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CONNORS CORNER By Chuck Connors BELMONT PARK Elmont L I N Y May 9 The Coaching Club American Oaks is for threeyearold fillies and is one of the heavily en ¬ dowed stakes for the distaff members of the thoroughbred family This year the thirty sixth running of the event will be held on Saturday May 24 ne week after the Freak ness The Oaks never attracted the fanfare that goes to the three year old offering in which the male of the species dominates However in the history of this race first won by James Butlers Wistful in 1917 some real good perform ¬ ers have been successful The other morn ¬ ing the paddock boys were discussing the merits of Cleopatra Princess Doreen Bateau Top Flight Black Helen Vagrancy Twilight Tear and several others and opinion as to which was the best left the argument in an uproar Many of these beat some highly regarded colts in races but as a rule failed to develop into good pro ¬ ducing broodmares This is a pecularity that has many explanations and brings to mind the case of Artful The latter was one of the great mares of all time When retired to the stud great expectations were held out for her Alas and alack one of her best sons was an animal named Sam Slick You will not find this fellows name in the roster of stake winners but he did manage to win a few races under a cheap price claiming or selling tag The Belair Studs Vagrancy on the other hand got one good one in Black Tarquin a stakes winner in England In recent years it has been the policy of racing associations to name races for the greats of other years Aqueduct has the Vagrancy Hialeah the Black Helen Arlington the Cleopatra Bel ¬ mont the Top Flight and others Well some day they might name a stake offer ¬ ing for whom many consider the best horse of recent time Man o War They named a freight train after him and the rail ¬ roaders say it is a fast one Mr William Woodward was a recent early morning Aqueduct visitor and watched several sets of his horses undergo training trials Mrs Nick Wall came up from Flor ¬ ida for a few days to visit her husband She plans to bring their son Walter north following the close of the schoolyear in Miami Peter A Markey and Harvey Frue hauf from Detroit relayed word that they will be on hand for the Belmont The grapevine had it this morning that Sherrill Ward would take over the Havahome Sta ¬ ble horses to train Horatio Luro went on record the other morning that he was deserting Santa Anita next winter for Flor ¬ ida The rubber boots were no good he insisted Joe Wormser for whom Frank Kearns trained several horses a decade or so back is a regular these afternoons He Hewas was on the ailing list for some time Horsemen in this area were saddened by the passing of Bill Martidfca counterman for the H M Stevens Co Martin who hailed from Albany N Y was associated with the organization for years and worked the East Coast from Florida to New Eng ¬ land landA A L A AAlex Alex Robb was up bright and early chas ¬ ing away the rain clouds which hovered about Looks like he succeeded Otto Precht the head wine steward in the club ¬ house became a great grandfather the other weekAl Wesson the tub thumper out att Hollywood Park has turned out a fancy looking brochure for the edification of the boys who may make the trip from these shores Trainer Bert Mulholland is convinced that George D Wideners Battle ¬ field will be a starter in the Metropolitan Nick Shuk checked in from Pimlico to ride Lord Priam owned by George Strick iland in the Withers He returns to the theMaryland Maryland sector following the race Jockey Eddie Arcaro will be a TV guest star on Sunday night with Ed Sullivan Mark Livingston for many years foreman for Frank Kearns has a couple of horses of his own to campaign this summer summerA A A A AR R Whittfngton who saddled Belle Jet for the Maine Chance Farm on Thursday has been associated with the menage for more than a decade as foreman The pad ¬ dock boys report that Eddie Hayward will take over the horses to train Jimmy Kil roe was whipped in the Columbia squash tournament finals much to the delight of Francis P Dunne The latter insists that squash is no game for the Celts because they cant use a shillelah Sammy Engle man of the press box handicap forces was admitted to a Brooklyn Hospital for treat ¬ ment for an ear infection Jack Cooper and Al Eckert left for Radnor Pa where they will officiate at that hunt meeting tomorrow for the National Hunts Asso ¬ ciation
