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REFLECTIONS y nelsn dunstak NEW YORK, N. Y., May 30. When Eddie Arcaro dismounted after Olympia won the Withers a week ago last Saturday, he enthusiastically stated "he could have gone a nifle and a half today." The Hooper colt again had his opportunity at a mile and a quarter in the Jersey Stakes at Garden State Park on the weekend, but, once again, he showed that even 10 furlongs is beyond his capabilities. Olympia is the fastest three-year-old around today, but his connections will probably keep him in races that are no longer than one and one-eighth miles in the future. He negotiated that distance successfully in the Flamingo at Hialeah after he had been beaten by Old Rockport in the Santa Anita Derby. Then, he ran sixth in the Kentucky Derby, and now second to Palestinian in the Jersey. He is an eligible for the Peter Pan Handicap at Belmont on the weekend and, as this event is at one mile and a furlong, he will probably be a starter and, we might add, very much of a contender. But, it is very doubtful if the Hooper contingent will elect to send him to the post in the one mile and a half Belmont, which will be run one week from Saturday. AAA Myrtle Charm, the two-year-old filly champion of last year, may come out to assert her superiority again this season, but, until she does, Wistful must be regarded as the best of her age and sex. She left no doubt of that when she defeated 14 other three-year-old fillies in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont on the week-end. Ben Jones, the Calumet trainer, when talking about Wistful recently, made the statement, "She is no Twilight Tear." But then, again, he is also credited with saying, "Wistful can beat the colts." Top Flight was one of the best fillies of the past quarter century, but, as a three-year-old, she set no houses afire, either, when racing against colts, for in her four starts against those of the opposite sex, she was out of the money on all occasions. Wistful has now won six of her 10 starts to date this season, and her victories include the Kentucky Oaks, Pimlico Oaks and, now, the Coaching Club American Oaks. If she stays East, she is Olympia Cannot Carry Speed Over Route Wistful Can Beat Fillies Maybe Colts Sire Spotlight Shines on Sun Again Black Tarquin to Stand at Claiborne an eligible for the 0,000 Delaware Oaks, which will be run at the Wilmington course on July 4. If she goes West with the rest of the Calumet string immediately after the Belmont meeting, she will have the Princess Doreen Stakes on June 11, the 5,000 Cleopatra Handicap on July 9, and then, at Washington Park, the 0,000 Artful Stakes on August 6. There are also enough races for three-year-olds and older fillies and mares, to keep her busy until the fall of the year. If Myrtle Charm comes back to her two-year-old form, it will be something of a race when she hooks up with Wistful. AAA The late John Madden, who was one of the worlds greatest breeders, once said: "If a young sire does not get a good horse in his first or second crop, the chances are he will not get one in later years." Sun Again must certainly be classed with the young sires who came through forcibly in his first crop, for how often will a young sire produce a colt and filly who won 0,000 races at two different tracks on the same day, as Palestinian won the Jersey Stakes, and Wistful won the Coaching Club American Oaks? Sun Again has been more or less lost in the shadow of Bull Lea, but he can now claim his share of the sire spotlight. Besides Palestinian and Wistful, another member of his first crop was E. P. Taylors Illuminable, who was rated-the seventh best colt of the year in John B. Campbells Experimental Handicap of 1949. Illuminable was injured in the early part of the season, but, before the year is out, he may be adding to the laurels of the young sire, who was one of the best race horses of his years. Belmont fans will probably never forget the Suburban Handicap of 1944, when Conn McCreary staged one of his belated rushes on Sun Again and just missed catching Aletern. But, we are willing to wager that no horse ever ran faster from the head of the stretch to the finish line at Belmont than Sun Again did that afternoon. This writer had to forego the thrill of witnessing the Kings Plate this year, but we were amazed when we read that 45,000 were on hand to see the Canadian classic. Our amazement was not caused by the size of the crowd, but rather by the fact that the attractive Woodbine track could hold that many people. The victory of Epic did not come as a great surprise, and, especially, to those who watched the Taylor colt while he was training here in the United States. Epic is by Bunty Lawless, who was the winner of the Kings Plate in 1938. This sire has had a very fine record in Canada and is American in breeding, as he was by Ladder out of the Willis Sharpe Kilmer mare, Mintwina. Ladder was one of those horses who was unfortunate enough to come up in a year of a group three-year-olds in 1931 the like of which we have probably never seen since. That was the year of such three-year-olds as Equipoise, Twenty Grand, Mate and Jamestown. It was in the Withers Stakes that Jamestown defeated Ladder. Ladder was not a great success in stud, but he did give to Canada a fine sire in Bunty Lawless. AAA Johnny Clark, of Lexington, recently reported that "Arthur B. Hancock will have one, and maybe two, new stallions at Claiborne Stud next year, both top race horses." That figure will have to be increased to three, for Black Tarquin, who is owned by William Woodward and who is favorite for the Ascot Gold Cup on June 11, will be, sent tqthis country at the end of the English racing season. As we understand it, Black Tarquin will not race in this country, but will be retired to stud and, naturally, that stud will be the Claiborne of Arthur B. Hancock, at Paris, Ky. Although there are 13 stallions now standing at Claiborne, Black Tarquin will certainly be a welcome addition and, especially so, should he be returned the winner of the famous race at Ascot. Warren Wrights Calumet Farm is another which, within the next year or two, will be enriched by outstanding horses who will join with Bull Lea, Whirlaway and Sun Again. Needless to say, we are thinking of Citation, Coaltown and Ponder, who will replace Pensive, the young sire who died just a few weeks ago. To that could be added Fervent, Faultless, Free America and quite a few others.
