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BS 5 *" -iand Connors Corner By "CHUCK" CONNORS ■ Chief of Chart Correspondents AQUEDUCT, L. I., N. Y., June 23.— This racing ground is steadily overcoming deep-seated prejudices of many horsemen which ____ were were ingrained ingrained when when were were ingrained ingrained when when the track was altered to its present size in 1940. Previous to that time Aqueduct boasted : of the longest homestretch in the country, with the turns not as pronounced as they are today. The racing strip was one of the safest in the land and the topnotchers of the handicap handicap division division were were handicap handicap division division were were frequently seen under colors in the choice offerings. Following the change from the mile and one-quarter circumference to its mile shape today with the elimination of the two-year-old chute, which had its start | up near Rockaway Boulevard, horsemen ] showed a tendency to avoid racing their top charges except in the heavily endowed stakes. In the intervals other racing grounds would be chosen and it was not an uncommon sight on any week-end to find the names of a half dozen or more top grade horses in the entries at other tracks, j The first few years? following the conversion, horses bore out sharply at the far turn and this brought about a reduction in the number of entries. Veteran jockeys who witnessed the efforts of some of the boys riding to the , turn at Aqueduct, blame the riders and not the horses for the drifting out at that spot. The veterans point out that the vast majority of youngsters are not properly grounded in the art of handling a horse, such as changing the bit in his mouth, thus permitting the animal to make the turn at good speed instead of taking up and striking the horse over the head in an effort to keep him in. The far turn has a fairly steep bank and horses that are unaccustomed to this ground formation will change strides rapidly and in so doing tend to drift out. Bill Knapp, who stables here, and James Fitzsimmons, the dean of Aqueduct trainers, are of the opinion that after several works or stiff races over the course a horse can fit himself to the Aqueduct formaticn and eventually race true. Mr. Fitz has a good argument to bear out his deductions for the charges that he trains over the local strip as a rule lose very little ground. Aqueduct next week will be mechanically I equipped for the sale of Daily Doubles. Seventy-five units are in the process of installation and when lined up, the hand sold tickets will be a museum piece. Thus Aqueduct will be the first so equipped . . . , Laddie Sanford, who, in addition to flat racers, has some jumpers in his menage, was on hand. He recently returned from Palm Beach . . . Herbert Bayard Swope, the former commissioner, showed up late for the opening, but decided to be on time for the rest of the meeting . . . Joe Notter, the old jockey, celebrated his natal day Friday. He was born in 1891 and was galloping horses when most boys are in kindergarten ... J. J. Amiel made sure that his Count Flame would be a Tremont ; eligible. The youngsters name was sent in ! three times as a matter of insurance. Com- : mander Harry F. Guggenheim was an early ■ arrival. Trainer Max Hirsch has let up on the King Ranchs Sonic and is grazing the colt. He will be back in training later. . | Joe and Jerry Cascarella sailed for an i extended European vacation Friday on the Queen Elizabeth. The Laurel officials will visit racing centers in England, 1 France and other continental countries : while Mrs. Cascarella will, no doubt, give the Paris shops a good look-see . Ogden 1 I 1 Phipps was on hand and accepted con- ] gratulations on the clever score of his 1 Busanda in the Top Flight at Belmont. i The Horse Identification Department has i I i been dispossessed from the main admin- 2 1st rat ion building. The new headquarters 1 is the white-painted cottage back of the j j ■ paddock . A registered nurse is on duty at : ; Aqueduct each day, Sundays excepted. ! J from 8 a. m. until after the final race | The first aid station is located in the i administration building Trainer Glenn Felkner returned from a visit to Suffolk Downs. He has several horses in training at that point Mrs. Seth Morton left for J her Saratoga Springs, N. Y., home follow- t ing several days visit at Belmont Park . I j Claude Feltner is on the ailing list, a minor touch of the flu . Murray Gross, the in- [ j P. v surance man, came down from Boston for j the Queens County Butts Fairbrother. j-the old jockey, is a member of the pec- e Continued on Page Thirty-Six I r 1 1 1 I 1 I I I 1 I I ! , 1 • • ■ 7 f J 9 j , 8 3 2 I • J Connors Corner Continued from Page Five manent maintenance crew here. Butts is well acquainted with Aqueduct for he rode for James Fitzsimmons years ago. George W. "Slim" Sulley has a ten gallon hat ready to spring on the boys. The skimmer came from Texas via Jake Freedman, the Houston racing patron. . . Colin "Sandy" MacLeod, the Virginian, returned to his acres in that countryside when Belmont closed. . .Jockey Nick Wall returned from Arlington Park where he rode several engagements at that track. . Jockey Eddie Arcaro planed out to Chicago, but will hurry back following the running of the Equipoise Mile . . . Jockey Warren Mehrtens should be, by this time, as familiar with the country between here and Wilmington, Del., as the men who run the trains over that stretch of track. He has made the trip a half dozen times to date, and has several more on the agenda. Major Albert Warner deserted the mo-1 tion picture industry for the afternoon . . . Aqueduct in other years was known as the straw hat track. The boys on the lawn sported wide-brimmed skimmers to keep out the sun. Today it could be known as the reflector track judging from the sun rays bouncing off many bald domes . . Eddie Madden, of the Queens County blood bank, is a patient at St. Vincents Hospital, New York City. He is undergoing a firing job for varicose veins . John Shapiro, top man at Laurel, was among the afternoons visitors. He recently returned from an ex-| tended tour of South America where he witnessed considerabel racing. He picked up some new ideas for Laurel which may be adopted in the near future. . .William Goadby Loew witnessed the Tremont and may go to Delaware for the Dover in which his The Pimpernel will be a starter . . . The Aqueduct house flag was dipped after the second race when -the home-trained" "Quiri- nus, under the Belair Stud colors, was home free. Whenever an Aqueduct-trained horse is returned the winner of a race the flag will be lowered and then topmasted. The selections are: TRUMPET CALL in the second, JUST DESERT in the fifth and AMPHIBLEN in the seventh.
