Both Coaltown, Citation May Await Arlington Meet: Belmont Plans for First Named Indefinite; Report on Champion, Daily Racing Form, 1949-05-04

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Both Coal town, Citation MayA wait Arlington Meet Belmont Plans for First Named Indefinite; Report on Champion JAMAICA. L. I., N. Y., May 3.— As Coal-town idles in Barn 15 at Jamaica and Citation gallops, but doesnt breeze at Havre de Grace, while trainer H. A. "Jimmy" Jones, having run out of contradictory statements, has fallen back on "no comment," it becomes increasingly evident that Calumet Farms two handicap stars will rest on their laurels until the Arlington and Washington Park meetings in Chicago. Saturday, Jones said definitely that Coal-town would start in the Dixie Handicap at Pimlico, adding that he would be there himself to see that race, rather than go to Kentucky for the Derby. Coaltown was still at Jamaica while the races were being run today, but arrangements appear to have been made to send him to Belmont Park, where he is engaged in the Toboggan, Metropolitan and Suburban Handicaps. Coaltown has been assigned 140 in the Toboggan at six furlongs and 136 in the Dixie at a mile and three-sixteenths. What he would be given in the Metropolitan and Suburbanis pure conjecture, but racing secretary Jack Campbell has said nothing that would indicate he will be more lenient than Charley McLennan has been at Pimlico. On the other hand, an Arlington-Washington Park rule make a 130 -pound Continued on Page Three Both Coaltown, Citation MayAwait Arlington Meet Belmont Plans for First Named Indefinite; Report on Champion Continued from Page One top and 110-pound bottom weight mandatory at the two tracks. The Joneses have often voiced their disapproval of burdens in excess of 130 pounds. Unless Warren Wright is sufficiently anxious to win the Suburban with Coal-town to overrule his trainers, as he has done on occasion in the past, it seems reasonably certain that he will not race before mid-summer. Unless, of course, the six-furlong Toboggan is regarded as a lucrative workout despite the impost, going on the theory that excessive weight is not harmful when carried a short distance. As said above, he Joneses will not provide the answers to these questions in advance. As for Citation, the champion has been galloping for several months after having been fired in January at Hialeah for an injury suffered at Tanforan in December. He has not yet been asked for speed and the Joneses made it clear that they do not expect him to run him before mid-summer at the earliest, pointin out that there is no need to rush the colt while Coaltown has his health. There is some doubt, however, that Citation will ever run again. Obviously, no one can know whether Citation will stand training until he is asked, and there is a vast difference between galloping and breezing. However, two reputable veterinarians, who have obvious reasons for wishing their names withheld, have declared that they feel it will require a miracle to bring Citation back to anything like his invincible form of last year. One "vet" said flatly, "I will be amazed if he is even better than a class C horse again, and I dont believe he will be kept in training when it becomes evident that he cant do himself justice." These veterinarians have both attended Citation at one time or another and both examined him, according to their statements, after he had been fired in Florida, though neither performed the operation. It is their opinion that the operation was performed too soon after the injury was suffered. There was an interval of approximately one month, which is normally, but not always, sufficient. This is not a question of the veterinarians being right and the Joneses wrong, for the father and son trainers have carefully refrained from any positive statements concerning Citation, merely saying that he was galloping well and would not race before midsummer — if then.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1940s/drf1949050401/drf1949050401_1_4
Local Identifier: drf1949050401_1_4
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800