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R E F LEG T I O N S NEW YORK N Y May 13 From a competitive standpoint the Gallant Fox at Jamaica shapes up as the best stake event of the weekend Jimmy Jones has moved both Fervent and Faultless into New York and apparently this pair are none the worse for their race in the Dixie last Saturday and in which Fervent was the winner over Stymie The Calumet pair will probably be favorites at post time but from all indications they will be meeting a tougher field than was the case last Saturday In de ¬ feating the worlds moneywinning champion in the Dixie Fervent had a sixpound pull but in the Gallant Fox he will be toting 125 pounds which is just one less than John B Campbell assigned to Stymie Other pos ¬ sible starters include Phalanx Gallorette But Why Not Tide Rips and Endeavour n and at the weights this group might fight it out with the Calumet colorbearers from start to finish Thtjreis plenty of speed in this race and it may be that they will come close if not tie the record of 155 J5 for the mile and threesixteenths over thex Jamaica course The Dixie found Stymie closing with a rush and that race may have placed him at the peak where he will be the one to beat The Preakness field is now reduced to four horses and we doubt if the number will drop below that figure between now and Saturday It certainly will not go the other way Should Citation be beaten by any chance it would be the biggest upset since the day when Jim Dandy amazed the throng at Saratoga by beating Gallant Fox and Whichone in the Travers With each passing day the thought seems to be growing that the threeyearolds as a group are about on the same level as last years crop It is true that few good horses graduated from the threeyearold ranks to the older division this year Fervent has already demonstrated that he can hold his Gallant Fox Most Spirited WeekEnd Race Only Four Starters in Preakness Stakes Calumet Horses Strongest of All Time Hells Stars Highweights in Toboggan own with the name horses in the senior ranks Phalanx and possibly Cosmic Bomb may be seen in the near future Double Jay and Fautless are not doing too badly It is true that Citation and Coaltown appear to be stand ¬ out colts but it is much too early to dismiss the other threeyearolds as just soso Relic may still come back to prove his class and it could be that Whirling Fox may improve just as Phalanx did last season when the dis ¬ tance is lengthened out A A A ASome Some months ago racing fans were arguing whether or not the Calumet Stable was the strongest of all time on the American turf Recently we were asked to decide a friendly wager on the same topic and although we did not see the Dwyer Brothers horses or those of James R Keene in action we have made rather an exhaustive study of the earlier racers as compared to the modern day Calumet Stable It is our opinion but only an opinion that Calumet is entitledto those honors When has there been a stable at one time which had Armed Fervent and Faultless as handicap performers Citation Coaltown and Free America as threeyearold colts and then Bewitch and Whirl Some as threeyearold fillies It does not end there for among the 20odd twoyearolds there are some that the Jones boys hold in high esteem Warren Wright may not again realize the fabulous earn ¬ ings of 1402436 but it does remain that he hast the potential strength in all divisions to head the money winning owners for the sixth tim6 in 1948 1948A A A A AJust Just how close Cosmic Bomb is to race we are not prepared to say but this horse who fought it out with Fervent last year has been placed in the post of honor iu the Toboggan Handicap which will be the opening feature at Belmont Park on Monday Cosmic Bomb has been assigned 130 pounds by racing secretary John B Campbell and his stablemate Rippey is next on the list with 129 There is quite a drop in weights at that point for Buzfuz is in at 121 and is followed by Miss Kimo who is also from the Helis barn at 119 And then Beau gay 117 and Eagle Eye 116 There are quite a few sprinters who follow on the Toboggan list but we rather imagine the winnerswill turn up in the group already mentioned The Toboggan was inaugurated in 1890 and since that time it has been won by some of the most noted horses on the American turf including Roseben lron Mask Billy Kelly Osmand Balko Equipoise Eight Thirty Devil Diver Polynesian and t thers A A A AThe The management at Lincoln Downs has done a splendid thing this week in their horsemens benefit which is to secure funds for horsemen who suffered losses in the recent Pascoag Park stable fire As you recall many horses were burned to death and their owners naturally suffered as a result of their loss But the answer to race track fires is not to be found after the horses have b en burned to death but rather in the in ¬ stallation of a fire department that will prevent such tragic episodes Delaware Park has done a wonderful job in the installation of a fire department that when the occasion arises can cope with the situation Just recently we have had notice that the officials at the Wil ington course have installed a new 80foot tank which holds in storage 100000 gallons of water A race track fire is very quick to gain headway and water is needed immediately to prevent further spreading During the past 15 years there have been some terrible fires on our race tracks but the day must come when every track is organized such as Delaware Park is to fight fire quickly to save the horses stabled at the track
