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■ BETWEEN RACES * °*4* om CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., April 30. — Black Sambo, the surprise winner of the Lafayette Stakes over at Keeneland" last Wednesday, will be given another stakes opportunity in the historic Bashford Manor, the forty-eighth running of which will be decided at five furlongs as a companion stakes to the Ken tucky Derby. Black Sambo provided, we understand, Mrs. Sam Rosen, of New Orleans, with her first stakes victory. Trainer Bill Resseguet, who saddled Black Sambo for the Lafayette and accepted the trophy in the absence of Mrs. Rosen, is not willing to make any forecasts as -to the possibilities of Black Sambo, but he is naming the colt for a variety of juvenile fixtures at Arlington and Washington Parks, and indicates that Black Sambo is worth far more than the proverbial "empty stall." Black Sambo, a son of Ariel from the High Time mare Bisonette, was obtained from the Keeneland sales for an unimpressive ,000. In nine starts, he was unplaced only once. Seven of those starts were at Fair Grounds last winter. Jockey R. L. Baird, who piloted him to victory in the Lafayette and who also rode him the first time he ever started down in Louisiana, says it is just possible that Black Sambo never should have lost a race in the Southland. "They do not allow the use of whips at New Orleans," explains Baird, "and Black Sambo is the type that needs a bit of shaking up in the drive. He broke his maiden, as you will notice, in his first start at Keeneland, where the use of the whip is permitted." Black Sambo received his name, subsequently approved fry The Jockey Club, an instant after the horse was Whip Aids Black Sambo in Lafayette Score Memorandum Puts Holly Farm On the Map Church Retirement Regretted By the Turf Efficient TRPB to Supervise Derby Traffic knocked down to Mr. and Mrs. Rosen. "He is as black as Sambo," exclaimed trainer Resseguet, as he came up for a closer inspection. "Actually, the colt appeared a bit darker than he actually was, for he is officially listed as a brown. But as most horsemen know, the difference between brown and black is often borderline. In any event, he is not named for any person." Trainer Resseguet is no stranger to stake racing, having had quite some success with Jack S. L. and Agrarian-U. AAA We dont suppose there is any infallible test, rules or set of rules to establish a formula for computing whether or not a given farm is a "successful breeding establishment, but if The Hollys Farm of D. M. Hollings-worth may be rated successful, much of the credit will be due to a 5 mare named Memorandum. Hollings-worth has owned the Holly acreage for about 10 years, but did not begin to breed thoroughbreds until 1942. He was fortunate enough to obtain one better-than-average thoroughbred in Kendor, who was good enough to run third to Pellicle and Earshot in the 1946 renewal of the Louisiana Derby. Memorandum was obtained from the dispersal sale of E. D. Axton, and the Hollings-worth bid of 5 was successful, we suppose, because the mare was barren. In any event, she has provided Hol- lingsworth with four foals to date, and all have been winners. Her next foal to get to the races and who will be introduced at Arlington Park this summer, is the aptly named colt In Fashion, a son of Cravat. Making predictions at this early time is a hazardous mental exercise, but Hollingsworth is confident that In Fashion has the "look of eagles." So much so that the colt will be "well staked," as they term it here in Kentucky when a thoroughbred is liberally nominated to endowed events through his two- and three-year-old form. AAA It was with extreme regret that the turf read in the columns of Daily Racing Form early this week a statement that Norman W. Church was dispersing his turf interests, including horses in training and produce stock, because of advancing age and mediocre health. Church did much to build the turf in the West. For many years, he was the only steady California buyer in Kentucky at breeders sales who year after year refused to purchase anything but apt prospects, regardless of price. The cheap ones he seldom acquired. It was not too long ago that he paid 5,000 for Speculation. Churchs first thoroughbred, incidentally, cost him 5,000. The name of the horse was Flagstaff, the original Flagstaff, not the horse racing under the same name today. Flagstaff is still living, a pensioner at the Edendale Farm of Mrs. John Payson Adams, a farm which she acquired from Church a few jjears back. The old rose and white capped silks of Church have long been popular in California, and of a summertime at Ben Lindheimers Arlington and Washington Parks, where he often raced. Church set a standard for success when only a handful of people Continued on Page Forty-Three BETWEEN RACES I By OSCAR OTIS Continued from Page Forty-Four west of the Rockies were willing to pay enough money to insure a chance for success, at least. It is coincident, of course, but worthy of mention, in view of the 130-pound weight limit in handicaps vs. handicap them with any spread if the racing secretary so believes, that Church once owned a horse who earned the public nickname of the "giant killer." The "killer" earned his monicker by knocking off some of the best stake horses in America under light weight, albeit, he toted 126 pounds to victory in the 1932 edition of the Hawthorne Gold Cup under the guidance of George Wolf. The name of that horse was Plucky Play. AAA Horses and People: Spencer Draytons TRPB again will supervise and check the handling of the crowd on Derby Day. "We rather expect a smoother operation this year because we gained experience last year," says Keith Carter, TRPB agent in charge of the mid-west area. Drayton, Ed Coffey and Bob Laughlin of the TRPB staff, are expected out from New York within the next few days. You may recall that at the last Derby the TRPB men broke up a ring selling admissions on their own account. The goal of management, of course, is to see that everyone gets to and from his correct accommodations or space with a minimum of delay. Churchill is such a vast place and with so many different reserved "areas" that the successful attainment of that goal calls for able direction and a great deal of organizational training. . . . Last year, Keenelands revenue from the pari-mutuels exclusive of breakage was 55,612. Total purse distribution amounted to 87,850. . . . Louis Lee Haggin II., president of Keeneland, has a burning ambition to breed a horse capable of racing meritoriously in the Haggin Stakes at Hollywood Park. "Id rather win the Hollywood Park stake, named for my grandfather, than most any other race in America," he says. "When the right one comes along he will be shipped to California." Haggin, incidentally, still has extensive interests on the West Coast where James Ben Ali Haggin at one time maintained one of the greatest of all-time thoroughbred nurseries. ... As of this writing, Lextown may be considered as a possible Derby starter. . . . Detroit turf writer George Krehbiel proved himself as a "stake horse" in the master of ceremonies category by his witty emceeing of the annual pre-Blue Grass Press Dinner at Keeneland.
