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i i I. I.. .i.i.i.i.| — »— — iiliiiTrJmmnm in in JOCKEY ERIC GUERIN— Will guide the Maine Chance Farms Jet Pilot again in todays Preakness Stakes, the second of the Triple Crown races. Jet Pilot Has Ten Opponents In 00,000 Preakness Today Phalanx May Be Slight Choice Over Derby Winner, Faultless Cosmic Bomb, Bullet Proof, t Riskolater, On Trust Seek Stake; Predict Fast Track PIMLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 9. — Eleven three-year-olds, including Jet Pilot, the doughty little Maine Chance Farm colt who successfully essayed a giant-killers role to capture the gold and glory of last weeks Kentucky Derby, were entered overnight for tomorrows fifty-seventh Preakness, Marylands premiere thoroughbred classic, and second jewel in the coveted "Triple Crown." Recoiled for another strike at Jet Pilot were six of the stylish colts he humbled at Louisville and four others who declined the Churchill Downs issue for a battleground of their own choice, so to speak. There are no surprise entries in the field which had promised to include an even dozen until trainer Oscar White declared Mr. and Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords Uncle Remus early this morning. On Trust Draws Rail Position With the starting field thus tailored to custom size, little or no importance dan be attached to post positions. The start of the one mile and three-sixteenths Preakness run will be effected from the head of the stretch and the field will line up with E. O. Stices western invader, On Trust, on the rail, followed by Calumet Farms Faultless, Circle M Farms Riskolater, Mrs. M. E. Whitneys Bullet Proof, Mill River Stables Secnav, King Ranchs Contest, Jet Pilot, C. V. Whitneys Phalanx, William Helis Cosmic Bomb, B. J. Bax King Bay, and E. P. Taylors Cornish Knight, all will carry 126 pounds. Cornish Knight, Secnav, Contest and King Bay are the non-Derby starters in the Preakness field. Almost without exception, the connections of the various Preakness owners are pulling for a fast track tomorrow and from all indications their hopes will be realized. Today dawned clear and outlandishly cold for a May day and Martin L. Debler, the states premier weather prognosticator, said that Preakness Day would be the same. Tom Smith, conditioner of the Derby winner, appeared as confident as ever when informed of the forecast, although Jet Pilot is known to prefer an "off" track, a condition that prevailed for last weeks Derby. The Preakness, expected to attract a banner throng of 40,000, will be run as the sixth race on the program with the-probable post time set for 5:10 p. m., Eastern Daylight Saving Time. Phalanx, who narrowly missed being entered this morning, trainer Syl Veitch leaving the track under the impression some one else had entered the colt, is expected to close the favorite, with Jet Pilot a very close second choice. Faultless, who will be saddled by trainer H. A. "Jimmy" Jones, should be third choice and certainly there will be respectful support for the small, but stouthearted Bullet Proof, particularly from those Marylanders who saw the game little son of Stepenfetchit charge from last place to capture the recent Chesapeake Stakes. With the 11 in the fold, the Preakness purse will gross 38,140, slightly less than it grossed last year when Assault came victoriously out of Kentucky to annex the Preakness and earn 6,620, the largest purse in the history of the race. There is a chance Assaults Preakness Continued on Page Three Jet Pilot to Pit Speed With Ten1 Opponents in Preakness Renewal Favor Phalanx Over Derby T Victor and Faultless With Fast Track in Prospect Continued from Page One earnings can be topped tomorrow, but the race will have to be won by other than On Trust, Cornish Knight or Bullet Proof. These three were supplementary entries at a fee of ,000, and, should either win, he will net 5,140. If a regular Preakness entry wins, the net value to the winner will be 8,005. With the announcement this morning by trainer Bert Alexandra that the capable Al Snider would handle Cornish Knight, the riders of the various Preakness starters have been definitely established. Of course, Eric Guerin again will be aboard Jet Pilot and the redoubtable Eddie Arcaro will return to Baltimore to handle Phalanx. The veteran Johnny Longden will be aboard On Trust, and Wayne D. Wright again will have the leg up on Bullet Proof. The others and their riders are Faultless Doug Dod-son ; Riskolater Willie Balzaretti; Sec-nav Conn McCreary ; Cosmic Bomb Shelby Clark; King Bay Robert Campbell*; Contest Warren Mehrtens. Mehr-tens will be remembered as the lad who drove Assault to his "Triple Crown" conquests last year. Campbell rode W L Sickle in last weeks Derby run. In Familiar Surroundings Jet Pilot, Phalanx and Faultless, of course, are expected to be the cynosure of all eyes when the Preakness field leaves the paddock to the strains of "Maryland, My Maryland." Jet Pilot will be in thoroughly familiar surroundings because it was over . this historic course last year that the fine little chestnut son of Blenheim II. — Black Wave first displayed stakes caliber in dashing to a well-deserved victory in the Pimlico Futurity. While the belief is still strong that the Jet will not set another will o wisp pace over the shorter Preakness route tomorrow, he certainly has the bearing of a champion and the well wishes of many in the multitude will ride on the glistening shoulders of the handsome little Maine Chance colt, who is owned by the gracious sportswoman, Mrs. Elizabeth Graham. Phalanx relentless surge in the one mile and a quarter Derby in which he ran at the fleeting Jet Pilot with a surge that fell only a head shy of the mark, returns to the same locale in which he played an ill-starred role last November. It was in the Pimlico Futurity that Phalanx spilled jockey Ruperto Donoso during a breath-taking charge that completely engulfed his rivals in its wake. Even before the echo of the cheers of last weeks record-breaking Derby throng had grown still. Phalanx has been quoted a favorite to reverse Jet Pilots decision in the Preakness. Few of the trainers of Preakness horses have remained as stoically confident as affable Jimmy Jones, who will saddle Faultless for owner Warren Wright. Faultless, who finished third in the Derby, beaten only two heads in the blanket finish, returns to a track for which he has shown a marked partiality, and with dry going in prospect, the brown son of Bull Lea — Unerring may prove just the youngster to follow in the footsteps of such redoubtable stablemates as Whirlaway and Pensive, who scored Preak-nes victories for Calumet in 1941 and 1944, respectively. Canadian-Owned Racer on Edge The race takes on a distinct international flavor with the inclusion in the field of the Canadian-owned Cornish Knight, a smart looking runner who was third in a division of the Wood Memorial and won a division of the Experimental Free Handicap this season. Cornish Knight did not start in the Derby, but has been pointed especially for tomorrows race. Cosmic Bombs rather dismal fifth in the Derby brought keen disappointment to owner Helis and trainer Willie Booth, who early as last winter said the handsome son of Pharamond II. — Banish Fear was the finest prospect he has ever trained. Cosmic Bomb certainly has the breeding and individuality to measure up to championship standards, and his owner and trainer retain their extreme faith in the colt. Until early today, when he turned in a sizzling half-mile trial in preparation for tomorrows great adventure, there had been little or no enthusiasm for King Bay, an obscure sophomore, who won two overnight races in Kentucky this spring. King Bay came on to Maryland unheralded and unsung, but won many admirers this morning when he went four panels smartly in :48V5, with his colored trainer. Ray White, who weights 130 pounds, in the irons. Certainly King Bay will be one of the most handsome three-year-olds in the parade, and his sizzling trial this morning qualifies him as the real dark horse in the field. Contest, like King Bay, has a far from inspiring record, having won one of two starts this spring. The colt was untried as a two-year-old. but is trained by the old master. Max Hirsch, who certainly would not have entered the colt unless he thought he had a chance. Secnav is strictly a fast track performer and should mud come up, will be scratched. Trainer H. A. Luro entered his charge in the Preakness field with the proviso he will start only if the going is fast. Besides King Bay, five other Preakness candidates were on the training track this morning for blowouts. Contest went a half-mile in :48% and according to competent observers, could have gone much faster had his rider so desired. Bullet Proof, continuing to display fine speed and actions, breezed a half-mile in :52, while Faultless went five-eighths in 1:0115- The Calumet Farm stalwart appeared to be in the very best of condition. Riskolater went impressively, moving three-quarters handily in 1:16%. Cosmic Bomb blew out three-j eighths in :36. On Trust completed his preparations for I the race yesterday and has been pronounced ready by Clyde Turk, who has been looking after him in the absence of j trainer Willie Molter. Incidentally, should On Trust capture the race, he will be the first California-bred three-year-old to win a Preakness since Kaliten in 1917.
