view raw text
JUDGES STAND By Charles Hatton 1 Wondring Looms One to Beat in Ky. Oaks Veitch Preps Prospects for Easts Stakes Prince Simon Trains Well for Epsom Derby Downs Staffs Increased for the Rose Run CHURCHILL DOWNS. Louisville, Ky., May 4. Something of a track record was set in racing secretary Fred Burtons office today, when entries were taken for 25,000 worth of Downs stakes the same morning. The Kentucky State Racing Commission gave the club permission to accept entries for Saturdays Derby today, but, of course, trainers and agents have until the customary, closing time tomorrow to enter. With their cooperation the early release of the Derby field may be of service to the public, the press and the track, and. general manager Corum proposes next spring to accept entries for the entire Derby Day card on Thursday. By a coincidence, Black George, who was first in the Trial, was first in the Derby entry box. At the same time, entries were taken for Fridays 5,000 Kentucky Oaks, which is precisely as historic as the "Run for the Roses," and is one of the events breeders like particularly to win, though there arent any breeders awards. Oaks winners are on the preferred list as broodmare prospects and usually may be booked to the leading sires. Modesty, Black Maria, Alcibiades and Two Bob, the ancestresses of First Fiddle, Polynesian, Capot and Two Lea are among the winners of the Downs mile and a sixteenth "Derby for Fillies." Dixianas trainer. Jack Hodgins, tells us that Wondring has done everything he has asked of her satisfactorily since winning the Ashland back at Keeneland, and we expect this aptly-named daughter of Pensive and Sub Rosa will be the favorite. A good many haltermen will be talking to themselves if Diamond Lane wins it, for this New Orleans development won for ,500 at Keeneland, then qualified for the Oaks by trouncing A Lark opening day here. S. E. Veitch is concentrating on the "Triple Crown" events and Mr. Trouble just now, but the C. V. Whitney string will depart next week with several prospects for other eastern stakes. Mount Marcy already has won more stakes this year than the stable accounted for all during: 1949, and he is in Pimlicos historic Dixie. It is probable he will accompany Mr. Trouble to the Hilltop. Most of the two-year-olds will ship directly to Belmont Park headquarters, and they are engaged in most of the New York stakes. A filly who is bound to be the cynosure of all eyes when she makes her debut is Swanky, whos a larger edition of her famous sister, First Flight, and certainly is a beautiful mover. She has many of the mannerisms of the Futurity winner. Also of interest will be the appearance of the first Burg-EI-Arabs. Nasophar and Jazz Baby are back in training, for the filly-and-mare events over east. The trainers brother, Tom Veitch, recently was appointed to succeed the late Bill Harris as the manager of the Lexington farm. Another brother, Leo Veitch, trains the small string that is racing for Felix DeMary, of Orange, Texas, here in the Middle West. He is a competent horseman and was among the leading trainers on the Ohio circuit last season. Sylvester and Leo were steeplechase jockeys, like their father, Cy Veitch, until they became too heavy and turned to the training profession. This country appears to have its best chance in many years of winning the Epsom Derby with a product of the stud in America. We refer, of course, to William Woodwards huge colt. Prince Simon. Maj. Louie Beard tells us he hears from Capt. Cecil Boyd-Rochfort that the son of Princequillo has pleased him very much indeed with his progress. Reports from England have it that Prince Simon just missed running down The Aga Khans gray colt, Palestine, in the 2,000 Guineas, in a race in which they broke a mile mark of some 30 years standing. As youd guess, the turf there is very hard this spring. Not to make too sharp a point of it, but Prince Simon cames of, perhaps, the shortest family in our Stud Book. The Greentrees will not have a runner in this Derby, but it appears they have one of the nicest three-year-old sprinters in training in Guillotine. It probably takes as many people just to stage a modern Kentucky Derby as there were in attendance for some of the Gay Nineties renewals of the classic. For example, the Downs gate staff normally numbers 60, but on Derby Day the entrances and exits will be manned by 250. The Stevens Caterers also employ a large staff for the day, about 1,500 bartenders, waiters and concessionaires. Of course, these are exclusive of the thousands of owners, trainers, exercise boys and grooms. Not to mention the staff in the vast "tote" department. Erwin Weidekamp advises that 1,173 will be employed selling and cashing tickets Saturday. Joe Stevens and Otto Luke are supervising the catering, and have ordered the customary wagonload of mint, with which the crowd will toast the Derby winner. Turf ana: Mr. Trouble now has beaten every horse hes met with the exceptions of only Your Host and Middleground. . .More than 50 varieties of strongyles now have been isolated, and phenothiazine is not effective in controlling some of them... John Gaver is quite enthusiastic about Greentrees yearling fillies. A brown by Bimelech from the South American Humayya may be any sort of filly. . .Ernst Farm now has Aladears first foal, a husky filly by Aletern that is inbred to Eternal. . .Gerald Balding is enjoying a most successful season with Jock Whitneys fencers abroad... The Rosedale winner. Bank Account, is said to have been sold -as a cribber, a la Oil Capitol and French Admiral. . .Gay Judy recently was found to be ineligible, under the commission rule which bars maidens of five or older.
