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R E F L EC T I O N S By WFLSON NEW YORK N Y May 17 Major racing on this continent reached its peak with the opening of Belmont Park Lincoln Fieldsat Washington Park in Chicago the Ontario Jockey Club meeting at Woodbine in Toronto and tomor ¬ rows opening at Hollywood Park in California At Belmont tomorrow tin fiftieth running of the Fashion Stakes for twoyearold fillies and Wednesday the feature will be the 15000 Swift for threeyearolds at sevenfurlongs in which Coaltown is expected to make his Long Island debut Other Swift candidates are My Request Mount Marcy Salmagundi Big Dial Whirling Fox Better Self and Vul ¬ cans Forge who ran a surprising second to Citation in the Preakness last Saturday The weekend stake is the Metropolitan Handicap which with 25000 added is for threeyearolds and older horses at one mile Faultless Fervent and Gallorette who were the money horses in last Saturdays Gallant Fox Handicap are among the eligibles eligiblesA A A A We were surprised on returning toNew York Saturday night to hear a man say Old Stymie was favorite for the Gallant Fox but Im afraid he is not the horse he was last year That would seem to echo the remarks of Jimmy Jones regarding Armed and to the effect that he is now seven years old and can only go downhill Per ¬ sonally we refuse to believe that from the close of the 1947 season to this opening of 1948 that either Armed or Stymie has gone back so far that they are no able to cope with their competitors in the older division In the Gallant Fox Stymie carried 126 pounds as opposed to the 118 that was toted by Faultless the ultimate win ner In the Dixie Handicap a week ago Stymie came from behind to finish second to Fervent In the Gallant Major Racing Reaches Peak Nationally Hollywood Park Opens 50Day Meeting Calumet Horses Create Worlds Records Many Rich Races for ThreeYearOlds Mead Fox he went from tenth position at the one mile post to be fifth at the finish He still has his old zip and we believe that before the season is out both Armed nd Stymie will demonstrate that even as sevenyearolds they are a long way from their finish as top handicap performers performersA A A A Hollywood Park one of the most beautiful race tracks in the world will open its 50day meeting with the 25000 Inglewood Handicap for threeyearolds and older horses at six furlongs tomorrow This will be the first of 13 stake events that will total 525000 in added money an average of more than 40000 per race that will be con ¬ tested before the meeting comes to a close on July 24 The big race of the meeting will be the 100000 Holly ¬ wood Gold Cup which will be run on Saturday July 13 for threeyearolds md older horses at one and one quarter miles Since its inaugural running 1938 it has been won by such famous horses as Seabiscuit Kayak II and Challedon with last years honors going to the fouryearold Cover Up who ran the distance in the amazing time of 200 flat equaling the longdisputed mark established by Whisk Broom H in 1913 There will be two 50000 prep events prior to the running of the Gold Gup but the race which will rank second in im ¬ portance is the 50000 Westerner which was formerly known as the Holly wood Derby and is exclusively for threeyearolds at one and onequarter miles and to be run on Saturday July 3 A A A ADuring During recent years many new worlds records have been established in all departments of racing But the Calumet Farm of Warren Wright created an unique mark when on Saturday Citation in the Preakness and Fault ¬ less and Fervent in the Gallant Fox earned the stupen ¬ dous sum of 167170 a figure never before attained on one day by any owner in the long history of the turf Last year the Calumet horses created a new record when they earned 1402436 but at the rate they are going there is a good chance that they will top that figure this season The records of winning owners in this country have been kept since 1902 and it is an astonishing fact in just one day the Warren Wright horses earned more than the leading owner in 13 different seasons since these records have been kept Lately it has been argued whether or not the Calumet Stable is more powerful than those of James R Keene were after the turn of the century But the growth of the American turf is clearly demonstrated in that when the Keene horses made him the leading owner in 1906 they earned only 155519 just 11651 less than the Calumet horses garnered last Saturday afterndon afterndonA A A A AThere There has probably never been a season in American racing when the threeyearold division has been so thoroughly dominated by two members such as Citation and Coaltown Yet that pair are not the total strength of Calumet in that division for they still have Free America and the fillies Bewitch and Whirl Some to bolster them in the months to come There are still many opportunities in every part of the country for members of that division Starting with Wednesdays Swift af Belmont there are no less than 10 stake events scheduled exclusively for threeyearolds between now and June 12 when the Belmont Stakes is carded and the Kent will be run at Delaware Park They total 340000 in added money That by no means ends it for there are still many rich events for threeyearolds to follow including the 50000 Dwyer at Aqueduct the 60QOO Classic at ingtpn Park
