view raw text
CONNORS CORNER comic BELMONT PARK Elmont L I N Y May 3 The paddock gang now must shift shop talk to the Preakness a couple of weekends away In the meantime the handi ¬ cap division will take over as far as New Yorkers are concerned and several of these important events are on the agenda The boys are still speculat ¬ ing about Spartan Valor and how he will fare with the handi cappers Spartan Valor has for the moment captured the imagination of the crowds but many horsemen are not going over ¬ board in such an extent as proclaiming him the best to wear irons Max Hirsch Jim Fitzsimmons George Odom and a few other trainers have pronounced him a nice horse but as far as awarding the accolade of greatness they insist they must be further convinced These men pointed out that his big test will come in the Suburban which is the traditional Memorial Day feature at this track The Suburban is over the mile and onequarter course under handicap conditions True some fair to middling horses have been returned winners but it is something of a problem to state that this one or that one was the worst worstA A A A AThe The public has put Man o War on a pedestal but this fellow never raced as a fouryearold Not since 1926 has a three yearold proved the Suburban winner and this was Crusader a son of Man o War Crusader in that essay carried 104 pounds but did not start in the Derby nor the Preakness but won the Belmont over the mile and onehalf distance Previous to that Paul Jones Johren Friar Rock Fitz Herbert and Africander were successful as threeyearolds Of this lot but one Paul Jones won the Derby while Africander Friar Rock and Johren were successful in the Belmont However during those years before and shortly after the first World War the Kentucky fixture had not bloomed into the spectacle that it is today In 1922 the Preakness and Derby were contested on the same day and the success of Morvich in the Derby began to fire the enthusiasm of New Yorkers which has grown in leaps and bounds Will a top threeyearold start in the Suburban the latter part of May The paddock boys are doubtful doubtfulA A A A ATrainer Trainer James Fitzsimmons is on the ailing list with a cough the second time this year that he has suffered the aggra Spartan Valors Big Test Ahead Gets Set for Suburban Handicap Tappen Fills In for Mr Fitz Stable Help of Trainer Coburn vation However his post is taken over by the veteran George Fish Tappen who has been his first lieutenant for many years Tappen was recently discharged from the Lutheran Hospital in Brooklyn Jimmy Darou a former jockey who was injured in a spillseveral years ago arrived from Montreal Que on a visit Charlie McAdam the advertising man for whom the Flamingo winner of this year the sec ¬ ond division was named showed up during the afternoon His namesake Charlie Mc ¬ Adam is doing nicely and will be seen seenunder under colors before long F Skiddy von vonStade Stade back from Saratoga Springs N Y reported everything in good condition at that track Mike Morrisey the old news and circulation man showed up for the afternoon Johnny Whalley from Los Angeles is here on a visit cutting up some reminisences with Jimmy Coleman Harry F Guggenheim owner of Cain Hoy Stable was on hand early for training trials Colin Sandy McLeod showed up during the morning from his Virginia acres His Versify is training nicely under George M Odom Jockey George Het tinger came up from New Jersey to take a mount in the Acorn He plans to commute between here and Camden N J track in the future John F Curry passed up the Derby to keep cases on Granny Rice during the afternoon Said the pushing and shoving was worse than Jamaica Trainer Johnny Coburn has a couple of night watchmen and traffic cops over at Jamaica that will bear watching They are known to the stable help as Dick and Dixie and are a brace of ducks They were acquired in Florida a couple of years ago and in the meantime learned the stable routine The drake is the heftiest of the two and during the night watch is as tough as any dog screaming and hissing loudly to scare off any intruders During the day ¬ time especially during the rush hour they take a spot on the turn and a bad one near the Coburn menage and thus slow down traffic A A A AA j A G Vanderbilt is back from Louisville and saying nothing complimentary about his threeyearold colt Cousin who was headstrong in that sector of the Blue Grass Allie Sylvester the retired tobacco man is a regular these afternoons Nine fillies and mares were shipped from New York for the Colonial at Garden State Five to the Derby one returning before the start Cousin and five to the Dixie at Pimlico Looks like New York holds a monopoly on horses A letter from Grant Dorland down in Lexington said that it was a full book for Wine List this year The one ¬ time Greentree campaigner is making his first season Frank Kearns received word from Pete Markey now at Louisville that the veteran Piet did nicely during his first yearW G Deacon Jones arrived at Belmont Park with a draft of horses flat and steeplechase Due to the death of Ben OShea part owner of the Lester Manor Stable Stars Shine was scratched from the engagement during the afternoon Jack OTKeeffe the tub thumper at Cranwood is leaving no stone unturned in his effort to get an Ohio Derby nomination and a starter from William Helis Jr Catrone trainer for this menage back in 1931 rode Ala Carte to victory in the Ohio Derby Leo Veitch took over the training of the threeyearold Paramount Pete owned by the Saratogian Peter Issaris
