view raw text
JUDGES STAND I -By Charles Hatton Arlington Now Has Board of Cappers Kenneys Thoughts on Yearling Market Analyzing Triple Crown Heros Pedigree Mass. Cap Complimentary to Assault Arlington weights now are a consensus of a board of handi-cappers, we learn from Ben F. Lindheimer. Collaborating with racing secretary Fred Burton are Barry Whitehead, Cliff Huf- nagel and Duke Dahlstrom. Each has had more or less experience at this sort of thing. The Skokie is the first race in which they have combined their efforts. As we understand it, each takes a set of nominations and compiles a list of weights, independently of the others,, after which an average is taken, and this is the weight assigned. On the whole, there are no very sharp "differences of opinion," however. The idea of a board of handicappers is not offered as something new, of course, for Pimlico had one years ago to make the weights for its spring and fall series of graded handicaps. But it is not a bad idea, with all due respect to Burton, who is one of the best. We should think it would be worthwhile if only to silence those who are always making unpleasant cracks about the handicaps, and each racing area has them. This type of race lends itself easily to gossip that is harmful to the sport. Which is one of the reasons this corner prefers stakes in which the horses weight themselves and those not within 20 pounds of a good one are forced to run where they belong instead of winning fictitious reputations. Handicaps with maximums and minimums are, of course, not handicaps at all. The yearling: sales are not far away and Charley expects "the market will continue to be strong:." He adds that he is "gratified by the attitude of the Breeders Sales Company and the consignors. In the old days people sold yearlings and forgot about them. Now they follow up, through contact with those who have bought their yearlings. Buyers sometimes are discouraged by bad labor conditions, by the spectre of the imposition of additional taxes on racing, and by their inability to get proper stabling for their high-priced colts and fillies. In many cases the buyers are newcomers who have not been properly introduced to the track managements." Of course, the breeders cannot guarantee anything, but they try to be helpful, and often succeed. They even helped to head off the 5 per cent tax bill in Kentucky, through the Thoroughbred Club of America, of which Kenney is president. Bob Kleberg has never been unduly carried away with Flash Burn, but this son of Brazado and Incandescent gave Bud Bur-mester another chance to cheer for Texas when he won the Diamond State in Delaware. We suppose that everyone knows by now that Incandescent is Assaults granddam. She has a two-year-old called Flash Point who is by Equestrian and is of course bred from Assaults pattern. Then there is Clean Slate, the three-year-old leaders own brother. Much is made of the fact these horses may be traced back to Man o Wars sister Masda, which is no knock, but to anyone who can recall Masda and Equipoise, there is no doubt about which of his ancestors the Dwyer winner takes after. Kleberg says on this subject of heredity that "he is very like Equipoise, "I think, even to his color." One of the kindest things that may be said about a horses physique and disposition is to liken him to the Chocolate Soldier. Assault had to show a lot of spirit though no great speed to win the Dwyer, for he was carried out on each turn of the weirdly shaped Aqueduct track and bumped on the stretch corner, but came away at the end. Fourth of July will be celebrated by three 0,000 handicaps. In the East there is Suffolks Massachusetts, here in the Middle-West the Stars and Stripes, and in the far West the American Handicap at Hollywood. It seems most likely that Chicagoans will see the. leader of the division, as Armed is here at Arlington, and we doubt if Eastern trainers need be disturbed about his presence among the Massachusetts eligibles. It is of interest that Johnny Turner rates Assault within four pounds of him. That is quite the best tribute yet paid the "Triple Crowner." Turner makes.a three pounds shift in Stymies behalf off his race back of Gallorette in the Brooklyn. First Fiddle, the worlds richest gray horse, will try to bring off a third straight Massachusetts. A few of the eligibles for the 00,000 Hollywood Cup are to meet in the American. The weights for the Cup are not yet out, by the way. The Inglewood club does not, like Hialeah and Santa Anita, weight the eligibles in its richest race before the prelims. Turfiana: Herbert Woolf, whose Historian was saved by penicillin, had to take some of it himself last week, and is now none the worse for a heavy cold. . . . Keeneland sales catalogs will be distributed today. . . ; Four new amplifiers were installed at Arlington for this meeting. They were obtained from Western Electric and were used by the Navy during the War. . . . Marty Wehlan, who was the first manager of the Post and Paddock, will fly to Ireland next week. . . . Mrs. Elizabeth Graham may yet develop a superstition about a hat she has worn on the occasion of three particularly bad days for Maine Chance. . . . George Wideners horses are just recovering from the effects of a siege of "the cough" which swept the entire string. . . . The Belmont head has not raced at Aqueduct, and could not race at his own meeting. . . . The Chief, one-time winner of the Dwyer and Brooklyn, now is racing in California, and winning too, in Puerto Rica. . . . Dale Shaffer is keeping some choice fillies, but will offer yearling buyers a half-brother to Sicily at Keeneland. He is by Bull Dog. . . . The Upperville yearling show ended with a Pass Out filly winning the blue.