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I REFLECTIONS I By Nelson Dunsian Belmont Severe Test for Three-Year-Olds Lives Up to Slogan Test of the Champion Winners Must Have Both Speed and Stamina Training Plays Big Part in Its Success PIMLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 17. The Derby at a mile and one-quarter and the Preakness at a mile and three-sixteenths are now history, and directly ahead is the Belmont Stakes which, at one and one-half miles is the sev erest task asked of a top three-year-old in the spring and summer. They call the Belmont the "Test of the Champion," and while it is exactly that, so, too, are the Derby and Preakness. No country in the world asks such stern tests of three-year olds as we do and you can depend upon it that in the next few weeks you will hear speculation as to whether this one, or that one, will "get" the Belmont distance. It takes a horse with stamina to win the Belmont, but it is just as true that speed is a requisite and that both are necessary for victory in any of the "Triple Crown" events. No out-and-out plodder ever I won these races. During the past 20 years, two surprise winners of the Belmont were Hurry Off in 1933 and Bounding Home in 1944. Since then, it has been repeatedly said that their stamina accounted for the victory. It played its part, of course, but these horses had their share of speed. Hurry Off was timed in 2:32%, and Bounding Home in 2:32%. If they did not have speed, how about Crusader, Chance Shot, Vito, Blue Larkspur and, coming closer down to date, Pavot, all of whom won the Belmont in slower time than 2:32. To win a Belmont, it takes speed and stamina, plus training and ability to rate the horse. Two stock questions are "What makes a mudder?" and "what makes a stayer?" There are natural factors, of course, but a never-ending argument is heard on what these factors constitute. There are many sires regarded as of sprinting blood and two are Bull Dog and Ariel. A good example of that particular breeding is Alfred G. Vander-bilts filly, Home-Made, who won the filly division of the National Stallion just last week. She is by Occupy he, by Bull Dog out of Plucky Maid, by Ariel. There is Col. E. R. Bradleys oft-heard expression, "Speed, more speed — and still more speed." We breed for speed in this country and they do exactly the same thing in England. But there are exceptions to breeding formulas and that is what makes the question, "What makes a stayer?" so difficult to answer. Bull Dog begot Bull Lea, who surprised the racing world by winning the 1939 renewal of the Widener at one and one-quarter miles and defeating such a good pair as Sir Damion and Stagehand in 2:02%. Ariel was even more of a speed sire, and throughout his career was the envy of all quarter horse breeders who leave staying powers to the other fellow. Ariel, son of the good weight packer, Eternal, was a solid, heavily-muscled horse, with a massive rump. He sired sprinters chiefly but his Ariel Toy won the Arkansas Derby at one and one-eighth miles. This writer has become wary in any discussion of the sprinter versus the stayer. As in almost everything else pertaining to racing and breeding, there are exceptions. Breeding pundits tell us the stayer is usually the rangy type and more lightly put together than the speed horse. Ordinarily, the sprinter has a powerful forearm and, like Ariels more muscular than the stayer. On the other hand, stayers have long, lean and wiry legs, rather than the sprinting quality of stockiness. Exterminator, the beloved "Old Bones," is but one of the many examples of the ideal stayer in conformation and he was considered in his day the greatest cup horse ever developed in this country. In the Harford Handicap of 1922, Old Bones, despite his conformation and also his reputation as a stayer, demonstrated that he could sprint with the best of them. His stablemate, Billy Kelly, had won the Harford Handicap in 1919, 1920 and 1921 and, as a six-year-old in 1922, the race again appeared at his mercy. In that event, Billy Kelly and Exterminator were asked to carry 132 pounds each and at the finish of the six furlongs, Billy Kelly was defeated by Exterminator, the horse who had won four consecutive runnings of the Saratoga Cup at one and three-quarters miles. There is only one definite test of staying ability and that is the race course itself. Have you heard the story of Double Jay and Education in the Kentucky Jockey Club — Stakes of 1946? Double Jay was by Balladier, one of the fastest American horses of all time, and Education was by Ariel. When the weights were announced Education was assigned 122 pounds and Double Jay 117. "Duke" McCue stormed into the racing secretarys office, and, for the only time in history — to this writers knowledge — he demanded that the weight on Double Jay be increased five pounds to be equal with that on Education. McCue added, "and Ill bet you Double Jay will be in front of Education at every furlong pole throughout the race." That is exectly what happened, for Double Jay was never headed. McCue was the trainer of Double Jay and he wanted nothing more in this world than to have his horse declared the two-year-old champion. In their later careers, Education was a true Ariel in regard to distance, but Double Jay went on to win the Jersey Stakes at one and one-quarter miles and, as a t four-year-old won the Trenton Handicap at one and one-eighth miles. Fast as he was, Balladier begot horses who could stay. One of the most underrated stallions of the generation, in this writers opinion, was Pilate, sire of the 1947 Belmont Stakes winner Phalanx. Just as many sires sent speed horses to the races, Pilate was known for his stayers. Count Fleet was the sire of the 1951 Belmont winner, Counterpoint, and it was interesting to note recently that Count Fleet and Pilate were the two stallions who led all others in 1951, both having nine routers who won stake events. But, here is another point which is confusing about sprinters and stayers. Descendants of Peter Pan through Black Toney and Pennant have sired horses who have been good winners over a distance of ground. Peter Pan traces in direct male line to Domino, who developed the most famous speed clan known in the world today. Princequillo is another who is ranked among the true stayers and his son, Hill Prince, who is now in stud is an example of a horse who, blessed with tremendous speed* also went well over a distance of ground. But, with all the qualities of pedigree and conformation, it still remains that a trainer is a considerable factor in conditioning a horse to run over the trying distance of one and one-half miles. There are many horses who are best at a mile, or a mile and a quarter, that a clever conditioner can prepare to stay the distance of such a race as the Belmont Stakes.
