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— — -. ;■— 77— JUDGES STAND *y charles hatton DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 22. — This state has only three counties, two at high tide, someone has said, and the Stanton club has named one of its features for each. These are the Sussex, New Castle and Kent. The last-named county will be honored for the fourteenth time this week-end week-end when when Repetoire, Repetoire, owned owned by by week-end week-end when when Repetoire, Repetoire, owned owned by by Mrs. Nora Mikell of Kent County meets a lively field in the mile and a sixteenth of the Kent Stakes. Among Repetoires rooters is Gov. Elbert N. Carvel, who may declare a legal holiday or something if the son of Happy Argo, inspired by civic pride and 5,000, can become the first Kent Countian to win the race. Of course Repetoire was bred in Virginia, but he has been naturalized by special proclamation of the states chief executive. We are told that actually the residents of Delaware State comprise a small minority of Delaware Parks crowds, and that mostly they come from Philadelphia. But Repetoire is expected to pack them in, as the local papers have been full of his exploits. Just as a vagrant from Kenutucky, we think Repetoire may encounter some difficulty with one of the Philadelphians present. This is Walter Jeffords Yildiz, who won the Flamingo Stakes last winter, and could turn out to be one of 195 ls long list of best three-year-olds. He is expected to be the favorite, though he must carry topweight of 126 pounds. On the record these two are the class of the field, and it will be something of an upset if both are beaten, but there is a considerable weight spread. AAA Ben Lindheimer was gratified by response to Arlingtons opening-day card, when the attendance was up 11 per cent, the play 23 per cent, and the first Saturday may result in further increases with the important Equipoise Mile as the feature. The Chocolate Soldiers mile in 1:34% no longer is a world record, but still stands as a challenge to participants in the stake named for him. The race record is 1:35 flat, and it is the joint property of With Pleasure, Star Reward and Oil Capitol. Among Kent Countian Bids for Kent Today Equipoise Challenges Arlington Milers Greek Song Going to Stud in Kentucky Ross Sees Gate as Best Yardstick the entrants for this Equipoise is Johns Joy, who tied the track record of l:09y5 in the Myrtlewood Handicap opening day. Lindheimer works on the theory that variety is the spice of ones program and he certainly has enhanced the value of a good miler in his roster of Arlington and Washington stakes this summer. The Equipoise Mile has 5,000 added, and the 0,000 Arlington Matron for fillies and mares also is at a flat mile. The Washington Park Handicap this season has been foreshortened to a mile and enriched with 00,000. It is the most valuable stake in the world at the distance. AAA Delawares Don Ross won Arlingtons Classic with Greek Song last summer and he tells us that Cochise will be shipped there following the Brooklyn, with the 00,000 Arlington Handicap on July 28 as his objective. Cochise has never appeared to care much for the Aqueduct surface, but "Its the only game in town" just now. Allen Brewer, incidentally, has done a felicious portrait of the handsome grey for Ross, and it was admired by Suffolk Downs patrons when it was exhibited there on Massachusetts Day. He won John Pappas feature last year, you know. Greek Song was on the verge of going wrong, has been stopped, and will appear on race cards next as a sire. "No definite arrangements have been made," Ross observed, "but I plan to stand him somewhere in Kentucky. I feel a young horse has the maximum opportunity there." Greek Song is by the 1950 champion sire, Heliopolis, and comes of a good Greentree family. Probably his trainer, Buddy Raines, always will believe he would have won the Belmont Stakes, as well as the Dwyer and the Classic, except that he was confronted by a wall of horses midway in his run and hadnt anywhere to go. Though Greek Songs most distinguishing races were at middle distances, and some have thought of him as a plodder, Ross declares that he could sprint. "We worked him with Cochise at Arlington last summer," he recalls, "and he beat the gray horse in 1:11, when Cochise was at the top of his form." AAA Ross believes that the turnstile count, rather than the "tote" handle, is the most reliable yardstick of racings progress. And we agree completely that much of the uptrend in play may be attributed to such artificial stimulants as nine races, late post times and so on. It isnt nice to point, but racing this year has shown gains in attendance, whereas baseball crowds have been diminishing. Track operators suspect that television explains the decrease in patronage at the ball parks, and some fear the worst if they offer live television. Our thinking is that television can be helpful or harmful, depending upon how it is employed. We should be inclined to doubt the wisdom of giving away ones stakes features. And we dont think any club is likely to offer live TV on a large number of its races. For one thing, Sen. Estes Kefauver would be a conscientious objector. But an occasional race, night shows and training scenes of "Name" horses engaged in rich Saturday and holiday stakes are something else. And the response has been good at New Orleans and Chicago. Mostly these programs are sustaining, for the field of sponsors is diminishing. Its pretty difficult to sell them, when they can buy movies for 00, or about 75 per cent less than racing. AAA Turf ana: Waterford Park play continues to show gains. With any luck in the weather the handle this week-end may exceed the 11,743 last Saturday, despite conflict with Charles Town. Al Boyle does not anticipate the corresponding dates will be harmful . One hears a rather staggering offer has been rejected for Polynesian. . . .Tennessee lumber interests, and numerous other industries, opposed the hobby farm bill. To say nothing of the importance of racing revenue in state budgets in New York, Florida and elsewhere. It would have had even less support in the senate . . Ray and Danny Van Clief have a nice broodmare prospect in Tides, a sister to Jet Pilot, who beat allowance horses here recently.
