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REFLECTIONS L By Nelson Dunstan Seven Stakes Still to Be Run at Belmont Coaching Club Feature Event Wednesday Peter Pan Yankee WeekEnd Magnets Steeplechasing More Popular With Fans FansNEW NEW YORK N Y May 29 29Mondays Mondays Suburban Handicap ushers in the last two weeks of the Belmont meeting There are still seven stake events to be decided at the Elmont course and on Wednesday they will fea ¬ ture the Coaching Club American Oaks which today is regarded as the most impor ¬ tant event for threeyearold fillies con ¬ tested in the land With 50000 in added money the race will be at a mile and three furlongs and late Wednesday night there will be a name added to the roster which has already been studded by such highclass fillies as Princess Doreen Florence Nightin ¬ gale Edith Cavell Top Flight Black Helen Vagrancy Twilight Tear and Harmonica who was the winner of last years running No less than 78 fillies were nominated for this event and while Bewitch is certain to be on the sidelines there is a possibility that Calumet Farm will send one of the trio of Whirl Some Whirling Girl or Yesme to the post In recent weeks White Lady from the barn of C V Whitney and George D Wideners Watermill have been good winners and they seem certain to be starters startersThere There is a very definite connection in the running of the Coaching Club American Oaks with that old old question Do good race mares make good broodmares Top Flight who won the Coaching Club in 1932 may have a fine representative in this years renewal in C V Whit ¬ neys White Lady a daughter of Mahmoud Back in 1942 Vagrancy was the Coaching Club winners and next Sat ¬ urday she will be represented in the Epsom Derby in England by Black Tarquin one of the two that will carry the colors of William Woodward Ciencia was not a Coaching Club winner but back in 1938 this filly was a winner of the Santa Anita Derby Yesterday at Belmont six twoyearolds matched strides in the fourth race and the winner was a brown colt by Brazado out of this same highclass filly Ciencia If you were to check the dams of the fillies who are entered in the Coaching Club you would find a solid vote for those who maintain that good race mares make good broodmares You would also find the names of mares who have distinguished themselves in racing or production including Heloise Nellie Flag and one of the greatest producers of all time La Troienne TroienneIt It was apparent today that many racing fans were puzzled by the appearance of only four two year ofds in the 100000 Juvenile Many who talked with us about it said they could understand that due to the presence of Coaltown the Withers drew a small field The Juvenile was something to be puzzled about for T n April 1 of this year no less than 140 youngsters were named for the stake with only four of them eventually being in the race Checking back through the years this is the smallest number to answer the bugle since 1928 It may be that the conditions of the race had something to do with it for a winner of the sweepstakes or two races was penalized five pounds and maidens were allowed four pounds Then again many of the juveniles may have been retarded in training But even so with 140 originally named you would certainly think that a larger field would have resulted There were 240 nomi ¬ nated on January 15 of this year for the filly division of the National Stallion Stakes which will be run on June 5 and no less than 293 originally named for the colt division of the same race which is scheduled for June 12 While 114 have been de ¬ clared out of the colt division there are still 179 eligible and it will be interesting to see how many go to the post in that event eventNext Next Saturday there will be two important races for threeyearolds the 15000 Peter Pan at a mile and a furlong being the feature at Belmont while up in New England they will stage the 50000 Yankee Handicap at one and onequarter miles Neither Coaltown nor Ci ¬ tation were named for the Peter Pan and if Calumet Farm has a starter they will depend upon Whirl Blast or Beau Dandy Whether the Jones boys will start either one of those horses is problematical but even if they do they are likely to find a goodsized field out to oppose them Named for this race are Faraway Kilroy Salma ¬ gundi Vulcans Forge Gasparilla Hypnos Escadru and also King Rhymer who won the fifth race at Belmont Park yesterday There has been some talk that Calumet will send Coaltown to Suffolk Downs for the Yankee Hand ¬ icap but up to this writing there has been no statement from the Calumet contingent verifying this At Belmont the National Stallion filly division will be cofeatured with the Peter Pan while down at Delaware Park the most importantrace of the day will be the 10000 Chris ¬ tiana Stakes at five furlongs for twoyearold colts and geldingsJudging geldings Judging by the throngs at Belmont Steeplechasing is gaining in popularity Last Thursday over 22000 were on hand when Mrs Corliss Sullivans fiveyearold jumper The Heir defeated Fleettown and War Battle in the Charles L Appleton Steeple ¬ chase Stakes In that race The Heir carried 135 pounds but in the Corinthian Steeplechase Handicap which will be run on Thursday of next week the Gino gelding will tote 142 War Battle who was declared the champion steeplechaser of 1947 has been assigned the top weight of 160 pounds and is followed on the list by Elkridge 153 Burma Road 152 and Lieut Well 148 The last important jumping race at the Belmont meeting will be the 15000 Meadow Brook Steeplechase Handicap which at two and a half miles will be run on Thursday June 10 Practically all of the horses named for the Corinthian are also eligible for the Meadow Brook the one exception being The Heir From Belmont many of the jumpers will move down to Delaware Park where the 10000 Tom Roby Steeplechase Stakes will be the first of five races which are for the chasers
