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Sixteen Sixteen Meet Meet in in Coaching Coaching Club Club Oaks; Oaks; Galloway Galloway Popular Popular Hawthorne Hawthorne Repeater Repeater But Why Not Has Stern Opposition Harmonica, Cosmic Missile And Alrenie Go in 0,000 Mile, Three Furlongs Race BELMONT, Elmont, L. I., N. Y.F May 19. — The Coaching Club American Oaks, 0,-000 classic test for three-year-old fillies, has attracted its largest field in 20 years for tomorrows renewal. No less than 16 fillies have been named overnight to dispute the mile and three furlongs of the "filly Derby," headed by King Ranchs But Why Not, winner of the Pimlico Oaks, Acorn Stakes and an overnight race in her last three starts, her only appearances of the season. The chief opposition to the comely Texas belle, an acquisition from the Bradley sale, is expected to come from John J Watts Harmonica, who chased her home in the Acorn and Circle M Farms Cosmic Missile, who followed But Why Not in the Pimlico Oaks. But Why Not had little trouble in either of these stakes and a reversal of the order of finish would be a definite upset. The others in the Oaks are Christiana Stables Oberod, who finished a distant third in the Pimlico Oaks; C. V .Whitneys Mother, who was just a head farther back; Christianas Camargo, who was also in the beaten field at Pimlico; Ogden Phipps Quarantaine, William Ziegler, Jr.s, Flaring Home, A. C. Ernsts Alrenie, E. P. Taylors Picardy Belle, and Walter M. Jeffords Snow Goose, all of whom were soundly beaten by But Why Not and Harmonica in the Acorn; Phantom Farms Pie Lady, Hal Price Headleys Antigone, Belair Studs Ca-tana, who will be coupled with Quarantaine; Woodvale Farms Hals Gal and Alfred G. Vanderbilts Now and Again. First Flight Not Named A conspicuous, but not surprising absentee is C. V. Whitneys First Flight, who was to have made her 1947 debut in this stake, but has not trained to expectations. Two of the lesser lights in the Oaks won their last starts. Hals Gal and Pie Lady both scored here in overnight sprints, but did not beat a great deal. But Why Not was under a drive when outfinishing Harmonica in the Acorn at one mile, but was drawing away at the end, after Harmonica had reached the lead at the top of the stretch. Alrenie, on the outside, came from far back to be four lengths away in third place and might benefit enough by the extra three furlongs of the Oaks to be a factor. She was 12 to 1 in the Acorn and will hardly be such a price tomorrow. After winning the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, Cosmic Missile finished a neck behind Blue Grass in the Kentucky Oaks, when a 9 to 10 choice, then faltered at the end of the Pimlico Oaks. She was just a head away from But Why Not at the top of the stretch, and more than a length away at the end. Oberod finished five Continued on Page Twenty-Seven But Why Not Has Fifteen Coaching Club Oaks Foes Harmonica, Cosmic Missile Seek 0,000 Route Event for Fillies Continued from Page One lengths behind Cosmic Missile in the Pim-lico fixture, after running an even race. But Why Not, a daughter of Blue Larkspur — Be Like Mom, will be ridden by the familiar Warren Mehrtens, and looms a solid choice over Harmonica and Cosmic Missile. Despite the large field, the race seems to be primarily between this trio, with Alrenie, Oberod and Mother having outside chances. Eddie Arcaro will be astride Cosmic Missile, Johnny Adams is to ride Harmonica, Basil James will be on Alrenie, Charley Givens has been assigned to Mother, and as yet no boy has been named for Oberod. Since its inaugural in 1917, the Coaching Club American Oaks, which is the American counterpart of the Epsom Oaks, though a furlong shorter than that ancient classic, has been won by many memorable fillies, starting with James Butlers Wistful, who took the initial running. Since then the race has fallen to such as Cleopatra, Flambette, Prudish, Princess Doreen, Edith Cavell, Nimba, Bateau, Tambour, Top Flight, Black Helen and High Fleet, all of whom are now prominent in the stud books as dams of runners. In more recent years, the race has fallen to such good fillies as Level Best, Vagrancy, Twilight Tear and Hypnotic, last years winner. Walter M. Jeffords, who will be represented by Snow Goose, has won three previous editions of the Oaks, scoring with Florence Nightingale and Edith Cavell in 1925 and 26, and with Bateau in 1928, while Mrs. Jeffords colors were carried successfully by Creole Maid in 1938. Belair Stud, which won the race for Jockey Club chairman William Woodward with Vagrancy in 1942, will send out Catana, while Robert Klebergs King Ranch won the classic with Dawn Play in 1937 and Too Timely in 1943. Cosmic Missile showed her speed this morning when she went a handy mile in :48 over the sloppy training track at Belmont. That is about as fast as anything has worked on that slow strip this season. Now and Again, who has been racing without success in Maryland, went a half in :52 over the main track, which was muddy.
