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HyH REFLECTIONS By Nelson Dunstan June 15 Reveals Three Divisional Champs Fine Sport at Many Racing Centers Today Assault a Magnet to New York Fans Tax Bites May Affect Yearling Sales NEW YORK, N. Y., June 14. Old June 15 is knocking at the door, and we wonder if you can recall a season when so many horses have proved at that date they are the outstanding members of their age and sex. Armed stands out like a beacon in the Armed stands out like a beacon in the handicap ranks. Assault is the undisputed king of the three-year-olds, and we believe he still will be when the numbers are flashed for the 0,000 Dwyer Stakes tomorrow. Jet Pilot has won four straight and, until he is defeated, he has every right to the juvenile championship among the colts of this country. First Flight has proved herself to be the best of the two-year-old fillies. At the moment, the three-year-old championship among fillies is still open to debate and, while Busher Busher may may come come back back to to be be the the best best of of the the Busher Busher may may come come back back to to be be the the best best of of the the HyH older fillies and mares, Gallorette has her claim in at the moment. It is a long cry, of course, from June 15 to the end of the season. Of all the divisions, the two-year-olds are the most intriguing. They usually are. The three horses New York fans have seen this year who have impressed the most are Armed, Assault and Jet Pilot. These three appear to be outstanding champions and, while Assault has won the greatest honor his division can offer in taking the "Triple Crown," he is still "box office" wherever he goes. It is a. cinch to say he will go to Chicago for the running of the Classic and the American Derby; in fact, all three of these outstanding horses may be in the Windy City from now until September. There will be some fine sport around the racing map tomorrow. In New York, the Dwyer Stakes will draw Assault, who will be asked to give poundage to his rivals for the first time since he scored in the Kentucky Derby on May 11. At Delaware Park older horses will battle it out m the 5,000 Sussex Handicap, a race which will be all the better for the absence of Armed, the Calumet gelding who is the acknowledged handicap champion of the American turf. With Armed out of the line-up, this should result in a hammer-and-tongs contest among the best of the older horses in the East. At Suffolk Downs, in New England, the 5,000 Hannah Dustin Handicap will bring together C. V. Whitneys Recce, William Helis Elpis and other members of the weaker sex who have proved their class in this years racing. The successful Lincoln Fields at Hawthorne meeting will come to a close, and out in California Hollywood Park the 5,000 Golden State Breeders Handicap, for three-year-olds and older horses foaled in California, will be the feature of a day that should draw a large throng. We were happy to read in a newspaper that "New York crowds will see some keen sport during the Aqueduct meeting at Aqueduct." The first week at Aqueduct was featured by small fields of rather mediocre horses. Jet Pilot was something to watch, defeating three other horses in the Tremont Stakes on Wednesday. Lets hope tomorrows sport, with the Dwyer Stakes as the headliner, will really offer something in the way of a thrill. The final week of the meeting may be something to enthuse about, but indications are that high class sport, beyond a few races, is not to be seen. There are many reasons for the small fields and the mediocre horses that have shown at Aqueduct to date. Some of these reasons are by no means the fault of the track management. A race of 0,000, such as tomorrows Dwyer, will draw about the best three-year-olds to be found in the East, and probably the 0,000 Brooklyn Handicap, to be run next Saturday, will also draw a good field. During the past week, Aqueducts racing has been mediocre at best and just one of the reasons is that the management there seems to feel that 0,000 is a magnet for stake horses. Talk of the yearling sales is in the air and it will increase rapidly as we near the dates for Keeneland and Saratoga. Recently we stated that, while we were guessing, we were of the opinion that this years averages would be very close to those of last season. We made that statement before Mayor ODwyer, of New York City, put the "bite" of 5 ger cent on horse racing, Governor Dewey signed the measure and then the Board of Supervisors of Saratoga decided to horn in on the greed. This morning we happened to talk with a Saratoga official and he said "Well, Dunstan, it has been done now so why continue to harp on it?" Even if we did not "harp on It" but we will, we believe that the people of racing are going to show growing resentment toward this "raid" on a sport that has never been able to defend itself, and, apparently, is not able to defend itself today. It was bad enough that New York City imposed such a tax, but it is little short of outrageous that Saratoga, which has enjoyed the profits that horse racing has brought it for close to 70 years, should turn around and bite the very hand that has fed them down through the years. To put it bluntly, there has been very little in the racing of this season to draw new owners to our yearling sales rings. From the days of Florida, bickering, dissatisfaction and strikes have been the order. In this, the people of racing have been their own worst enemies. On top of all that, despite the fact that horse racing had contributed handsomely to the New York state coffers, the officials of New York City decided that an extra "bite" was quite the proper thing. It was only natural that, with politicians being something of copycats, and with little in the way of originality, decided to follow suit on the plan outlined by Mayor ODwyer of New York City. There has been little or nothing of the sporting nature to bring new buyers to our yearling salesrings. This was brought home very distinctly when Saratoga itself the home of yearling sales did not hesitate to "get it while the getting is good." When you come right down to it, and speak the truth, the situation is a disgusting one. And racing, with all its organizations the good ones and the bad ones has no one to blame but itself.
