, giving the impression that Mrs. Elizabeth N. Grahams colt will outstay Assault at a mile and a half. However, Assault went to the front in the Preakness at a much earlier stage of the race than he ordinarily does and it remains that he did win that classic. His style of running in earlier races indicates that he can run as far as any three-year-old in the land. Lord Boswell was again second in the Peter Pan Handicap here last Saturday, finishing strongly back of Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords Mahout, one whom hell have to meet again tomorrow. The son of Boswell was conceding a chunk of weight to Mahout in that test and they meet at level weights in the Belmont, but the Maine Chance colt appeared to sulk in the early stages of the race and refused to extend himself unduly in his last workout. Apart from Mahout, who puzzled dockers somewhat after a recent extended trial and also appeared to puzzle his rider, who jumped off and examined the horses nose and mouth, the others in the Belmont are Foxcatcher Farms Hampden; Mahouts stablemate, Natchez; E. P. Taylors Wind-fields; Lester Manor Stables Manor Lad; Walter P. Chryslers Cedar Creek; Mrs. Continued on Page Three _ — * Nine Face Assault In Belmont Stakes Lord Boswell Again Stands In King Ranch Colts Way Of Triple Crown Conquest Continued from Page One Aksel Witchfields Cable, and Mrs. Alfred Roberts War Watch. Of this group, Hampden is clearly the most dangerous. The son of Heliopolis finished third in both the Derby and Preak-ness and has worked cleverly at a distance since. He went a handy five furlongs in l:022s this morning and will have the services of Eddie Arcaro in the saddle. Mahout and Natchez were also seen on the track this morning, going five furlongs. The pair worked separately, with Mahout being timed in :59% and Natchez working two-fifths of a second faster. No riders have yet been assigned the Jeffords colts. Eric Guerin, one of the best saddlesmiths around, will ride Lord Boswell and fits him well, winning with the colt last year. Warren Mehrtens, the pride of Brooklyn, will be back on Assault, while Ted Atkinson will ride Cable and Job Dean Jessop is to pilot Manor Lad. The latter is the "dark horse" of the Belmont, incidentally, being a much improved colt, who turned in an excellent effort when finishing third to Mahout and Lord Boswell in the Peter Pan. While the Belmont lacks the glamour of the Kentucky Derby, it is a race which has rarely been won by a mediocre horse, and its roster includes such greats as Hanover, Henry of Navarre, Peter Pan, Colin, Sir Barton, Man o War, Gallant Fox, Twenty Grand, War Admiral, Whirlaway and Count Fleet, to mention only the truly superlative horses in its long list of laureates. If Assault goes on to become the seventh winner of the "Triple Crown," he will be well on his way to giving Texas its first true thoroughbred champion. National Stallion Draws Eleven Juveniles The National Stallion, which is sometimes called the Spring Futurity, has drawn a field of 11 juveniles, several of whom are unfamiliar to New York fans. Among these are Maine Chance Farms nimble Jet Pilot, winner of his only two starts in Kentucky and Maryland, and C. C. Tanners Sir Gal-lascene, a 6,000 yearling purchase, who is slated to make his racing debut tomorrow. There are two sets of couplings in the National Stallion, Greentree Stable is sending out Tailspin and Quandary, while Brookmeade Stable will be represented by Peace Harbor and Liberty Road. All four of these youngsters have fine recent form here and are expected to vie for favoritism with Jet Pilot, who comes here with a stellar reputation. He is one of the very few colts remaining to Mrs. Graham after the disastrous fire in which 22 of her juveniles were burned to death at Chicago a month ago, and it is possible that the fates were kind enough to spare the best of the lot. The others in the National Stallion are C. V. Whitneys Bastogne. John S. Kroeses Teaneck Dandy, E. P. Taylors Cornish Knight, Cain-Hoy Stables Noble Creek, and Walter P. Chryslers Brabancon. As this race is run on the Widener course post positions are of more than usual importance, the inside horses being at a distinct disadvantage. Jet Pilot will break from number seven, while Peace Harbor and Liberty Road start from nine and ten. While the roster of the National Stallion doesnt compare with that of the Belmont, it has been won by many youngsters who went on to better things, among them Colin, Sweep, Chance Shot, Blue Larkspur, Equipoise, Osculator, Pompoon. Attention and Some Chance. Despite the continuance of jurisdictional strikes, resulting in mimeographed programs and closed bars, among other minor nuisances, it is expected that there will be more than 50,000 fans at beautiful Belmont tomorrow, particularly if the weather continues as salubrious as the past two days.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1940s/drf1946060101/drf1946060101_1_6
Local Identifier: drf1946060101_1_6
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800