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REFLECTIONS " By Nelson Dunstan Why Is New York Tote Play Dropping? Monmouth Attendance Falls Off Sharply Armed Assigned 132 for Equipoise Mile French Horses Have Field Day at Ascot NEW YORK, N. Y., June 21. While attendance at some sporting events has fallen off, New Yorks race tracks have suffered comparatively little in that respect. Last week it was said that Aqueduct was "off" about 5 per cent in the handle, and many reasons are advanced for this. The sport during the past few weeks has been mediocre. This not only applies to stake events, but also to the cheaper races. Horsemen have always had a prejudice against the Aqueduct racing strip and some of them would prefer to skip this meeting entirely. The attendance and play may pick up at the Empire City meeting, which opens at Jamaica Monday. It is our opinion that, while the attendance may increase, the play will continue to decrease and will hit a new "low" during that portion of the Saratoga meeting which will be held at the Spa. When the 5 per cent "bite" of Mayor ODwyer was first placed on racing in New York, many people were of the opinion that it would have very little effect. It is surprising how quickly this tax has caused a drop in the play. We can say this for the reason that mail has come to us from all over the country bitterly protesting against the latest taxation, which, started in New York, may spread throughout the cquntry. The board of supervisors at Saratoga quickly followed Mayor ODwyer, but in doing so they actually started digging the grave of racing at the up-state Spa. The common council of Saratoga has urged that it be reduced to 2 per cent. If it is not reduced you will be able to shoot a cannon through the grandstand on some race days and not hit a soul. It was hardly to be expected that on the second day Monmouth Park would draw anything like the 18,000 that attended at the opening. There is an old saying in racing that "the second day of a racing meeting usually is the worst day." In recent years that has not been entirely true, for, with the popularity of the sport, attendance at all tracks has held up from Monday to Friday, with, of course, a vast increase in the spectators for the week-end card. It will probably take a week or two before Monmouth Park officials will definitely know just what average they can depend upon on week-days, and then on Saturdays. It can be seen that the races on Wednesday and Thursday drew sufficient horses to make the sport interesting. They have many attractive stake events at the Oceanport track, and we believe that in the weeks to come they will see an increase both in attendance and play, providing the railroad service from New York and other points is improved. Quite a few New Yorkers have told us that they enjoyed the sport there, but that their visit was marred by poor train service. Armed, the handicap champion of the nation, was assigned 132 pounds for the Clang Handicap at Arlington on Wednesday, but declined the issue. Now, the Calumet star has been assigned 132 pounds for the Equipoise Mile, which will be run at the beautiful Chicago track next Wednesday. Fighting Step, winner of the Clang, is second on the list with 126 pounds, but from there the weights drop to 119 pounds assigned Sirde and he is folowed by Equifox, a double winner of the "stake named for his famous sire, with 118. Whether Armed will accept in this event is a question, but it would seem a perfect spot for the Joneses father and son to prep their famous gelding for the 0,000 Stars and Stripes Handicap, which will be the feature event at Arlington Park on July 4th. It is a foregone conclusion that the Calumet contingent will point the Suburban winner for this race and, while many of the best in the handicap divisions are now in the Windy City, we cannot see the champion of the older ranks being other than the number one horse at the finish line. Armed is also an eligible for the Massachusetts, but we doubt if he will be seen in the East again until next fall. For some time, this writer has been wondering what the outcome would be when Spy Song, who ran second to Assault in the Kentucky Derby, hooked up with Mighty Story. The answer came yesterday in the sixth race at Arlington Park. Only five started in the six-furlong event, with Spy Song the winner over With Pleasure by a length and a half and the latter six lengths in front of Mighty Story. Last season, we had a very high opinion of Spy Song and while we still think he is one of the fastest horses among three-year-olds today, we have not lost faith in Mighty Story when the distance is lengthened out to a mile or more. Max Hirsch has already stated that he plans to send Assault to Chicago for the Classic, which will be run in July. While top-notch three-year-olds are not too plentiful, the Classic should be an interesting event in that It will bring together once again the King Ranch horse who won the "Triple Crown," to say nothing of other races, and Spy Song who ran second to him at Louisville. France has the right idea in proving to the English that they breed horses which are as high class as those in the British Isles. Ask the average Englishman which is the "number one race of the world" and you may be surprised to hear him mention the Ascot Gold Cup, rather than the Epsom Derby. Yesterday, Eng-r land staged the Ascot Gold Cup and while many thought that Marcel Boussacs Caracalla n., would be returned the winner, it developed that French-owned horses ran one-two-three. It is true that Caracalla II. was the first French horse to win the Gold Cup since Massine was the winner in 1924, but, if you check the records, in the years prior to World War n., you will note that many French and Irish-bred horses crossed the channel to win the coveted events which play so important a part in the scheme of Englands racing and breeding. True, it is more difficult for our American horses than it is for the French or Irish to race against the English, but, in our opinion, that is the ideal way of showing them that our horses are just as good as theirs, and that the Jersey Act should be stricken from the records. It is next to impossible to force the British to do something they do not want to do, but, if you beat them at their own game they are usually open to conviction, and that is the way our Jockey Club should go about removing the Jersey Act once and for all.
