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RE F LECTIONS *y nel dunstan NEW YORK, N. Y., June 10.— There will be 70,000 worth of stake events contested at five major tracks tomorrow, and many of the top horses will be in competition. Three-year-olds will be in the majority for, besides the 5,000 Belmont Stakes, the 5,000 Kent Handicap will be contested at Delaware Park, and the 0,000 Motor City will be run at Detroit. With Mr. Busher permanently retired, Blue Peter out for the year and Olympia found wanting at the longer distances, the 3elmont takes on aspects of a championship contest. Ponder won the Kentucky Derby and Peter Pan, Capot won the Preakness, and Palestinian took the honors over Olympia in the Jersey Stakes. Saturdays winner of the Belmont will have a rightful claim to the three-year-old division crown. The sophomores have thinned out considerably since the running of the Kentucky Derby and, while there are still many rich events ahead for members of this division, the fields are likely to be much smaller in the Dwyer, Arlington Classic and other events that are in the offing. Ponder will probably go to the post as favorite, but there is a surprising number of supporters for both Palestinian and Capot. While an upset is always possible, the event now appears to be the prize of one of this trio. AAA Aqueducts 18-day meeting will open on Monday and, during that period, many of the summer fixtures will be renewed. Mondays stake event will be the 0,000 Queens Handicap, which is for three-year-olds and older horses at a mile and a sixteenth. Vulcans Forge, winner of the Suburban, is the topweight of the field at 130 pounds, and next on the list is Better Self at 122, with Rippey and But Why Not at 120 each. These topweighted ■. horses will have their task cut out for them, for Loser Weeper is in with 111 pounds; Flying Missel. 110, and Three Rings, 110. The mid-week feature at Aqueduct is the 0,000 Shevlin Stakes, for three-year-olds at a mile and a sixteenth, and, while Ponder,. Capot and Old Rockport are conspicuous by their absence, Palestinian Belmont Stakes Has Championship Aspects Queens County Cap First Aqueduct Stake Many Top Horses Leaving for Arlington Elkridge AHer Fourth Indian River Chase is one of those named, along with Halt, Colonel Mike, Sport Page, and Going Away, who was a surprise winner of the Yankee Handicap at Suffolk Downs last Saturday. On the week-end, Aqueduct will feature fillies in two events, the 0,000 Gazelle being for three-year-olds at one and one-sixteenth miles, and the 0,000 Astoria, for two-year-olds at five and a half furlongs. AAA Upon closing of Belmont tomorrow, steeplechasing will open at Delaware Park on Tuesday, with the running of the Tom Roby Steeplechase Stakes. At Belmont last Thursday, jumping fans cheered the victory of Elkridge in the Meadow Brook Steeplechase Handicap, which, at about two and a half miles, is the mast trying event for jumpers on the Belmont schedule. At Delaware, there will be four steeplechase events and one over hurdles, and Elkridge, who is now 11 years old, is eligible for the Georgetown Steeplechase Handicap on June 23, and then the Indian River Steeplechase Handicap on July 1. Kent Millers great jumper won the latter event in 1942 and then again in 1945 and 1948, and, while it is probably not a record, it is a rare occasion when a flat racer, or steeplechaser, -wins the same race after a seven-year span. The Indian River, like the Meadow Brook, is at about two and one-half miles, and that is the ideal distance for Elkridge, who, in this writers opinion, is one of the best jumpers to come on the American scene since the days of Jolly Roger and Fairmount. He is now nearing his one hundredth race, and that, too, is something of a feat for horses over the jumps. In all that time, he has fallen only once in his entire career. AAA Arlington Park in Chicago will open a week from Monday and, as in recent years, will draw quite a few eastern horses to the Windy City area. The entire Calumet string will emerge at the Chicago track and among the others who will journey westward are groups from the Fred Hooper and William Helis stables. Olympia will head the Hooper shipment that leaves on Monday and, while this colt rapped himself during the running of the Jersey Stakes at Garden State Park, thus missing the Kent at Delaware, he is expected to be in his top form in the Windy City. While we doubt if Ivan Parke will decide to start him in the Arlington Classic or the American Derby, both of which are at one and one-quarter miles, the 5,000 Dick Welles Stakes, at six furlongs, and the Sheridan Handicap, at seven furlongs, will very likely see him in the line-up. There will also be many races for three-year-olds and older horses at . both of the Chicago tracks, but whether the Hooper contingent will send him against handicap performers remains, to be seen. AAA When Johnny Longdens plans to ride in England for the Aga Khan this year fell through, it did not deter the great little jockey from planning a trip to his birthplace, Wakefield, England. Longden is one of the most sensible riders ever developed in this country, and he has stored away enough of the worlds goods to enable him to take a vacation whenever he feels like one. He does not plan to ride against Gordon Richards, Englands foremost jockey, but he does say, "I hope to see him — hes a great rider." It would, indeed, be interesting for any newspaperman to be able to listen in when this pair get together. Gordon Richards is one of the most popular riders ever developed on the other side, and in the jockey room he is called "The Champ," even though the press constantly refers to him as "The General." Richards is the only man in racing history who has ridden more winners that Johnny Longden, but both of them have a wonderful aptitude for getting the animal they are riding to do what they want. Richards is a more reserved boy than Johnny, and the latter may have trouble getting him to open up, for, while he will talk about racing, he will not talk about himself, and that is the only thing that English turf writers hold against him.
