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" " " • — i* Connors Corner By "CHUCK" CONNORS Chief of Chart Correspondents 1 BELMONT PARK, Elmont. L. I., N. Y., May 10. — If you had more money than you could count, a dollar at a time, in your life, working at it eight life, working at it eight hours a day, six days a week, and taking Sundays off for a little spending, youd think you would be the boss, at least the boss of your own racing stable, wouldnt you? You might be, at that, but it does not always hold good. Yesterday, a newspaperman approached proached George George D. D. " " " • proached George George D. D. Widener, master of Erdenheim Farm, and Belmont Parks prexy, to ask if he planned starting his Remsen Handicap winner. Lights Up, in Saturdays Withers Mile. "Well, I dont know," Widener said. "Hes been a disappointment this spring, though he looks better than he did when he came up from Florida. We might start and again we might not." "Well, Mr. Widener," the reported said, "my paper has a cartoon of you and theres something in it about Lights Up going in the Withers. Do you think its safe to run it tonight?" "I have the original of the cartoon right here," Widener said. "Its splendid and Im taking it up to my wife right now." "Thats fine," the reporter said, "but can we print it tonight?" Well, I dont know," Widener said. "I can tell you better after I talk to Bert Mulholland this evening." At this point your correspondent rudely interrupted, saying, "Bert says he goes, period." Widener laughed heartily. "He goes then," he said. "Berts the boss." That was the last laugh Widener was to enjoy yesterday. A few minutes later his filly, Poppaea, wheeled at the start of the Fashion Stakes, throwing Doug Dodson over her shoulder, then trampled on the rider, fracturing several ribs and puncturing his left lung. Widener was as disturbed as if the accident had happened to his own son and put in a rush call for Dr. Alexander P. Kaye, who hastened to Mary Immaculate Hospital, where Dodson was taken in a serious condition. v Its a quarter of a century since the gals began to invade that masculine holy of holies, the barber shop, and a commentator, recording the first Kentucky Derby and the opening of Churchill Downs back in 1875, gave the credit for the success of the track, after many failures in the area, to the presence of the ladies of fashion. But its only the last years that they have invaded the back-stretch, which has all the dainty femininity of a replacement depot 20 miles behind the lines. Judy Johnson, who grew up on the race tracks, has long been one of the most successful trainers of steeplechasers and now has a rival in Mrs. Richard "Pat" Kirkpatrick, a comely lady who is training her own string, including the clever New Rule.. John Bosleys daughter, Elizabeth, is galloping horses at Belmont every morning, while trainer Harris Browns comely wife is a familiar figure on the Jamaica, Florida and Saratoga tracks and works as many horses as any boy in the exercising business. Pete Bostwick reported that his good mare, Risolater, had been bred to the South American, Rico Monte... Lou Rab-inowitz spread the news about the paddock this his mare. Lost Control, dropped a colt by Reply Paid. The matron was bred back to the son of Questionnaire... .Lester Doctor, who advised several generations of the Whitney family on matters relative to racing, was among the afternoons visitors. The veteran is in excellent health. . .Commander Harry F. Guggenheim, well pleased by the fact that Red Eye has a foal — she dropped twins but the colt died — stated that she had been shipped to Kentucky to join the other matrons at the Hancock Farm. Red Eye, due to injuries sustained at her first foaling, was barren for 10 years... J. M. Roebling, a descendant of the family that built the Brooklyn Bridge, is enthusiastic over Ferds chances in the Preakness. . .Colin MacLeod, accompanied by his mother, arrived from Old Virginia to witness the Withers, Saturdays Belmont stellar offering. . .Joe McKee, a one-time write-in-candidate for Mayor of New York, witnessed the running of the days program... Louis McGibb showed up from Virginia to help along the Belmont Park meeting. Dr. J. A. Tafferan will lay aside his pills and stethoscope to fly over to London to witness the Derby at Epsom Downs the latter part of this month . . L. A. VanBomel, from up-state New York, flew down in his own plane from Albany to take in the afternoons program... Jake Swebel, showing vast im- Continued on Page Fortv-One Connors Corner Continued from Page Five provement over his recent illness, studied the program with the idea of improving his technique as a handicapper. . .Granville Fortescue was a recent clubhouse visitor Chester Dale, who is more adept with a brush and an easel, he has several canvasses hanging in the Mellon Galleries, gave the thoroughbreds a careful scrutiny during the afternoon. . . Cyrus A. Julian, looking ahead to the Aqueduct meeting, studied John B. Campbells weight assignment hoping for the best. Mrs. C. O. Iselin, one of the turfs greatest supporters, entertained a party of friends at luncheon. . .Walter Teagle, Jr., forgot all about Wall Street in his quest for more margin via the "tote". . .Mrs. Esther duPont Weir was an early visitor to witness several of her steeplechasers go through their paces... Ernie Leon made the trek to Belmont and compared it favorably with his beloved Longchamp on the outskirts of his home town, Paris. Thats the town, that according to hearsay, all the playboys want to adopt as their own paradise.. .George Herbert Walker, who raced a well-balanced stable several years back, was on hand... J. Gilmore Fletcher of the Virginia -Fletchers was on hand celebrating his ascendency to the rank of grandfather. . .Tyson Gilpin, another Virginian, lent vocal assistance to the schooling of steeplechasers during the morning hours. . .Frank Coltiletti has turned his talent to the jockey agents division... The field for the Withers may be a good one, it depends upon the weather and track conditions. . .Master Bill Boland, the Texas youth, is fast becoming a television personality. He was on a video show on Tuesday evening, aided and abetted by that master of handicapping Milton Berle. , The selections for tomorrow are: BLAZING in the third, HAPPY DEVIL in the fourth and TRANSATLANTIC in the eighth.
