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REFLECTIONS 1 gy Nelson Dunstan Horsemens Strike at Chicago Track Serious Bull Lea Silent Hero of Kentucky Derby Sons Daughters Create Churchill Record Calumet Endorses Slogan Best to the Best BestLEXINGTON LEXINGTON Ky May 5 5Many Many racing officials at the Kentucky Derby on Saturday were deeply disturbed by the situation in Chicago which re ¬ sulted in a strike by the horsemen They are equally disturbed with the recent agreement entered into be ¬ tween the Horsemens Benevolent and Pro ¬ tective Association and the Detroit Race Track in which they feel the Detroit track made unbusinesslike concessions which will result in their losing at least some authority that properly belongs to management One prominent official stated that in his opinion the Thoroughbred Racing Associations code should not permit race tracks to enter into agreements of that type It is our feeling that though the HBPA is a national organi ¬ zation the national committee is not per ¬ forming its proper function in the Chicago dispute The HBPA has many vicepresidents who have been in racing for many years and know all the problems of both the horsemen and the race tracks None of these experienced men has been called to Chicago to participate in the present dispute which is serious not only to the Chicago area but to racing as a whole We should be the last to oppose the horse ¬ men in their desire to obtain the benefits of increased attend ¬ ance and mutuel play However we also believe there are cer ¬ tain functions that properly belong to management on which the horsemen are attempting to encroach encroachOn On Sunday hundreds of visitors passed Calumet Farm hoping to get a glimpse of Bull Lea and Jane Gail the daddy and mammy of Hill Gail Kentucky Derby winner Originally Mrs Warren Wright wanted to name the colt who was foaled here at Calumet on April 19 1949 Gail Hill But The Jockey Club refused the name on the grounds that it was too feminine so they switched it around to Hill Gail and the colt amply demonstrated there was noth ¬ ing eff emulate about him when he completed the one and onequarter miles of the Derby in 201 Hill Gail is an ¬ other example of the Bull Lea Blenheim II nick or again that adage Breed the best to the best When it comes to the best Calumet can match any farm in the world in sires of dams Coaltown is by Bull Lea out of a Blenheim DT mare and for sheer speed that was justifica ¬ tion for again mingling the bloods of two famous sires Ben Jones once said Breed them all to Bull Lea when talking of Calumet broodmares and while the Bull Lea Blenheim H cross has resulted in Coaltown Hill Gail and others his mating with a daughter of Blue Larkspur produced Twilight Tear a mating with a Hyperion mare produced Citation and Bewitch is by Bull Lea out of a daughter of Wildair WildairAlthough Although some new records were established by Calumet Farm Bull Lea created a few in his own right Never before has one sire had sons and daughters win the Derby Trial on Tuesday Kentucky Oaks on Friday and then the Debutante Stakes and Kentucky Derby on Saturday A brown horse Bull Lea is a 17yearold son of Bull Dog Rose Leaves and while a fair race horse became one of Americas top sires when he led all other stallions from 1947 to 1949 inclusive He finished second to Heliopolis in 1950 and second to Count Fleet in 1951 Although his heavy scoring sons and daughters have kept him high on the sire list during the past decade he continued to send out colts and fillies to carry on for him Blue Delight the dam of Real Delight and Bubbley winners of the Oaks and Debutante respectively is a stakeswinning daughter of Blue Larkspur out of a Chicle mare Her first foal was All Blue who was foaled in 1947 1947The The moneywhining owners list changed considerably on the weekend As of April 25 the Brookfield Farm of Harry Isaacs was at the top off the list with 192750 One horse can put an owner in front during the early months of the year due to the rich winter races Brookfield was followed by Calumet Farm 192282 Alfrew G Vander ¬ bilt 147650 and William Helis Jr 129950 Spartan Valor continued his winning ways and as a result Helis continued his high standing While Cousin failed to start in the Derby Bed o Roses has scored for Vanderbilt and from present indications the twoyearold Native Dancer will add to the total But the biggest change came on the weekend for although Calumet took the lead when Real Delight won the Kentucky Oaks on Friday the Debutante and Kentucky Derby victories sent the famed Devils red and blue contingent far hi front Calumet led the money winning owners for the first time in 1941 and repeated in 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 and 1949 Last year they were second to Greentree and while the list will undergo changes as the season advances it will take a powerful stable to topple Calumet from the toprung of the money ladderLouisville ladder Louisville stages the Derby But the celebrations follow in Lexington On Sunday the countryside gathered at Leslie Combs Spendthrift Farm to congratulate Mrs Warren Wright and Charles T Fisher breeders of Hill Gail and Sub Fleet and A T Simmons breeder of Blue Man Mrs Wright who has continued Calumet Farm as one of the worlds greatest breeding establishments of all time was outwardly calm but admitted that the four victories in one week was a thrill beyond descrip ¬ tion Due to the virus abortion epidemic many of the Kentucky breeding farms have been closed to visitors and Warren Wright Jr expressed regret that Calumet could not be opened to the thousands who wanted to see the many famous stallions and mares stabled there During his life thousands came to Ken ¬ tucky to see Man o War but since the death of Big Red Cita ¬ tion has been one of the greatest of Blue Grass attractions He is a magnificent specimen of the American thoroughbred and although surrounded by royalty of the horse world he stands out When asked about her favorite horse Mrs Wright smiled and said I love every one of them themHill Hill Gail is the only horse who can now win the coveted Triple Crown but he will have to fight for the TRA Trophy Dixianas Sub Fleet who staged a powerful stretch run to finish second is also an eligible for the Preakness and Belmont Not one iota of credit can be taken from Hill Gail but many here in Kentucky are keenly awaiting another meeting There are quite a few fewContinued Continued on Page TwentyNine REFLECTIONS REFLECTIONSBy By NELSON DUNSTAN Continued from Page ThirtySix ThirtySixthreeyearolds threeyearolds who did not start in the Derby that are eligible for the Preakness on May 17 and the Belmont Stakes on June 27 Some of them may try con ¬ clusions with the Derby money trio and if so it will add zest to the Triple Crown situation Since 1919 only eight sophomores have been able to win all three races and the big question now is Will Hill Gail be the ninth In this writers opinion the question narrows to whether or not he can hold his terrific speed over the one and onehalf miles of the Belmont Stakes Sub Fleet on the other hand should be a natural at the longer distance
