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5. h h ___________ iv I rr -"YTOifi If * T . ; , Connors Corner By "CHUCK" CONNORS ■ Chief of Chart Correspondents—. AQUEDUCT, L. I., N. Y., June 27.— Todays feature, the Astoria Stakes for two-year-old fillies, was formerly known as the Astoria Astoria Dinner Dinner Stakes. Stakes. ___________ * . : j ! ! Astoria Astoria Dinner Dinner Stakes. Stakes. This event was fashioned along the social lines that attend the Gimcrack Stakes in England. The owner of the winner was pledged to invite the owners of the other starters and friends, if he so desired, to a stag feast tossed in the old Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on 34th 34th street street. The The first first j j [ | 5 1 " r J 1 Jf * J - s jj ■ ° 0 a r •• * J? s h h - 11 st d at it at it "- it ie -s i- te s rt I- le ft its b- S; ;" s 1_ ■ 3~ st out lS he le the le i- ;e !S- at r" w the le the ie Id a a m five ve. :" n e and 10- / n* an in An in r- rr -"YTOifi 34th 34th street street. The The first first running was in 1902 and Jack Follansbee supplied the winner in the aptly named Astorita, with the canny Willie Shaw in the irons. She was victorious over Wild Thyme and Credulity and the victory was worth ,125 to the winning owner. Follansbee herded his guests to the Waldorf-Astoria and staged a party that was long remem-g bered as one of the best in the gay life of that famed hotel. The boys celebrated, or so goes the legend, for three days and when the tab was presented, the two-grand earned by the speedy Astorita was hardly sufficient to meet the expense. Follansbee did not quibble on that score, for in those days he was one of the fast living and plays ing set of his generation. A good polo player and with an income derived from silver miles in Mexico and a relative to the fabulous Keenes and Whitneys, he en-fcs joyed life to the hilt, However, that first Astoria party di-not set the tempo for the others thai were to follow and less than a decade later the social life that attended the race was abandoned. Racing then as now was not confined to rich men or their sons and the directors of the old Grave-ts send track changed the conditions befor: the passage of the Hughes Law. Their reason for the change in the condition:; was a matter of tact and diplomacy for it was liable to turn into an embarrass-Jt ing predicament should a poor man turn up with the winner. Some good fillies ac-1_ counted for this stake and through it left their imprint on racing history as broodmares. Jockey Eric Guerin held a house warming over the week-end and the party was pronounced a success . Trainer Bill Hin-at phy came down from New England in search of a couple of horses. He enjoyed the plane ride . Jess Weiss, the stone crab man from Miami Beach, was on hand to find out how the boys make out when away from his beloved Florida . . Trainer John Partridge reported today that Nell K., the good stakes winner under the silks of the Spring Hill Farm, had been retired. This miss suffered an eye injury this spring, but after the optic had been re-1" stored to the socket it was discovered that t it was out of focus. Nell K. will later be e shipped to Kentucky where she will enter r the stud. A winner of 10,000 in her brief f campaign the mare will be sent to the e court of Count Fleet or Princequillo . . . Trainer James Fitzsimmons took second d call on the services of the apprentice Sid-e ~ _ ney Cole for the remainder of the summer r season. . Artie Hitchman, of the tote staff Continued on Page Thirty-Nine Connors Corner Continued from Page Five who was on the ailing list for the past month, returned to his post today. . J. G. "Bully" Wagnon. the veteran trainer, is confined to his Jamaiea home. He has a severe throat ailment. Jockey Dave Gorman joined the commuters ranks between here and Monmouth Park. He came up to ride in the Astoria and returned to the Jersey scene after the race . . . Jockeys Ted Atkinson and Eric Guerin are staging a hectic race for jockey leadership at this meeting . . . Belmont Park officials posted a notice to the effect that uncashed winning tickets from that meeting can be redeemed here. Two windows on the mezzanine floor have been set aside for that purpose Dr. Alberto Inclan, president of the Cuban Breeders Association, may look over some stallions and broodmares while here with a view of buying:. The Cuban government will subsidize part of the purchase price . . Max Hirsch will serve as presiding judge at the New Jersey yearling show to be staged at Monmouth Park in July. Hirsch is no stranger at this exacting job for be served in a similar capacity at Pimlico. Fred Lansburgh and George Washington Carroll are "afeudin" and it all came over Tuesdays success of Feint. Lansburgh did not place much credence in Carrolls pre-race denunciation of his charge . Mrs. Max Kornblum, who accompanied her husband to the track the other day, enjoyed a pleasant surprise. For the first time in 20 years she saw one of his colorbearers emerge triumphant. The man for whom the colt was named, Joe E. Lewis, was not present Lawrence Lewis returned to his Richmond, Va., home after a weeks visit in this area. His two-year-old Bull Halsey is rounding to form, stated trainer Jack Skirvin . Isidore Biebers Palestinian is training nicely at Jamaica and will be ready for the races in the near future. His return will be a welcome addition to the handicap ranks . The oldest track record, over which races are contested today on New York tracks is held by Roseben. Frank J. Heller, part owner of the Lester Manor Stable, was on hand for the afternoon. The selections are: SIR AD in the third, MOBILE BELLE in the sixth and KNIGHT-AT-ARMS in the seventh.
