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R E F L E C T I O N S by nelson dunstan NEW YORK, N. ~Y., June 16.— Criticizing a man when hes down is distasteful, but the statement of Leo Edwards citing the reasons for his being ousted as chairman of the Florida State Racing Commission has drawn so many rebuttals from responsible people, including Floridians, that the record should be set straight. Regarding the bill that* would have prohibited out-of-state newspapers from sending racing news from Florida tracks until 1 oclock on the day of the program, Edwards said "J. feel that because of my efforts, this was vetoed by the Governor a few minutes before it was to become law." It isa matter of public record that Dan Chappell and Roy Patience, a member of the Florida State Racing Commission, went to Tallahassee to urge the Governor to disapprove the measure which would have caused irreparable damage to racing in the.Sunshine State. Floridians insist that Edwards had little or nothing to do with it, but lie did not hesitate to claim credit, for it in his statement or in his phone calls to people around the country. The trouble with Edwards, as one Floridian put it, was that "he talked out of both sides of his mouth." He was firm in the Don Meade case and for that he is entitled to credit, but he was anything but firm on the ruling to delay racing news out of Florida tracks. Although he mblicly stated on many occasions he was opposed to the rule he voted in favor of it. He is now blaming other people for what he brought on himself. *a AAA Leslie Combs n. came to New York to see the Belmont Stakes and further his plan for syndicating the promising young sire, Jet Pilot. The syndicate has been formed for 00,000 for 30 shares. In partnership with the Maine Chance Farm of Mrs. Elizabeth Graham, Combs is retaining 10 shares, and the group is completed by John D." Edwards Reasons for His Ouster Feeble Combs Syndicates Jet Pilot for 00,000 English Claim Their Jockeys Are Best Talk of Deterioration in Sire Lines - Hertz, E. Barry Ryan, Paul Mellon, R. W. McHvain, A. B. Hancock, Jr., P. A. B. Widener HI., Carr Hatch, Jerry Tree, Sylvester Labrot, Freeman Keyes, Wallace Gilroy, Mrs. Emil Denemark, Eugene Constantin, Mrs. Peggy Ains-worth Townsend, Mary V. Fisher, Harry Fruehauf, James Cox. Brady, J. M. Roebling and Mrs. Alfred G. Roberts. Jet Pilot is a seven-year-old horse by Blenheim II., out of Black Wave, by Sir Gallahad TEL, and was a winner of the Kentucky Derby in 1947. He entered stud at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky in 1948 and has gained considerable attention this season by the feats of his two-year-old colt. Jet Master, winner of the National Stallion Stakes at Belmont Park last Wednesday. Of the yearlings that Combs sold at Keeneland last August, six "have started, three have won, two have been second and one fourth. A A A Three-dot Shorts: At Bernadotte Farm in New Jersey, Twink-Mp, the dam of Uncle Miltie, foaled a colt by Beau o Mine and she will be bred back to the same horse ...The Fasig-Tipton will revive the Old Glory Trotting Sales in October, and will conduct them at the New Jersey State Fair Grounds near Trenton. . .Bill Evans, of the Breeders* Sales Company has sent out lists, of all yearlings - toe sold at Keeneland late in July. . .Henry H. Knight, the Almahurst breeder, who has been a principal in many big transactions in recent years, has another deal hot on the Blue Grass stove, and, if he is successful, it will be front page; stuff. . .We hear that the party at Freeport, Long Island, for Don Meade was quite an affair. . .Phil Godfrey, who owns a stable of horses, has written the Wicks Committee a lengthy letter which contains many suggestions that impress us as good colt horse sense. Godfrey stresses the physical shortcomings of the New York race tracks, with the exception of Belmont Park. . . Fred Purner, of Santa Anita, is again a New York visitor and a welcome addition to the Belmont press box. . .Almost one hundred years ago, Lexington, the greatest of American stallions, served, thirty mares in one season at 00 each. Today, prices for top stallions range from ,000 to ,000 for each service. So whats wrong with this game?. . .Gene Flagg, who just came back from South America, has sold his hosiery business and is determined to get bjjck into racing as an official but adds, "I want to start from the bottom, not the top." AAA This writer was rooting for Winston "Churchills Colonist n. to win the Ascot Gold Cup, but the colbrbearer of that game old warrior ran second to Pan, who is owned by E. Constant of France. Before that, Irish horses put the English to rout in the Epsom Derby; Remarks made in British turf papers and breeding journals tickle this writer at times, but we admire them for the "never say die" spirit they display in sports, as well as in war. Recently, there was an interesting "editorial in the little monthly "Racing Review," which comes to us out of London. The editor said: "In recent years, America has shown us the way in the boxing, golf and tennis worlds. Italy remains supreme in the motor racing field, but, when it comes to race riding, our jockeys make those from other countries look just like selling platers. It seems a great pity that some of our leading owners have to seek riders from abroad." The last American jockey to go to England was Johnny Longden. The-British were very kind* to him, and he was grateful and also kind in his remarks about them. But when they say that foreign Continued on Page Forty-One REFLECTIONS . By NELSON DUNSTAN Continued from Page Forty-Eight" jockeys are like "selling platers," they must have forgotten about the "American invasion of earlier years when Tod Sloan taught them "monkey-on-the-stick" riding and Madden, the Rieff brothers and Danny Maher rode seven Epsom Derby winners in the 14 years from 1898 to 1912. AAA There v is one English article, however, which is controversial and which appeared in the Ango -Irish Bloodstock Annual of 1951. In that interesting publication, Henry de Gelsey writes under the title, "From Bulle Rock to Nasrullah." In it he n6t only contends that British sire lines have dominated United States breeding through two hundred years, but sates that "with very few exceptions, male lines are fading fast outside of Britain and every country must renew its sire lines from England to avoid deterioration in thoroughbred stock." Some people will call it sound sense, and some will attribute his remarks to pride of country while others will say that he is conducting a good sales campaign. He asks, "Why do native sire lines, all over the world, have such a short existence, usually surviving only to the third or fourth remove? Are climatic conditions responsible, or is it due to the ceaseless requests of nature for improved forms of life, in this case commonly known as the outcross? " There is no doubt that we owe a great deal to England for the strength of our breed. It is also true that England owes a lot to us for the good old American dollar. But when de Gelsey talks about sire lines dying out, he might tell us why St. Simon, the stallion I line that was the rave of England, died out so quickly in the British Isles. There is an old saying that "those -who live in glass time." houses should not take- a bath in the day- , | I I
