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REFLECTIONS I By Nelson Dunstan Dunstan in Kentucky Thoughts Wing Home Harks Back to Incidents on Long Island Comment on Better Self and Mr Busher Band Music at Belmont Park on Big Days DaysLEXINGTON LEXINGTON Ky June 17 17Here Here in the very heart of the Blue Grass are local subjects to command and hold the interest of a horseloving visitor indefinitely Yet the thoughts of this pilgrim persist in straying to incidents afield For example they revert to Belmont Day on Long Island So in retro ¬ spect Better Self ran his best race of the season when he nosed out Escadru for the place in the Belmont Stakes Considered among the two or three top juveniles of 47 King Ranchs Bimelech colt made a promis ¬ ing beginning this spring when he annexed the Paumonok but he tailed off badly for a while thereafter The Withers in which this rather slight Idle Hourbred just failed to catch Coaltown for the place was en ¬ couraging And then a week later Better that Max Hirsch had the colt back in the form that had won him so many friends among horsemen last season We have only one reservation to make concerning Better Selfs race in the Belmont and it is this Faraway Gasparilla and Escadru all made an attempt to menace Citation at one stage or another of the Classic mile and a half The closest Better Self came to the champion was at the finish And he was running over colts exhausted from a hopeless task taskEverybody Everybody was ready to congratulate owner Mrs Eliz ¬ abeth Graham and trainer Jimmy Smith after Mr Busli ers smashing victory in the National Stallion Slakes Mrs Graham for her courage and foresight in paying th record price of 50000 for a weanling that now has turned out brilliantly and Jimmy Smith for his admirable prepa ¬ ration of Bushers baby brother Smith has long been known as a careful developer of young stock and due to his association with the late Colonel Bradley he has been right at home with the Idle Hourbred Mr Busher The 57 time for the dash down the Widener chute and the fact that the Maine Chance Farms chestnut was beating as higbly considered a juvenile as Emulate by a couple of lengths easily hardly explains the vivid impression he made in this race it was how he did it that is importantMr important Mr Busher raced straight and true down the Widener Chute He was in the middle of the pack with no rail to lean on Zufelt restrained him just off the swift pace set by Illuminable until there was only a furlong to go Once given his head the Maine Chance colt shot to the front and from that moment until the wire it was no contest Ears pricked and with perfect action taking up his task like a veteran Mr Busher won with unforgettable style Conformation gait racing manners all proclaim this an exceptional colt He reminds the observer of a smaller edition of his famous sister now retired at Louis B Mayers Ferris Calif farm and reported to be safely in foal to Alibhai but trainer Smith says that he has not finished growing by a long shot This is not the last that we will hear of the son of War Admiral Baby League by Bubbling Over OverSpring Spring races and probably quite rightly do not receive the financial recognition accorded contests at a more ex ¬ acting route but our heart has always warmed to a fine sprinter From the days of Roseben Iron Mask Pan Zaretta through those of Naturalist Billy Kelly and on to Balko Sation Osmand and just last year Polynesian this division has always intrigued us With Polynesian now retired Rippey who won the Belmont event named In honor of old Roseben the big train on closing day Is certainly the best in the East William Helis fiveyearold son of Pompey Broad Ripple by Stimulus picked up 135 pounds and ran his six furlongs over the Widener course in 110 which would seem to recall the old adage speed plus weightcarrying ability equals class On the coast the fastest thoroughbreds at the abbreviated distances are possibly the Irish Mafosta Fair Truckle and With Pleasure The latters meeting with Polynesian at any dis ¬ tance up to a mile and an eighth was eagerly anticipated last fall but unfortunately the pair never came together togetherThreedot Threedot shorts George D Widener was so pleased with the performance of the band at Belmont last Saturday that Inusic will be a permanent feature of the Westchester Racing Associations weekends Herb Fisher the unfortunate lad Who rode Head Play in the notorious 33 Derby won by Brokers Tip is doing right well as a trainer in New England He selected and developed Andys Glory for Irvin Gushen is convinced that this handsome Andy K threeyearold is a good one Rigan McKinneys yellow coat was the brightest spot in the paddock at Belmont last Saturday Trottin hoss friends of ours who were out to see Citation win told us that Egan Hanover is the chief threat right now for Bill Canes Hambletonian this August The colt is a full brother to Rodney last summers chief con ¬ tender to Hoot Mon in the harness classic Bayard Tucker man one of the few New England breeders of thoroughbreds is responsible for a winner on the Metropolitan circuit last week Is Honeymoon a better mare than Gallorette right now The weights for Delaware Parks New Castle Handicap tomor ¬ row suggest that Gil Haus thinks she well may be he assigning the daughter of Beau Pere Panoramic 126 one pound more than Gallorettes burden and three more than the weight to e carried by the fouryearold filly But Why Not Citation is said to be a good doer and if the Calumet combination is fortunate enough to find cool weather in Chicago we expect the champion to put on quite a little flesh by the time he next goes to the post It should help him in the long arduous cam ¬ paign that has been planned
