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Eight Eight Await Await Post Post Call Call in in Preakness; Preakness; Ky. Ky. Colonel Colonel Shows Shows Way Way Throughout Throughout Experts Undecided On Choice for Race Greentrees Big Stretch and Hall of Fame Each Turn In Swift Five-Furlong Trials By OSCAR OTIS PIMLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 17.— The Greentree entry team of Big Stretch and Hall of Fame completed their , serious Preakness drilling this morning as both horses were "blown out" at five furlongs to insure their speed come the diamond jubilee running of Marylands most famous horse race on Saturday, a race heralded by tradition as the second leg in the mythical but paradoxically speaking, none the less real "Triple Crown." Big Stretch, who is the favored among the Greentree two because Ted Atkinson will*ride him, after having been given his choice, scampered for a brisk five furlongs on the ancient Pimlico soil, being timed in 1:00%, half in :47% and quarter in :23 flat. Hall of Fame went the same distance in 1:00, half in :47, quarter in :22%. After the drill, trainer John Gaver remarked that he was entirely satisfied with the way his charges had accomplished their allotted chores, and signified that the speed run signalled the end of their training regime, as fit as human hands could make them. Both Big Stretch and Hall of Fame looked impressive to a throng who hung over the outside rail to watch the Greentree duo go through their workouts. Superstition in Repetoire Camp Over at the barn of Repetoire, a problem of superstition arose and was discussed at length following a slow and easy gallop on the part of the Nora Mikell colt. The question of "superstition" arose when one turf writer asked the genial Dane, Al Jensen, who trains the son of Happy Argo if Mrs. Mikell would be on hand to witness the Preakness running. Readers may recall that up until the Derby, Mrs. Mikell had never been present when Repetoire had won, and on the occasions she had been present, the colt had lost. She came to the Derby, and it is a matter of record, of course, that Repetoire finished twelfth. Trainer Jensen thought the poser over for a while, and then remarked that "If she was my wife, Id ask her not to attend." That bit of humor brightened the morning considerably. Repetoire was given a slow gallop today, and will be given his final blowout in the morning. Jensen plans to ask him for speed over a short distance, probably a half mile. Jockey Pete McLean, who will Continued on Page Three Preakness Choice Remains Uncertain Green trees Big Stretch and Hall of Fame Each Turn In Swift Five-Furlong Trials Continued from Page One again ride him in the Preakness, will be in the irons for the Trial. Jensen reiterated his remarks made the other morning to this reporter that the Preakness was "make or break" for Repe-toire as a classic distance campaigner. "Hes in the best shape of his life," explained Jensen. "If he cant go the mile and the three-sixteenths, and comes out of the race okay, well head for New York and the Withers." Jensen believes that Repetoire will like the footing at Pimlico, but he still was not convinced, one way or the other, whether he liked or disliked the cushion at Churchill Downs. "McLean Hold me the colt kept changing strides in the last eighth of a mile," explained Jensen. "Whether the track stung him a bit to make him do that is possible, but I dont say that is the case, merely a possibility. It might have been just we dont have a mile and quarter horse. Thats why Im so anxious to see how the Preakness comes out, for it will make a lot of difference not only to ourselves but to the horse." Brookmeade Stables Bold also was on the track, but contented himself with a mere gallop. Joe Kramer, assistant to head trainer Preston Burch, who is at Belmont Park, said that Bold would be given his final .speed drill tomorrow morning. He added that Bolds physical condition was unchanged, i.e., he remained in the peak form of his entire career, a career, albeit, somewhat briefer than most of the other Preakness contenders. Alerted, who gained a great deal of Preakness support by beating Bold a neck in the Preakness Prep at a mile and one-sixteenth on Monday, was content to walk around the shed row this morning. Alerteds owners, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Stout of Maiden, Mass., will arrive here Friday night. Pimlico officials also received word this morning that Mr. and.Mrs. George D. Wid-ener, owners of the late, and somewhat surprising entry of the Eight Thirty colt Knowitall, also will be on hand for the Preakness decisions. Pimlico officials also continued to scan the weather forecasts, the observations of the climate man here in Baltimore giving them neither cause for jubilation or alarm. It continued warm and sunny this afternoon, but it is expected to cool slightly tomorrow, with rain not likely until Saturday night, as a front of cold air moves this way from New England. Much of the Preakness discussions this morning centered about the role of favoritism, and who would rule the choice. In this respect, the Preakness is much like the Derby in that it is a wide open affair, even though there are *mly eight prospective starters in the Preakness as against 20 in the Derby. Greentree Entry May Receive Edge Whosoever does rule the favorite will not do so by an overwhelming or even a decided margin. The chances are that at post time the Greentree entry will reign a luke-warm public choice at about two and one-half to one. Vying with Big Stretch and Hall of Fame for the pari-mutuel post of honor will be Brookmeade Stables Bold, the Hampton Stables Alerted, Mrs. Nora Mikells Repetoire, and C. V. Whitneys Counterpoint. The only two outsiders in the field appear to be Mrs. Wallace Gil-roys Timely Reward and the Widener colt, Knowitall. David F. Woods, who handles the good will for ancient Pimlico, made a poll of jockeys and some owners and trainers, those with no representation in the race, of course, and his tally sheet disclosed the following voting:* Alerted the favorite by a slight margin, 13" votes; Repetoire and the Greentree Stable entry tied for second at nine votes each, Bold the third choice at six points, and Counterpoint next with only four votes. Timely Reward was the only other horse given a mention, getting one vote. All who selected the Greentree entry specified Big Stretch as their candidate. Trainer Sylvester Veitch of the C. V. Whitney outfit said that Raymond Adair would be on Counterpoint, rather than Dave Gorman as had been announced in New York previously. Adair rode Mameluke for Whitney in the Derby, but this one pulled up a bit sore and was not sent here for the Preakness. Gorman had ridden Counterpoint in the Derby. Timely Reward would be entitled to more than passing consideration if he ran to his pre-Derby trials, according to George Gagarin, a former rider who is in charge of the colt during the absence of trainer George Odom, who is in New York. "He ALFRED JENSEN— Relates of superstition about Repetoires camp. was training nicely in Kentucky," .says Gagarin, who has been associated with Odom in a post of responsibility for some 28 years, "but when it came to the actual Derby running, he didnt run his race; I dont know whether or not he will run it in the Preakness, either, but he can do better than his Derby effort would indicate. "I had a rather harrowing experience in the Derby. I was watching the race from the crowd and when the announcer called Timely Reward moving up at the head of the stretch, I thought to myself, he can win it from there. I let out a whoop as the horse supposedly went to the front. But when the leader came closer, I saw to | my disgust that it was not Timely Reward at all, but Count Turf. Without thinking, I muttered, that so and so isnt anywhere. A prim lady next to me looked at me in a disapproving fashion, so I just faded away. My Derby hopes were certain at the head of the stretch, and just a few seconds later, they were at rock bottom. Quite an experience." Hence, it is understandable that assistant trainer Gagarin is reluctant to make any positive statements about Timely Rewards j chances in the Preakness except to hint that if he will, the colt perhaps "could."
