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Assault and Stymie Vie in Grey Lag Horse of Year Must Concede Eight Foes Weight at Jamaica Coincidence and Lets Dance4 May Prove Factors Today in Mile and One Furlong Stake JAMAICA, L. I., N. Y., May 2.— To coin a phrase, Jamaica will close its spring meeting in a blaze of glory that even the prospective rain, hail, sleet and possibly snow in prospect at this writing can hardly dampen. The "big horses" will be running, and though the expected heavy track may cause some withdrawals, it is reasonably certain that Assault, Stymie, Coincidence, Gallorette, Bright Sword, Brown Mogul, Lets Dance, Windfields and Calvados will line up in George Cassidys starting gate preparatory to taking off in the 0,000 Grey Lag Handicap tomorrow. Assault, who will carry the Texas banner of the King Ranch, is a virtually certain starter, and there are any number of racing fans who would consider it worth a trip out to Jamaica merely to see him parade alone. Though the son of Bold Venture has to carry top weight of 128 pounds, conceding two to Mrs. Ethel D. Jacobs Stymie, eight to Greentree Stables Coincidence, 13 to W. L. Branns Gallorette, and larger amounts to the others in the field of nine scheduled to dispute the mile and a furlong, he will undoubtedly be a solid favorite, possibly at even money. The "Horse of the Year" of 1946, who won the "Triple Crown" and other races in slow time last spring, then showed he ► _ had as much speed as thoroughbreds are supposed to possess when winning the Pimlico Special and Westchester Handicap in the fall, after experiencing an inexplicable slump, turned in the most sensational trial in Jamaica history a couple of days ago. His mile in 1:37% apparently left no ill effects. The obvious opposition to Assault appears to be Coincidence and Stymie, with Lets Dance also having an outside chance of beating the Texan. Coincidence is a horse who at times has given the impression of being genuinely first class and providing swift disillusionment. He captured Saturdays Excelsior Handicap with ease in impressive style after finishing second and third in a couple of sprints reminiscent of the prep races Third Degree had in the same silks before winning the Metropolitan Handicap in 1940. Ted Atkinson is staying east to ride the gelding, while Warren Mehrtens will be astride Assault. Stymie, who trailed Assault a half dozen lengths at weight-for-age in the Pimlico Special, then developed an ailment prior to the Westchester, raced just once this year. That was in a six-furlong dash in which he was all but left at the post. As he is not generally regarded as a "speed horse" in any case, that mishap made the race meaningless. Stymie, who is now second to Whirlaway on the worlds money-winning roster with earnings in excess of a half million dollars, after having been claimed Continued on Page Forty-Two Assault and Stymie Vie In Grey Lag at Jamaica Continued from Page Seven for ,500 from Max Hirsch, trainer of Assault, has been training well and will be racing over his home track. Basil James Is to be in the saddle. Gallorette also has raced poorly in her two local appearances, but showed speed in her five-furlong trial yesterday morning and had beaten good colts at this track in the past. Charlie Givens is to ride the Challenger II. mare at as close to 115 pounds as this war veteran can come. Lets Dance appears rather favorably placed with only 110 pounds and raced well to be third behind Coincidence and Polynesian in the Excelsior. This little horse is no great shakes as a weight carrier, but is as game as they come, and won so important a stake as the 0,000 San Pasqual Handicap at Santa Anita last winter. He has raced well at Jamaica in the past and finished fairly well in the Excelsior. At this writing. Conn McCreary is assigned the mount, but may go to Ken- tucky instead to ride W L Sickle in the Derby. Of the lightweights in the Grey Lag, Brown Mogul and Windfields won their last starts at Jamaica, at least demonstrating their fitness. The former is an improving horse and is bred to stay, while Windfields showed more stamina than usual when beating Larky Day, Talon and Tel O Sullivan at a mile and a furlong a few days ago. That was not a bad race, though the Canadian only beat Larky Day a scant nose, for that racer is a hard-hitting sort, while Talon, who was far back, was good enough to place second behind Armed in the Widener at Hialeah. Bright Sword won one of his three starts at this meeting in clever style, but showed nothing in the Excelsior, in which Calvados ran surprisingly well. Regardless of the weather, this edition of the Grey Lag should attract some 50,000 fans to the Jamaica track.
