Twelve Juveniles in Joliet Stakes; Withers Mile Brings Out Olympia: Has Ocean Drive As Running Mate; Noble Impulse Seen Most Prominent Rival of Derby Favorite in Belmont Test, Daily Racing Form, 1949-05-21

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Twelve Twelve Juveniles Juveniles in in Joliet Joliet Stakes; Stakes; Withers Withers Mile Mile Brings Brings Out Out Olympia Olympia Has Ocean Drive As Running Mate Noble Impulse Seen Most Prominent Rival of Derby Favorite in Belmont Test BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., May 20. — The seventy-fourth running of the 5,000 Withers Stakes is the feature attraction at Belmont Park tomorrow. The colts who set the pace for, roughly, the first rriile of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness will meet in this classic fixture and will find the finish line at the point where they ran out of wind in the richer fixtures. Fred W. Hoopers Olympia, who will have a running mate in Ocean Drive, and Crispin Oglebays Noble Impulse are the three-year-olds who will command most of the pre-race attention in the Withers. They will be opposed by five others capable of making history repeat. Last year, Calumet Farms Coaltown was made a prohibitive odds-on choice in the Withers after having set the pace for Citation in the Derby. King Ranchs Better Self was sent with him from the start of the Withers, forcing the pace so effectively that both colts were spent at the sixteenth pole, with the result that Vulcans Forge came on to score by daylight. There is the distinct possibility that Olympia and Noble Impulse will engage in a similar pace duel tomorrow, to the vantage of Greentree Stables One Hitter, Woodvale Farms Halt or Mrs. Aksel Wich-fields Daiquari, who run their best races coming from behind. Cain Hoy Stables Dry Fly, the other candidate, is another speed horse, but doesnt possess the same brand of "lick" as the Hooper and Oglebay colts. Believe Olympia Can Be Rated Olympias connections have expressed the thought that the son of Heliopolis can be rated and may have the intention of using Ocean Drive to soften Noble Impulse, then bringing on their ace at the end. It is questionable, however, if Ocean Drive has the speed to get close to Noble Impulse in the first six furlongs. Before his disappointing race in the Derby, Olympia had won the Flamingo, both divisions of the Experimental Handicap, the Wood Memorial and the Derby Trial, and had finished second in the Santa Anita Derby. He passed up the Preakness, but. has been training brilliantly since his return to Belmont Park. This morning, he blew out a half in :47, handily on the main track, which was fast. Noble Impulse set a track record for a mile and a sixteenth at Pimlico before going postward in the Preakness, in which Continued on Page Two ; ; Olympic Seeking Withers Mile Today; Will Be Accompanied by Ocean Drive f j , . fc s 7 „ B j , a I I t s s y - t Noble Impulse Seen Most ■ Prominent Rival of Derby Favorite in Belmont Test AS Continued from Page One he cut out a sizzling pace before being collared by Capot just above the eighth pole, and held on well to finish third. That race established a new track record of 1:56 for a mile and three-sixteenths at Pimlico. He was sent a half in :47% this morning, indicating that he has lost none of his speed. From this distance, it would seem that unless Olympia is sent with him from the start, the son of Bull Dog will probably "steal" the Withers. If Olympia does go with him, or takes the track from him, literally anything can happen, It is anticipated that the majority of the public, New Yorkers having seen Olym- pia in many brilliant victories, will back the Hooper pair into favoritism, on the theory that Olympia can put Noble Impulse away and still have enough speed left to hold the others safe for a mile. Noble Impulse will probably be a well-played second choice. " _ Some of those who remember last years Withers and saw One Hitter score with f ridiculous ease in fast time at a mile and * a sixteenth here last Saturday, envisage * the Greentree colt running down the pace- * makers in the stretch. The son of Shut Out ? had all he could do to beat the moderate Bar Sinister here in his first start of the year, but his second start last week-end showed enormous improvement. Halt will be making his first local appearance of the year. After winning the I. Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, he fin-:, ished fifth in the Kentucky Derby. He y came from behind to beat Johns Joy a t nose in the Blue Grass and also finished and fairly well in the Derby. The Haltal colt - blew out a half in :47% this morning. He may be third choice to the Hooper entry ► ; — ■ • — • and Noble Impulse, in the wagering tomorrow. - Daiquari won his last start here with ! ridiculous ease, .but beat such ordinary horses as Disconsolate and Roseborough. l. Dry Fly was beaten here on Wednesday y by Blue Hill, after apparently having the e race won at the 70-yard pole. Eddie Arcaro will again be astride Olympia, - while Basil James will ride Ocean i Drive. Ted Atkinson will pilot One Hitter, while Conn McCreary* .who rode that colt t last week when Atkinson was winning the e Preakness on Capot, will be in the irons on i Halt. Bobby Martin will again handle Noble Impulse, Warren Mehrtens will ride e Daiquari, while v no rider has yet been i named for Dry Fly. The roster of Withers winners includes s many of the greatest horses ever to race e in the United States. After J. Donohues s Dublin won the Inaugural at Jerome Park !c in 1874, H. P. McGraths Aristides, winner r of the inaugural running of the Kentucky Derby, came to New. York to beat Rhada-manthus - and Ozark. Such old-time greats s as Duke of Magenta, George Kinney, Hanover - and Sir Dixon won the Withers at t Jerome Park. From 1890 through 1904, I, the stake was run at Morris Park, where e Tammany, Domino and Delhi were among the winners. Here at Belmont Park, Colin, HourlesSi Sir Barton, Man o War, Zev, r, Blue Larkspur, Whichone, Johnstown, i, Alsab and Count Fleet were among the e most illustrious victors. Incidentally, only y two "Triple Crown" winners, Sir . Barton and Count Fleet, have also been able to win the Withers, while Omaha finished second to Rosemont. „


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