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Top Flight Handicap Draws Twelve Checkerhall in Third Lincoln Score Gallorette Meets Harmonica And First Flight at Belmont Brann Mare Likely Favorite In Filly and Mare Fixture Helis Stable Enters Pair PairBELMONT BELMONT PARK Elmont L I N Y June 8 The ninth running of the 20000 Top Flight Handicap is expected to attract a throng of approximately 23000 patrons to Belmont Park tomorrow If metropoli ¬ tan racing fans showed the same discrimi ¬ nation in selecting races to attend that they do when buying theater tickets Belmontfs ancient seams would burst under the pres ¬ sure of a throng considerably more than twice as large for this promises to be one of the best races of the year yearA A dozen fillies and mares have been en ¬ tered for the fixture honoring C V Whit ¬ neys champion filly of 1931 and 1932 in ¬ cluding First Flight who will carry the same eton blue jacket and brown cap under 120 pounds most of which will be the capable Shelby Clark At the end of the L946 season First Flight occupied almost i he same rank Top Flight no relation had leld 15 years before being acclaimed the sest twoyearold of either sex sexWon Won Monmouth Oaks Last Year YearTop Top Flight failed to maintain her posi ¬ tion against the males in 1932 but contin ¬ ued to rule over the fillies while First Flight won only one stake at three the Monmouth Oaks being burdened with an organic dis ¬ order that made it impossible for her to show her true form The daughter of Mahmoud Fly Swatter has never taken an unsound step however and her recent vic ¬ torious 1948 debut indicates that she has better than a fair chance of redeeming her ¬ self fully this season First Flight has de ¬ veloped into a robust and athletic filly and should have no trouble getting the mile and a sixteenth sixteenthThe The 11 opposing First Flight include all but two of the better runners of her sex Those two unfortunately were generally regarded as the best three year olds of the weaker sex in 1947 But Why Not and Snow Goose neither of whom was able to accept the issue tomorrow tomorrowW W L Branns Gallorette who has won more money than any feminine racer in American turf history is top weight with 126 pounds WL Ranchs Honeymoon a brilliant mare in California and winner of her most recent start at Garden State Park is next in line with 124 They are followed by Arnold Hangers Harmonica at 122 winner of the Suburban under 119 in her last start startOthers Others Entered EnteredThe The others in the Top Flight are William Helis Elpis 121 Mill River Stables Miss Grillo 120 Helis Miss Kimo 116 Ben F Whitakers Carolyn A also 116 J S Phipps Trilby 109 Dark Venus 106 and Howell E Jacksons Red Shoes 108 who will run as an entry and Abram S Hewitts Grilette who will be coupled with Miss Grillo 106 106Gallorette Gallorette will probably be favorite in the Top Flight though she faces a hard task The Challenger II mare finished a close third behind Fervent and Colosal in the Gallant Fox Handicap at Jamaica then turned in a dismal race in the Metropoli ¬ tan Mile here Given a fast track and one of Eddie Arcaros best rides she remains the one to beat It is probable that her poor race in the Met was due to that race coming too soon after a hard race in the longer Gallant Fox FoxHarmonica Harmonica led all the way in the Sub Continued on Page Two Twelve Fillies and Mares Go in Top Flight Handicap HandicapContinued Continued from Page One Oneurban urban and although she picks up 13 pounds in actual weight is no longer asked to meet masculine rivals However this mare has consistently refused to race well with ¬ out a fairly long rest being sort of a Sunday pitcher pitcherThe The Helis pair Elpis and Miss Kimo have yet to show a return to their 1947 form while the trio that Bill Post will saddle Trilby Red Shoes and Dark Venus have all raced well enough in recent weeks to be troublesome under their light imposts impostsMiss Miss Grille turned in a miserable effort in preparation for the Suburban then failed to improve appreciably in that clas ¬ sic but has undeniable class classCarolyn Carolyn A has been almost as inter ¬ mittent in her form as Harmonica this year but sandwiched victories in the Corn rection and Firenzoe Handicaps among her poor races Honeymoon who may be the dark horse of the Top Flight won the Vineland Handicap at Garden State beat ¬ ing Elpis three lengths with Carolyn A up the track
