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REFLECTIONS By Nelson Dunstan Keen Interest in Todays Preakness Renewal Dixianas Sub Fleet Rules Strong Favorite Marylanders Still Sing Challedons Praise All Racing Fans Hope Pimlico Will Continue PIMLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 16. Seldom has a Preakness renewal lacking the acknowledged stars of the season, created such national interest as the one here at the old Pimlico course tomorrow. With Hill Gail and Tom Fool on the sidelines, the Dixianas Sub Fleet probably will be the favorite, if only on the strength of his impressive second to Hill Gail in the Kentucky Derby. The Count Fleet colt is a slow breaker, and the question narrows down to whether a speed horse will take the track in the early running, and then stave off Sub Fleet and Blue Man, who will be coming fast in the latter stages of the one and three-sixteenth miles event. Gushing Oil, who finished eleventh in the Derby, is said to have suffered a mishap during the running and, because of that, must be accorded another chance. But, it is this writers opinion that Blue Man is the horse Sub Fleet must beat. Jampol, Armageddon, Count Flame, One Count and Primate have been going well and may offer stout contention to the top pair who finished second and third to Hill Gail in the Ken-tucky Derby. There will be the usual colorful ceremony, with the band playing "Maryland, My Maryland" and the blanket of Black-Eyed Susans, or their substitutes, being draped over the neck of the winner. There have been many spectacular Preakness renewals but Marylanders will never forget the one in May, 1939. In the Kentucky Derby, Johnstown, owned by the Belair Stud, defeated the Maryland horse, Challedon, by eight lengths. When the three-year-olds moved to Baltimore for the Preakness, Johnstown was one of the shortest-priced f avorites in the history of the race. But the rains came — and how they came! When the field got away, Johnstown went to the front, but after three-quarters of a mile, Challedon was flying through the goo, and when he went oh to win Marylanders went wild. Little Lou Schaffer, Challedons jockey, had a twinkle in his eye when he said, "That isnt rain, thats the nicest thing that ever fell on anybody." For d*ys after, those in the Old Line State shouted the praise of the Maryland horse, who had been bred by the late W. L. Brann, and in the streets, they sang a song to the tune of "Maryland, My Maryland" that 1 went like this: "You shall not cower in the dust, . Challedon, my Challedon. Your gleaming plates shall never rust, Challedon, my Challedon. You stood off Johnstowns vaunted rush, You left Ciencia in the slush, And we all went home plenty flush! Challedon, my Challedon." . Challedon was voted "Horse of the Year" honors in 1939 and again in 1940. Preakness Briefs: The average number of Preakness starters over a 50-year period is eight. . . , In the long history of the race, there lias never been a walk-over and on only three occasions was the issue limited to two horses. ... In 1918, the number of starters was so great that the race was run in two divisions, War Cloud winning the first, and Jack Hare Jr. taking the second. ... In 1928, Harry Payne Whitneys Victorian defeated the largest field that ever went to the post, and won 0,000, the largest purse up to that time. . . . When-Bold defeated Counterpoint last year, he earned 3,110. . . . Horses of bay coloring have won the majority of renewals. . . . While Kentucky has been preeminent in winners, horses bred in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Texas, Tennessee and California have accounted for x ne or more renewals. . . . Since 1886, when The Bard won the famous Pimlico double, the Dixie Handicap and Preakness, no horse has been able to duplicate his feat in the same year. . . . With five Kentucky Derby victories to his credit, it would be possible for Eddie Arcaro to tie that score in the Preakness, as he has already won with Whirlaway, Citation, HilL Prince and Bold. A victory- for Arcaro would make him the first jockey in the history of the race to win three renewals in succession. One of the outstanding feats of Preakness history is the five consecutive victories of G. L. Lorillard, who scored in 1878 with the Duke of Magenta and followed with Harold, Grenada, Saunterer, and Vanguard in 1882. The five horses were trained by R. W. Walden, who is credited with seven Preakness victories in all. . . . In 1942, Requested * and Sun Again dead-heated for second place, the winner that year being Alsab. . . . The distance of the Preakness has been changed many times and in 1949 Capot created the track record when he ran the one and three-sixteenths miles in 1:56. . . . The first Preakness renewal carrying provisions for supplementary entries was in 1938. . . . Pillory, the winner in 1922, was sold to the U. S. Remount at Fort Robinson, Okla., after a short stud period in Kentucky. . . . The Preakness was named after the horse Preakness, who won the first Dinner Party Stakes at Pimlico in 1870. . . . The Dinner Party Stakes was later changed to the Dixie Handicap, which is still run and was won last year by County Delight. . . . Coventry was a maiden when he won the 1925 Preakness. ... In 1877/ Congress adjourned to witness the great Baltimore, sweepstakes at Pimlico, when Parole defeated Ten Broeck and Tom Ochiltree. . . . The richest Pimlico purse was the 8,005 won by Faultless in 1947. -While the Preakness grips Maryland interest today, many racing fans turn their thoughts to the disposition of the famous old Baltimore course. Maryland is a racing state and her people will support a race track, as Laurel and Bowie proved at their recent meetings. Pimlico is not only the most historic track in the Old Line State, but one of the oldest in this country and for it to pass from the picture would be like "New Yorkers losing lovely old Saratoga, or Kentuckians not having Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby. The major stockholders in Pimlico are sports-minded people and it is our belief that if the track can be saved they will do everything within their power to Continued on Page Forty-Seven I REFLECTIONS |f By NELSON DUNSTAN Continued from Page Fifty-Two bring it about* There is some talk of it being operated on a non-profit basis, as at Keeneland in Kentucky and Delaware Park at Wilmington. This writer, for one, hopes i that with the federal government lifting J the- ban on construction, the Pimlico directors and stockholders will preserve the J old track for the people of Maryland, and for the good of. racing in this country. : While there are, undoubtedly, many dif- j ficulties to overcome, the men at the Pirn- . lico helm are big enough to cope with the situation. It would be a blow to racing if : Pimlico were to be abandoned. :
