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JUDGES STAND By Charles Hatton Speedy Hill Gail Draws Shortest Way Home Derby Absentees Preakness Probables Rose Jet Prospect for the Pimlico Race Pine Pep Retires Maryland Cup Trophy TrophyCHURCHILL CHURCHILL DOWNS Louisville Ky May 2 Turf enthusiasts everywhere today are amusing themselves picking the Derby winner Here on the festive scene of the worldfamed mile and a Quarter event it appears that Calumets longstriding Hill Gail is very definitely the onetobeat particularly since he drew the number one position in the starting gate This extraordinary stroke of good fortune must have been a little demoralizing to some of his rivals It is rather like loading the dice for the Bull Lea colt already has flashed recordbreaking speed Conversely Blue Man must break from number 15 well out past the center of the course Neverthe ¬ less he strikes us as the most plausible sec ¬ ond choice And we must concede Cold Command some sort of chance in view of the splendid form he showed up at Lexing ¬ ton His connections expect him to give a good account of nun self Picking the Derby winner is undeniably fun but we think everybody will agree with track superintendent Tom Young that it is to be hoped above all else The best horse wins Churchill Downs does not have the film patrol but this Run for the Roses will be telecast to many millions of Americans who have never seen a horse race They hardly can help forming some impres ¬ sions and opinions of the thoroughbred sport when the Derby is brought to them It would be ironical were there any such in ¬ cident as the foul which marred the 100000 Santa Anita Handi ¬ cap The jockeys we have met are gentlemen and sportsmen and we are sure the 17 having mounts in this Kentucky Derby realize the significance of the fact this Run for the Roses is to be telecast Racings popularity now far exceeds that of any similar sport and may gain many iriore enthusiasts this weekend weekendThis This tourist envies those who have such powers of per ¬ ception they can say with an ah of confidence The threeyearolds are a bad lot so early hi the season Though none of the entrants in this Derby has quite Cita ¬ tions or Count Fleets reputation we do not share this somewhat cynical view Our own appraisal is that the field compares with those which produced Counterpoint and Hill Prince For that matter Sir Barton was a maiden when he went to the post in the 1919 Derby and as wev recall Exterminator was considered a hopeless substitute for the ailing Sun Briar hi 1918 Noon editions of the Louisville papers featured Extermintors picture as the longest of longshots probably on the assumption they would not have to repeat it after the race This sort of thing makes one hesitant about opinions tossed around in May Following the Derby what is left of the field will proceed to Pimlico where the Preakness second jewel in the Triple Crown is to be decided on May 17 Tom Fool Charlie McAdam Primate Jampol Handsome Teddy and Comte deGrasse are absentees from the Derby field who may appear hi the Hilltop classic Charlie McAdam a courageous little horse won his end of the Flamingo in the identical time of Blue Mans and Ev Clay tells us he is training well again following his attack of distemper Tom Fool is considered by many the class of the threeyear olds as far as he goes The new stakes schedule provid ¬ ing a two weeks interval between the Derby and Preak ¬ ness with the Belmont decided on June 7 probably will come to more Triple Crown winners It affords the more delicate colts or those that are a bit the worse for wear ah opportunity to walk a few days and freshen for the next engagement The schedule thus also makes for larger Freakness and Belmont fields fieldsKentuckians Kentuckians resident and transient saw some of Americas leading Oaks talent in todays seventyeighth Kentucky version and New Yorkers this weekend will be entertained by others in Belmonts Acorn mile a prep for the C C A Oaks It may be that Pimlicos BlackEyed Susan will bring together some of the Kentucky Oaks and Acorn fields before the Coaching Club Among other eligibles for the Baltimore clubs nine furlongs is Mrs Grahams 1951 twoyearold filly champion Rose Jet hero ¬ ine of the most thrilling filly race we have seen in years when she won the Selima It will be interesting to note how she fares this season at three She wintered well for Willie Booth at Columbia S C and has been breezing at Belmont Park Her old rival and former stablemate StarEnfin has been debited with a beating but it is possible she will improve with this seasoning George Strate has high hopes for her herTurf Turf ana Tom Sheehan resigns as a steward at the Old Bock to assume his new duties as an HBPA field repre ¬ sentative Buddy Wingfield will serve at Lou Smiths track Pine Pep owned by Mr and Mrs W J Clothier and ridden by Mike Smithwick recently retired the Mary ¬ land Hunt Cup having won it a third time Mrs Clothier used to hunt the 12yearold son of Petee Wrack Smith wick was riding his fourth winner of the timber classic Inclement weather held the crowd usually 25000 down to 5000 The Delaware Memorial Bridge is expected to boost Delaware Park crowds placing the Stanton track within 30 minutes of N J by car 45 minutes to Garden State Park Ev Clay tells us 11 of the twoyearold progeny of the Florida sire Ariel Game ran there last winter Seven won 11 races and some 34000 Some ¬ thing of a bargain stallion is Samurai who cost Carl Rose 25 won the German St Leger and is by the noted Oleander His yearlings are sound individuals Jet A Dandy and Lord Priam are Preakness prospects not in the Derby Fancy the HBPA adopting a resolution to op ¬ pose the sole of Pimlico stock The Rotary Club was host to Derby trainers at luncheon here the other day Turks Cap is a halfbrother of Mr Trouble Arlington Washingtons nine early closing stakes now have an es ¬ timated gross of 1045000 Hialeah plans some notable increases in added monies for its next meeting Santa Anitas track will be truck farmed following the harness meet to give it more cushion and bounce for next winter Counterpoint now is going under saddle at Belmont
