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REFLECTIONS By Nelson Dunstan Arlington Mon mouth Meets Open Monday Salvator Mile First Stake at Monmouth Are Modern Horses Superior to Oldsters Champions of All Divisions at Chicago ChicagoLEXINGTON LEXINGTON Ky June 18 18Two Two of the most popular race tracks in the country Arling ¬ ton Park and Monmouth Park will open long meetings on Mon ¬ day At Chicago the stakestudded Arlington meeting will feature some of the fastest horses ever seen on the American turf while down in New Jersey the openingday feature will be the first running of the Salvator Mile a race that in a few years may have the signifi ¬ cance and interest now attached to the Equipoise Mile that will be the feature event at Arlington Park next Saturday Salvator was one of the fastest horses of his day but how would he compare in speed with Coal town or Rippey How would Emperor of Norfolk winner of the American Derby in 1888 fare in a race against Citation who barring accident is a certain starter when this event is renewed at Washington Park the companion track to Arlington Park in Chicago Comparison of the relative merits of horses who raced in different periods is constantly debated and there is neverending wonderment as to the quality of the horses of 50 and 60 years ago as opposed to those of today todayOne One thing is certain thoroughbreds have improved over the years just as the human race progressed front the day the first tadpole wriggled out of the prehistoric slime The June 21 opening of Monmouth Parks 42day summer meeting also emphasizes that It was at old Mon ¬ mouth Park which flourished from 1870 to 1893 that two world records were set along the famous straightaway course of a mile and threeeighths This straightaway incidentally had its genesis in the city of Eat on town ran completely through Little Silver and terminated in Occanport probably as unusual as its length Along this straight broad path to gold and glory Salvator ran a mile against time in 135 4 breaking the existing record by nearly four seconds That was in July 1890 The same year the threeyearold Banquet the iron horse of Old Monmouth days stepped a mile and a quarter down the same run in 203 also constituting a record These races were along the straightaway Today both marks have tumbled as flying horses race around turns in more spectacular time This is definite proof that horses have improved as new breeding methods and study of breeding have replaced the haphazard hitormiss methods of the past pastAll All along the line from the cheapest platers to the stake stars the same is true Rats Walker an oldtimer in the em ¬ ploy of trainer Andy Schuttinger recalls Salvators race most vividly as well as other speed performances turned in by the chestnut son of Prince Charlie He made his race against time shortly after hed won the Suburban in New York in 206 and in them days if you had a horse that could run a mile and a quarter anywhere near 206 you had yourself a wonder Today platers run that fast for the fun of it and time has shrunk all along the line Salvator was a fast one but he couldnt have held a candle to the good ones of today The Salvator Mile is the newest stake on Monmouth Parks handicap agenda rais ¬ ing the curtain on the racing season on Monday It is named in honor of the star of the past another link between the old and new Monmouth Parks but the use of his nan2 merely emphasizes the improvement of horses improvement of the breed if you like likeChicago Chicago racing fans will not only see some of the worlds fastest horses at Arlington but also juveniles who may play an important part in the national picture later in the season Mondays opening feature will be the 520000 Hyde Park Stakes and it was in this event last year that Bewitch scored the first of seven victories a string that was broken when she ran third to Citation in the Belmont Futurity Check back through the years and it is surprising how many top youngsters competed in the Hyde Park Primer Lassie Arlington Futurity Pollyanna and then the later twoyearold stake events at Wash ¬ ington Park The list would include Alsab Free for All Teddys Comet Occupy Occupation Spy Song Cosmic Bomb Valdina Orphan Durazna Porters Cap Revoked and just last year Free America and Citation Some of the most powerful stables in the country are now bedded down at Arlington Park and it seems safe to say that some of the babes there will join with the group named above Calumet Farm has 17 juveniles in training and although he has yet to make his first start there is much talk that Good Ending is of championship timber The racing at Arlington and Washington not only holds the answer to Good Ending but many other babes of definite promiseThe promise The ArlingtonWashington stake schedules are well balanced giving horses in all divisions and of botb sexes opportunity to share in rich races Threeyearolds have the Classic and American Derby to shoot for but also such events as the 20000 Skokie on July 1 the 25000 Dick Welles Stakes on July 21 and the 25000 Drexel Handicap which is run on August 19 as a prep event for the American Derby on August 28 Ben Lind heimer executive director of the two Chicago tracks has added quite a few races for fillies and mares to the schedule during the past 10 years with the result that many of the cop three yearold ladies of the turf have competed in the 25000 Prin ¬ cess Doreen Stakes which will be renewed on June 23 and the 25000 Cleopatra Handicap the feature event on July 14 Older horses of both sexes also have many opportunities for substantial earnings in such races as the 30000 Equipoise Mile 50000 Stars and Stripes Handicap 50000 Arlington Handicap 40000 Whirlaway Stakes and 50000 Washington Park Handicap A glance at the ArlingtonWashington schedules reveals why Chi ¬ cago is one of the major racing centers of this country
