view raw text
" ♦ Connors Corner By "CHUCK" CONNORS Chief of Chart Correspondents— —X PIMLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 18.— Baltimore comes into its own tomorrow with the spotlight of the racing world silhouet- ting ting the the historic historic Preak- ting ting the the historic historic Preak- Preak-ness. The race will be the Diamond Jubilee running of the stake and like the Derby it is as wide open as a sieve. Eight starters were named overnight but should old man weather play the wrong card and send rain instead of sunshine and a fast track there will be some some changes. changes. This This some some changes. changes. This This morning the secretarys office was lacking in the usual hilarity and horseplay which is the medium through which many horsemen use as a safety valve to permit the escape of nervousness. Syl Veitch, from the C. V. Whitney forces, was the first to enter for the big race and he was followed by Georgie Gargaran who named Timely Reward for the Wallace Gilroys. Bert Mulholland and John Gaver showed later and named their charges. The visit for the gray-thatched trainer of Mrs. George Wideners Knowitall was more or less of a reunion for he spent the better part of the time greeting old friends, and well-wishers. Bert was enthused over the showing of Battlefield in his last start and admitted, a big concession on his part, that his charge turned in a good race and would do in the future. He then lapsed, into silence as Gaver took over the floor, but brightened up when the Greentree trainer suggested a bit of breakfast over in the clubhouse. None of the trainers who have horses in the Preakness admitted nervousness over the race, but there was a tenseness in their manner that was easily discernible. Mulholland was not at all positive that he .would start Knowitall on other than a fast track but finally conceded that I he might take a chance. Gaver, on the other I hand, was hopeful for a fast track for his [ charges. i Starter Eddie Blind spent the better part of the morning searching out pecu- liarities of the strangers in the race and came up with one or two observations. Timely Reward, for instance, will break better if he is "tailed." This expression is strictly race track and translated means that an assistant starter should hold the horses tail slightly upwards to avoid touching the rear stall gates. He breaks in good fashion when so handled. That the Preakness would get a good coverage - on the sport pages, television, radio and news reels was made plain when the advance guard of those media made their presence felt during the day. Heres a secret, the majority of the trainers who have horses in the race visited the local barbershop for haircuts, just in case their charge came down in front. One of the sidelights of the race -came to light when trainer Alfred Jensen was asked whether Mrs. Nora Mikell, whose Repetoire is one of the choices, would be on hand for the race. Jensen pondered the question for a few minutes and then blurted out that if she was, Mrs. Jensen would request her to stay at home. You will recall the story that has been published a number of times that Mrs. Mikell has never seen her colt win* a race. She went to the Derby and Repetoire was unplaced. No, he is not superstitious _but believes in playing hunches to the limit. Trainer George M. Odom, who will saddle Timely Reward, is due here Saturday morning irom Belmont Park. The colt will be vanned back to the Nassau County course early Sunday morning . . . Jockey Eddie Arcaro will ride George D. Wideners Battlefield in the Withers, Saturday next . . .Joe Mergler will ship the horses owned by Mrs. R. H. Heighe to Delaware following the close of this meeting. . .Trainer Royal Roberts is recovering steadily from the illness that laid him low early this spring. In his absence Eddie Coates is handling the Mrs. W. W. Vaughan horses. Ray Bryson is resting comfortably at his Belair, Md.r home, according to advices from that point. He was taken ill while on a visit to Garden State Park a few days back. . .Trainer Joe Serio will ship his horses from here to Delaware Park. . .Joe Cascarella, of Laurel, was on hand to extend greetings to all for clear weather and a good race. He is enthused over the nomination response to the 1952 Selima. . .Frank Christmas reported that he has four foals at his Monkton, Md., farm. Three colts and one filly. The colts are the offspring of Rosemont— Red Herring, Tip Toe and The Mount, Golden Voyage — Black Object. The filly is _by Golden Voyage from Contemplate. Continued on Page Forty-Eight Connors Corner Continued from Page Five . . .Jimmy Stout, who will ride Timely Reward in the big: race, is scheduled to check in Saturday morningr. Tip Toe is a half-brother to Prince Simon Alfred G. Vanderbilt is due here on Saturday morning from New York for the Preakness Stakes. He will return to New York shortly after the running. . .John Hay "Jock" Whitney notified local officials that he will plane down from New York for the Saturday feature. He and his sister, Mrs. Shipman Payson, race under the nom de course, of the Greentree Stable will have Hall of Fame and Big Stretch in the nig offering. ...C. V. Whitney, who is over in Washington, he recently arrived from a vacation in the Adirondacks, will be here tomorrow and remain over for several days. . . .Charles J. McLeannan has the first issue of the overnight book for the Detroit meeting on hand. He will, remain here for the final day of this meeting before planing out to the Motor City. . Eddie Blind stated that he will start schooling classes at Monmouth Park several days after the close of this meeting. . .Brownie Leach, the Kentucky Derby publicist, will plane in here Saturday morning from Louisville, Ky„ to witness the Preakness. The next day he will go to New York and there embark on a plane bound for Merrie" England. He wants a look-see at the English counterpart of his beloved fixture. The English, version is a few years older and is run at Epsom Downs... J. P. "Doc" Jones was on hand for the afternoon. He came down from Belmont Park and will remain over for the week-end. Irish Jimmy Stewart has his misgivings over that old race track adage, which says that a man gets lucky once before he dies. Last night Jimmy changed a piece of money and in so doing lost a ten-dollar note. The money was found by Charlie McLennan who returned it to him today. In the meantime, Steward had "bawled out" a confectioners clerk for having gyped him for the ten bucks. Now he has to apologize. . .Mrs. Charles J. McLennan reported that within the. next few days she expects from Kentucky the mares, Miss Linnett and Chinella. The two were bred to My Request. Mrs. R. H. Heighe, who last year sold her Maryland thoroughbred nursery, was on hand for the afternoon/ one of her infrequent visits . . . Mrs. W. H. Labrot, of Holly Beach Farm, was among the early arrivals. . .Larry S. MacPhail deserted his Black Angus Farm in nearby Belair for a day at the races and to check over the yearlings shown at the local parade... E. Taylor Chewning of Nutwell, Md., who is a member of the syndicate that purchased Occupy, was on hand for the afternoon. . . Charles E. Nelson; from Ritchie, Md., who races his horses under Pat Brady, with Winship as the most promising, was on hand during the afternoon. . .O. L. Nyberg, one of Marylands better known owners and breeders, was a clubhouse visitor . . . Discovery, the»ld champion of a few years back who raced for Alfred Vanderbilt, sired the best and second best according to the judges of the yearlings shown. Now if they can run like Discovery ran; well will that be sometking. Selections on the Preakness card follow: ALETTA in the third; KING MOW-LEE in the fifth, and BEACH BOY in the seventh.
