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REFLECTIONS NEW YORK, N. Y., May 21. In the weeks to come, Faultless may prove to be just as much a standout in this years three-year-old crop as Assault was last season. Regardless of that, there is a growing conviction that the three-year-old group, on the whole, may be just as mediocre as that of "1946. In the Coaching Club, the fillies did little to change that, although, as time goes on, First Flight may continue to be the standout that she was as a two-year-old. The next important events for this division will be on Saturday, when the Peter Pan Handicap will be run in New York and the Yankee Handicap will be the feature event at Suffolk Downs in Boston. If there is any member of the division who would appear to have a chance of defeating Faultless in the one and one-half miles of the Belmont Stakes it would be Phalanx, who will start as the topweight in the Peter Pan on the week-end. Faultless is not eligible for this race, but Phalanx will be thoroughly tested, as he is asked to carry 126 pounds, thus giving many of his opponents quite a bit of the best of it in the weight assignments. AAA The peak of the Suffolk Downs meeting will be reached this week-end when the 5,000 Yankee Handicap will be run. In this event, racing secretary John Turner assigned William Helis Cosmic Bomb the top weight of 126 pounds, but as the "Bomb? has been sent to the farm at Jobstown, N. J., to rest until the middle of June, it is -obvious that Atomic Power, at 123 pounds, will be the topweight of the field. In last weeks Constitution Handicap, Atomic Power was a convincing winner over Jobstown. In that race, however, Atomic Power carried 119 pounds, and Jobstown, 118. In the Yankee, 3 Atomic Power picks up four pounds and Jobstown drops three. End of strife, another Helis colorbearer, has been shipped to Boston and, it may be that with Jobstown, Phalanx Will Carry 126 in Peter Pan Atomic Power Faces Task in Yankee C. V. Whitney Protected Racing Public Whirlaway Babes Show Racing Ability will be sent as an entry. End of Strife is in at 110 pounds and may be a hard horse to beat this way weighted. Donor, who performed so well last season, is asked to carry 116 pounds. AAA C. V. Whitney is to be commended for his sportsmanship in withdrawing First Flight from the Coaching Club American Oaks. When First Flight worked "at Belmont Park after the running of the Nimba Handicap last Friday afternoon, his men finally located Whitney in the Adirondacks to tell him of the workout. He immediately ordered his crack filly scratched from the 0,000 Oaks on Tuesday, stating that there would undoubtedly be considerable play for her in the mutuels and that he thought it unfair to the racing public. Whitney probably saved his filly from the fate that Top Flight suffered in her first start as a three-year-old. Winning all seven of her starts as a two-year-old, she was made the winter book favorite for the Kentucky Derby of 1932, but in the Wood Memorial of that year she finished fourth-. It was then that Whitney immediately announced that she would be withdrawn from the Derby. She won her next three starts, the Acorn Stakes, Coaching Club American Oaks and Arlington Oaks. Then she met defeat again when she opposed colts in the Classic at Chicago. It might also be noted here that Twilight Tear lost her first race as a three-year-old and then went on to win 11 consecutive starts after that. First Flight would have faced a prodigious task had she started in the Coaching Club at one mile and three furlongs. It By NELSON DUNSTAN was just too much to overcome, even for a filly of her class and speed. AAA Bill Corum has always been a great admirer of Whirl-away, and he is still going strong. In his ever-interesting column, he enthuses over the success that Mr. Longtail is having with his first full crop of foals. He says, "Some breeding pundits, such as Charlie Hatton, or Nelson Dun-stan, should check and see how many of the Whirlaway babies have already won." Just a few days back we -noted that the first three youngsters by Whirlaway, and started by the Calumet Farm, have been winners, but unless Judge Hatton has compiled such figures, we will be very glad to dig in and give the facts within the next few days. It was the late John E. Madden who once said that, "Unless a new sire gets a good racer in his first few crops, the chances are he will never get one." AAA With June in the offing, racing is approaching the days when there will be quite a scattering of the stake horses. Aqueduct, Atlantic City, Delaware Park, Narra-gansett Park, Monmouth Park, Hollywood Park and Arlington Park in Chicago will all be operating during that month. The majority of these tracks will be staging important events on the week-end, and it will be something of a task for owners and trainers to decide which race to point their horses for. Arlington and Washington Parks, which run from June 16 to September 1, are already assured of many of the top horses in the country, including Armed, Faultless, Fervent and other members of the powerful Calumet string. It is planned to ship Assault to Arlington Park for the 0,000 Stars and Stripes Handicap on July 4. First Flight will also go there for the filly and mare stakes at the two Windy City courses. During the 67 days, the officials at these two tracks have arranged one of the most attractive and well-balanced stakes schedules to be found in this country, and it is not surprising that many of the stables stay there throughout the meetings.
