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R E F L E C T I O N S by nelson unstan NEW YORK, N. Y., June 4.— This Saturday, there may be some clarification of the three-year-old colt situation with the running of the Peter Pan -Handicap at Belmont Park, but this past Saturday, the three-year-old filly division crowned its champion, if only temporarily, with Herman B. Delmans How winning the Coaching Club American Oaks. Since the event was inaugurated in 1917, only three fillies have followed a victory in the Kentucky Oaks with one in the local race, which is likened to the Epsom Oaks in England. They were Princess Doreen in 1924, Wistful in 1949, and now How. Princess Doreen was one of the champions of her age and sex, but in the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga, she failed when attempting to give nine pounds to the Belair Studs Priscilla Ruley and was beaten a length. Wistful was also one of the best of her year, although, when the voting days came around, she was tied with her stablemate, Two Lea, for the championship. In the Kentucky Oaks and the Coaching Club, How has scored over the best fillies now campaigning the three-year-old ranks. She was beaten in the second division of the Acorn Stakes, but she lost a shoe in the running, which excuses that defeat. AAA The rules of racing, as applied in New York State on occasions have caused disgruntled players to voice their protests. Saturday was one of those days, when some 639 players coupled Betsy Marie in the first race with the Cain Hoy Stables Rub-Adub-Dub in the second race. They were a joyous group as Betsy Marie rolled home at 3.30, but the joy was short-lived when it was an- How, Current Filly Champion of Age, Sex Third to Win Kentucky Oaks, Coaching Club New York Rules of Racing Should Be Studied Wicks Committee to Speed Investigation nounced that Rub-Adub-Dub . had been injured on her way to the paddock. She was scared by an automobile and suffered a cut leg. Indignation reached a peak when the players were told that their bets on her would be returned. Had a player invested on every horse in the first race with Rub-Adub-Dub in the second race, his total outlay would have been 4. So, with a winner at 3.50, he received back, but lost 2 on the other horses in the first race. In most states there is a consolation prize in such cases as this, and that New York State is different is due to some of its antiquated rules, such as the disqualification regulation which. places a horse last when he has fouled only one horse in a race. On March 29, the New York State Racing Commission took over the administration of the Rules of Racing from The Jockey Club, and that body may see fit to change some of those now existing. A % A Not many years ago, pur breeders asked racing organizations to. schedule more faces for fillies and mares. We have only to glance through the prices now paid for yearling fillies to realize that many tracks responded to the appeal. Last year, for instance, a gray filly by Mah-moud brought 5,000, the highest price for a yearling in 1950. While it is true that more or these races for the weaker sex are desirable our racing associations are to be complimented for the manner in which they responded to the requests of the breeding group. Now that the Coaching Club American Oaks is history, the 5,000 Delaware Oaks will be run on June 16; the Cleopatra Stakes, 5,000 added, June 20, at Arlington Park, and the same day, Belmont Park will stage the Top Flight Handicap. The Regret Handicap is scheduled for June 27 and three days later, Delaware Park will feature the 0,000 New Castle Handicap and Arlington Park will offer the 0,000 Modesty Handicap. All of "these races are for three-year-old fillies or fillies and mares, and each has come into existence during the past 15 years. A A A One day last week, members of the Wicks Committee, which is investigating racing in New York State, visited Belmont Park, and after a tour of the track appeared to be well pleased with their preliminary findings. They watched the daily double machines in operation, made a trip to the stewards stand and then went down to the projection room as the stewards reviewed a race before giving their official decision. In about two weeks, they will visit the laboratory of the New York State Racing Commission where Charles G. Morgan will explain to them the important procedure in making saliva and urine tests. After that, the committee will take over the Fifth Avenue offices of the New York State Racing Commission to interview many important men connected with the sport in the Empire State. As near as this writer could determine, the officials at Belmont and members of the commission were impressed with the serious and. fair-minded attitude of this group from Albany. The Wicks Committee has until February next year to report their findings to the state legislature. A A A - An interesting race on this weeks calendar is the Man o War Handicap, which will be run at the sporting Ak- Continued on Page Twenty-Nine REFLECTIONS By NELSON DUNSTAN Continued from Page Forty Sar-Ben track in Omaha on Wednesday. For a long time there has been wonderment that no famous event has been named in honor of this horse who is regarded as the greatest thoroughbred ever developed in this country. In this column recently, we commented on the fact that although Preakness and a few other horses had races named for them prior to the turn of the century, it had become a custom in the past quarter-century to honor champions of other years, one being Peter Pan, the race that will be run at Belmont this weekend. It has always been thought that a race named in honor of Big Red should be a very important one and of rich value. At the track in Nebraska the Man o War Handicap is for three-year-olds and older horses at a mile and a sixteenth, with -,500 added. Although he has a massive statue over his grave, books have been written about him and he is Americas greatest horse, it has always struck us as strange that Man o War has been neglected by our major ra*ce tracks in the country.
