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REFLECTIONS —————— By Nelson Dunstan — —————— King Ranch Leads Money Winners to Date Assault Big Contributor to 26,055 Total Calumet Farm Second, Then Maine Chance List Due for Changes in Coming Months NEW YORK, N. Y., June 11. In June there is no telling how the list of leading money-winning owners of the American turf will look at the end of the season. But just before June 15 of every year we wire our Chicago office asking for a list of the first five money winners to date. And, through last Saturdays racing, they wired back that King Ranch was far out in front, with a total of 26,055, and was followed by Calumet Farm, with 47,-070; Maine Chance Farm, 01,560; Louis B. Mayer, 90,795, and C. V. Whitney, 34,-356. Needless to say, the standing of King Ranch is due mostly to the career of Assault, whose only setback in his five starts this year was when he ran fourth in the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs. After that he became the seventh "Triple Crown" winner in this country, and, in all probability, will enhance his earnings in this Saturdays running of the 0,000 Dwyer Stakes. Should he win the Dwyer, he will not only pass Gallant Fox record of 08,275 as the top earnings of any horse in one year, but also will come closer to a possible 00,000 in total earnings. Judging by the competition he has had to date, It is even possible that he will go close to 00,000 before the season comes to a close. It Is not unusual for one horse to be the big money winner of a leading stable. In 1938 the late H. Maxwell Howard was the leading money winner, with a total of but 26,495, and this was mainly due to the feat of Stagehand In winning the Santa Anita Derby and then the Santa Anita Handicap. In 1940 Charles S. Howard was the leader, with a total of 34,120, and his climb to the top of the ladder was mainly due to the pair Seabiscuit and Kayak II. In 1941 the Calumet Farm of Warren Wright amassed a total of 75,091, with Whirlaway contributing 72,386; Some Chance, 1,040, and Sun Again, 5,455. So, although there were 35 Calumet colorbearers racing that year, these three horses contributed the bulk of the earnings. It was in 1944 that the Calumet Farm racers created the worlds record earnings of 01,660, this being the first time that any stable had amassed more than 00,000 in one season. In that year Calumet had 34 horses of various ages contributing to the total, but Twilight Tear, Pensive, Sun Again and Pot o Luck were the biggest money winners, this quartet gleaning over 50,000 of the total. At the moment, King Ranch is 8,985 ahead of Calumet Farm. Should Assault win the Dwyer, this margin in favor of King Ranch will be materially increased. Then, again, Calumet Farm has a powerful horse in Armed, winner of the Widener, Dixie Handicap and Suburban so far this year, and one who has many rich stakes awaiting him at the Arlington and Washington Park meetings in Chicago. To the possibilities of Armed, Calumet has many promising two-year-olds who have yet to make their first start this season and it could be that they will score heavily in the months to come. Juveniles will soon be engaging in richer stakes than has been their lot to date, and oftentimes they can change the entire complexion of the money winning list as the season wears on. This was very obvious last year when the Maine Chance Farm of Mrs. Elizabeth Graham became the second stable in American history to earn over 00,000 in one season. In fact, for a spell last year, it appeared as if the Maine Chance contingent was to break the record created by Calumet Farm in 1944, but, at the end of the season, they led the list with 89,170, lacking but 2,490. Between Star Pilot, Beaugay, Lord Boswell, Knockdown and Colony Boy the stable was enriched by over 70,000. The future of the Main Chance Farm, insofar as money winning is concerned, is problematical. During the winter months, it appeared as if the two-year-old group, who had scored so heavily in 1945, would be all powerful in the rich three-year-old races. When Knockdown defeated his own stablemate in the Santa Anita Derby, it began to seem as if the predictions for this group would hold good. But, Star Pilot joined Beaugay on the sidelines and, coming up to the "Triple Crown" events, the hopes of the stable centered about Lord Boswell. He ran a good race in the Derby, and again in the Preakness, but, in the Belmont Stakes he flattened out so badly that it is difficult to see him adding much to the Maine Chance coffers this season. Beaugay may come back to be the sterling filly she was last year, and, of course, Star Pilot, who is now roaming the pastures, at a Kentucky farm, could also return to be the horse he was a year ago. This year, the Maine Chance Farm suffered a tragic setback when practically all of their two-year-olds were destroyed by fire. Fortunately, Jet Pilot was saved and he appears to be one who will contribute his share to the earnings this season. In 1945, Louis B. Mayer, who is now fourth on the list was second to the Maine Chance Farm with earnings of 33,150. Two of his most powerful color bearers were Thumbs Up, winner of the Santa Anita Handicap, and Busher, that great filly who, too, was forced to the sidelines due to an injury. There is some talk of Thumbs Up returning to the races and, just yesterday, it was announced that Busher was an eligible for the 00,000 Hollywood Gold Cup, to be run on July 27. If this pair are returned and stand up under training, they will be powerful factors along with Honeymoon and others in the months to come. C. V. Whitney, fifth on the present list, is no newcomer to the money winning owners list. His grandfather, W. C. Whitney, was the leader in 1903 and his father, Harry Payne Whitney,, first led the list in 1913. C. V. Whitney was the top winner in 1930 and the three years to follow. If First Flight continues her winning ways, she may go far in sending Whitney higher on the money winning ladder.
