view raw text
Ska Withers Withers Tests Tests Middleground; Middleground; Dozen Dozen Seek Seek Bashford Bashford Manor Manor Hill Prince, Your HostFerd Face Kentucky Derby Winner Quartet Has Most Speed of * Ten Competing in One Mile Fixture at Belmont Course By BOB HORWOOD BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., May 12. — New York racing patrons will be. treated to a condensed edition of the Kentucky Derby tomorrow, when King Ranchs Middleground, C. T. Chenerys Hill Prince and William Goetz Your Host meet seven rivals in the 5,000 added Withers Mile. Middleground beat Hill Prince a little more than a length in the Derby last Saturday, while Your Host finished ninth in the role of favorite, after leading for the Withers distance. Last year, Fred W. Hoopers Olympia, an even hotter Derby choice, folded in the same way in the mile and a quarter test, then returned to Long Island to score an easy victory in the Withers. There was a big difference last year, however, as Ponder, Capot and Palestinian, the first three in the 1949 Derby were not in the Withers, and Olympia met a band of second raters, the best of whom were Ocean Drive and One Hitter. Your Host faces an entirely different task in his" attempt to restore some lustre to his reputation. Big Threes Opponents The "Big Three" in the Withers will be opposed by Mrs. Andy Schuttirigers Ferd, winner of the Swift Stakes at seven furlongs last Saturday; Brandywine Stables Greek* Song, George D. Wideners Lights Up, William Helis Selector, Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords Suleiman, Susan P. Markus Ero- Continued on Page Three C. T. CHENERY — His Hill Prince is one of the leading contenders for Withers honors today. j ► Middleground Has Nine Withers Foes Hill Prince, Your Host and Ferd Ready to Face Derby Winner at Mile Distance Continued from Page One sion and C. Howard Scheids Maryland Day. On what they have shown this year, a victory by any one of this group with the exception of Ferd would be one of the major upsets of the year. There have been some fairly sensational surprises in the long history of the Withers, which was inaugurated in 1874, the year before the first running of the Kentucky Derby, the most recent being the triumphs of Corydon over Bimelech in 1940, of Who Goes -There over By Jimminy in 1944 and of Vulcans Forge over Coaltown in 1948.. Middleground will probably be only a slight favorite over Your Host tomorrow, despite the Calif ornians crushing defeat in the Derby. On paper. Your Host will be ideally suited by the distance and many observers returned from the Derby with the opinion that Johnny Longden was taken completely by surprise when Mr. Trouble moved up on the inside, dropping his reins and letting the horse literally fall apart. This school of thought holds that the. effort required to regain his action was all that kept Your Host from being in the first three at the end of that mile and a quarter; The fact that the son of Alibhai has an awkward way of going except when in full stride lends the shadow of substance to this theory. No rider has been named for Your Host. Eddie .Arcaro, who had been engaged, will be on Hill Prince again, but there is a possibility that Longden will fly in from the Coast to guide the colt in the Withers. Middleground was never far from the pace in the Derby and had a world of early speed last year. While he looked considerably more battleworn than his stable-mate. On the Mark, on his return from Kentucky to Belmont Park, that was to be expected, as he had done much more running. He breezed a half in :49 on the main track this morning. The Derby was his only really hard race this year, as the son of Bold Venture was not abused in his four earlier races, in all of which he finished second. Incidentally, trainer Max Hirsch has. not definitely made up his mind to start Middleground in the Preakness next Saturday, and there -is some chance that he will be withdrawn from the Withers. Ferd in Perfect- Condition Hill Prince is a recent addition to the Withers picture, trainer J. H. "Casey" Hayes having decided yesterday to start the son of Princequillo in the mile race, following a good three-furlong trial, if he worked well again this morning. With Bob Judy in the saddle. Hill Prince went five furlongs in :59%, under a pull at the end after getting the half in :46%. That half was all that Hayes had intended to work the big colt when discussing his plans yesterday. There is still considerable controversy concerning Hill Princes race in the Derby, even after study of the movies and television films. Arcaro insists that he met with no interference, but his is a minority report, though he is not entirely alone in his opinion by any means. Ferd is coming up to the Withers in perfect condition and with the advantage of not having had to experience the tiresome shipping and gruelling race in the Derby. The Lochinvar colt beat Middleground in an overnight race at Jamaica, then finished a good third in the Wood Memorial behind Hill Prince and Middleground. In the Swift, he had to weave his way between horses, but did it with style and was drawing away from his moderate rivals with authority at the end of that seven furlongs. He was sent a solid three furlongs in :34 this morning, under a drive, at Belmont. Ted Atkinson, who will be in quest of his first Withers victory, will be in .the saddle. Greek Song and Lights Up showed excellent form last fall, but have been disappointments thus far in 1950. Both have shown signs of improvemtn in their recent training moves. Greek Song, who will have the services of Ovie Scurlock tomorrow, worked a handy half in :47% yesterday morning. Lights Up went three-eighths in :34% in handy style this morning. He will be ridden by George Hettinger. Suleiman, who will be ridden by Eric Guerin, has shown nothing this year and not much more last season, though always racing against the best. Erosion, and Maryland Day, who recently broke his maiden, seem outclassed. Only five three-year-olds have won both the Kentucky Derby and Withers since 1875, Aristides, the "Little Red Horse." who took the first Derby and second Withers; Sir Barton, Zev, Johnstown and Count Fleet, and only Sir Barton, and Count Fleet succeeded in winning the Withers and the "Triple Crown," which includes the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Racing secretary Jack Campbell has surrounded the Withers with an attractive supporting card, with all of the more attractive races being staged on the main course. A throng ofmore than 40,000 is expected to fill the spacious stands and lawn of the Hempstead Turnpike course to see what could well be called the "Mile Derby." »
