Reflections: Crowds Down, But Racings Popularity Up; Chrysler Sales at Belmont Park Today; Best Juveniles in National Stallion; Three-Year-Olds Still Hold Spotlight, Daily Racing Form, 1949-06-02

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REFLECTIONS *y nelon dunstan NEW YORK, N. Y., June 1.— Statisticians were naturally watching the Memorial Day throng and made much of the fact that the major league ball games drew 52,000 less and racing parks catered to some 10,000 racing fans less than was the case a year ago. While there has been much talk as to the falling off of the crowds at Belmont Park, the Elmont course attracted 36,600 fans on Saturday, and 60,095 on Monday. In other words, for the two days, the attendance was close to 100,000, and, in this writers opinion, that is little short of remarkable. There is a downward trend in every line of business, as we understand it, and, in view of these conditions, there could be no reason for racing officials to hope that they would escape a lesser volume of business than was the case just a year ago. On Memorial Day, the fans present at Belmont wagered ,313,386, as against ,444,160 on the same day just a year ago. If the truth was known, the Belmont officials were pleasantly surprised that the play held up as well _as it did. What we are wondering about is how many fans are shut out at the race track mutuel windows when 60,000 or more are present. The chances are that the play would be higher if there was only 50,000 on hand. The only conclusion that can be drawn, even though the crowds may be smaller, is that racing is steadily- holding the popularity it has gained in recent years. AAA The first of the sales to completely disperse the Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., racing stable and breeding establishment will take place at Belmont Park tomorrow. Only the horses-in-training will be sold by the Fasig-Tipton auctioneers, and this will be made up of 24 two and three-year-olds, many of them being of exceptional breeding. The majority of the two-year-olds have not had an opportunity in racing, and we daresay that spirited bidding will be heard when many of them are sent into the auction ring. Broken Crown, who ran fifth to Re-Armed in the fourth race at Belmont on Monday, is just one of the juveniles to be offered. Other two-year-old colts are The Creek, Italic, Jimminy Cricket and The Procurator, and there are also such nicely bred fillies as Pretty One, who is by Bull Dog — Irvana, by Blue Crowds Down, But Racings Popularity Up Chrysler Sales at Belmont Park Today Best Juveniles in National Stallion Three-Year-Olds Still Hold Spotlight Larkspur, and Invariant, by Blenheim n. — Never Change, by Royal Minstrel. This filly is a half-sister to the Arlington Lassie Stakes winner, Expression, and of four other winners. The juvenile who is expected to draw many bids is Royal Visitor, a bay colt by Donatello II. out of Cosquilla, thus a half-brother to the stake winner, and now sire, Princequillo. AAA Early June is hardly the time to be appraising the two-year-old crop. Quite a few youngsters, however, have been impressive to date, and down at Garden State Park, on Monday, Quiz Show, a bay colt by Apache from the Palatine Stable, won his fourth straight race by taking the William Penn Stakes from First Glance and Selector. At Belmont, on the same day, Re-Armed, a full brother to Armed, lived up to all the nice things that have been said about him by running straight and true down the Widener Course to win from Blue W. and Schroon. In the first race, on Monday, The Diver won from Detective and Shock, and this youngster from the Russell Firestone stable also gave indications of being above the ordinary. On Saturday, the colt division of the National Stallion Stakes will be run, as a secondary feature to the Peter Pan Handicap, and this shapes up as a much more interesting race than the filly division of the National Stallion, which, just a week ago, drew only four youngsters to the post. Re-Armed was one of the many that Calumet Farm has named for the colt race on the week-end and among others who are eligible is The Diver, Eastern Flyway, Jet Flight, Detective, Boodle and Air Lift. For some reason, Andy Schuttinger failed to nominate Ferd, who now appears to be one of the best colts that have raced in New York to date this season. AAA Delaware Park will cater to two-year-old fillies this week-end with the running of the 0,000 Polly Drum- mond Stakes at five furlongs. This event closed with 158 nominations, but, regardless of which of them go to the post, they will have Alfred Vanderbilts Bed o Roses to beat. This daughter of Rosemont — Good Thing did not have a great deal to beat in the filly division of the National Stallion Stakes, but it was the manner in which she defeated her opponents that impressed the onlookers at Belmont. From that race, she went down to Garden State Park to win the Rancocas Stakes, and behind her that afternoon were such highly regarded babes as Chloe, Bridal Shower and in the beaten field was Faneuil Miss, who had done so well in New England previously. Some of the most beautifully bred fillies of the season are eligible for the Polly Drummond, including the Greentree Stables Three and Two, A. B. Hancock, Jr.s, Starsnstripes, William Helis Bridal Shower, and the Maine Chance Farms Windsor Pearl, a" daughter of Beau Pere out of Winkle n. This event should go far in shaping the two-year-old filly division for the more important races to come later in the season. AAA Three-year-olds still have plenty of opportunity to stay in action and, on this week-end, the Peter Pan Handicap at a mile and a furlong will be the feature event at Belmont Park, while New Englanders will see members of that division in competition in the Yankee Handicap. Once again, it is a question of "who goes in what?", but, as the Yankee is at a mile and a quarter, it is fairly certain that Olympia will remain in New York for the Peter Pan. Capot was made the highweight of the field for the Yankee at 128 pounds, with Palestinian second on the list at 127. The New England horses, Best Doings and Petey Cotter, are in at 118 and 115, respectively. A week from Saturday, or on June 11, the three-year-olds will again hold the spotlight, for, while the 5,000 Belmont is being run in New York, the 5,000 Kent will be the feature event at Delaware Park. In all probability, Wilmington fans will see Olympia in action, as that race is at one and one-sixteenth miles. The Belmont, at a mile and a half, now shapes up with the favoritism Testing between Capot, Ponder and Palestinian. A total of 105 three-year-olds were nominated for the Belmont, but it is a question at this writing how many will oppose the trio just mentioned.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1940s/drf1949060201/drf1949060201_36_1
Local Identifier: drf1949060201_36_1
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800