Connors Corner: Suburban to Draw Spartan Valor; Colt Is Idol of Turf at Moment; Sickles Image Eyeing Vagrancy; Confederacy Invader at Belmont, Daily Racing Form, 1952-05-17

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CONNORS CORNER By Chuck1 Connors] BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., May 16. — The Suburban Handicap is the next big one on the agenda for the stars of that division. The distance is one and one-quarter miles and the date Decoration Day. The event will probably be the sixth race of the program for a pot of 0,000. The field will be drawn from 50 made eligible on March 15 when the event closed. The weights are due on Saturday, May 24, and the paddock gang is" already in a dither trying to outguess the veteran handicap-per, J. B. Campbell. Spartan Valor, owned by William Helis, Jr., will without doubt be the top weight. Trainer Frank Catrone has set his sights for this one, which was established way back in 1884 at Sheepshead Bay. Spartan Valor boasts a string of successes, seven in a row, losing his winter debut at Tropica! Park on New Years Day to- Woodchuck. The colt was assigned 134 for the Metropolitan, which will be run tomorrow, at one mile. Thirty-nine years ago, the late Walter Vosburgh assigned 1.39 pounds to Whisk Broom H., folowing. his suecess in the Metropolitan with 126. This jump of 1 3 pounds left the amateur handi-cappers of that day somewhat in a daze, but the American-bred that had been shipped, to England and later returned proved equal to the task. Joe Notter rode the Whitney colorbearer In each start and, when he dismounted, said that he was all horse. Notter was a good judge of pace and what the boys called a handy rider. AAA In later years when discussing the. merits of Man o War and the undefeated Colin of an earlier generation, Notter stoutly insisted that the son of Commando and Pas-torella which raced for James R. Keene was the better of the two. ilovrever, that argument will never be settled, but it is his opinion and worth repeating, for he saw both at their best. Both colts were highly regarded by the public and bookmakers alike, for Colin started 15 times and but once- was better than even money and that was in his debut. Man o War started 21 times, winning 20 and, in all his starts, was held at odds-on at all times. Colin never raced but of his classification, while Man o War met ah older horse but once .and that was Sir Barton at Kenilworth Park, Windsor, Ont. The Suburban and Decoration Day always attract the largest * Suburban to Draw Spartan Valor * Colt Is. Idol of Turf at Moment Sickles Image Eyeing Vagrancy Confederacy Invader at Belmont crowd of the New York season. With good weather, this year promises to be no exception. I Spartan Valor; at the moment, is the i idol of turfdom and he will be thoroughly tested in that glamorous fixture, which I over the years attracted the top quality of the handicap ranks. A A A Jockey Albert Widman resumes riding tomorrow after fulfilling a -10-day suspension... Mrs. John A. Morris, of the committee for the annual Belmont ball, announced that the annual press party will be held in the presidents room on Thursday, May 29, following the running of the days races. . .Auditing, owned by William Ewing, was a victim of the cough overnight and was not named for the Metropolitan . . .Morton Weil, of Chicago, Mrs. Weil has several horses in training here* arrived for a spell of racing. . .Sickles Image, the "most travelled miss" in racing, was made an eligible for the Vagrancy at Aqueduct. The Clarence Hartwick-owned miss has raced all over the country and has already logged something like 24,000 miles in her career in quest of purses. AAA Gather round you sons and daughters of the deep South who migrated to Yankee-land for we wish to impart some secrets. Now you-all had better practice up that old rebel yell for the times acoming when you can let loose. One Colonel Jack W. Denis, from down Nashville, Tenn., way, shipped in a little filly named Confederacy and the boys say she can run a fair piece. When will she start, that we dont know, but anyway, you cant miss thtise racing colors when they show up for they are the old Confederate flag. Now dont say we didnt tell you-all, but dont breathe a word to those damn Yankees. . .Admiral J. F. Flannigan was on hand yesterday for a look-see. He has several horses with Sher-rill Ward. . .Edward L. Kilroe came over from Aqueduct to help close the summer stakes for that meeting. He reported a healthy response to the different offerings. . . .Trainer Hirach Jacobs reported that the two-year-old Our Cricket bucked in her last start and will be on the shelf for some time. . .Mrs. R. A. Firestone came out to lend vocal assistance to her starter, Petit-point, in the second race yesterday. Her I i I ►efforts were successful, for that member of her racing menage got home in front. . .Dr. A. Harwood, from Saratoga Springs, was on hand for the afternoon. : .Del Casino, the reformed orchestra man turned restaurateur, was out to say hello and keep cases on the music as supplied by Landers band. . .Harold Matzinger plans to move up to Saratoga next week for a look around and find space for several horses he has in training. I ... The news that the powers-that-be in Washington lifted the controls from structural steel, aluminum . and some other metals used in the construction of race tracks and amusement places was welcomed here. Now the boys are figuring when the construction of all the new tracks on the drawing boards will be started. . , Ben Jones, from Calumet Farm stable, is due here Sunday morning to supervise the training of Real Delight, Bubbley and Mark-Ye-Well for future engagements. . .Funeral services for H. C. "Doc" Riddle were held at duPont Funeral Parlors this morning and were attended by. a goodly number of racing men. Interment was in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn. . .An improvement at Belmont Park for the future is the razing of the silo that is used as a judges stand for the chute races. The officials and camera crew will be placed oh the roof, thus eliminating some walking exercise. . .Mrs. Ann Clare, track superintendent at Saratoga Springs, will be on hand for the Suburban.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1952051701/drf1952051701_4_3
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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800