view raw text
JUDGES STANDI -By Charles Hatton Andy B. W. Colorful Narcissus Prospect Mameluke Candidate for Chicago Stakes Whitney Star Bred for Equipoise Mile Run Calumet Farm Reports 19 More Bull Leas HAWTHORNE, Cicero, HI., May 24. The spring turf season in America arrives at something of a climax during the week ahead, with its long Memorial Day weekend. The Lincoln club offers its patrons a renewal of the 5,000 Peabody on Friday and the new 0,000 Narcissus Handicap on Saturday. The Peabody places the Louisiana and Arkansas Derby winner, Gushing Oil, versus the Golden Gate Derby winner, Marcador. And the Narcissus, which is at a mile and a sixteenth for three-year-olds and upward, may attract Robert Mcllvains Volcanic, long a popular favorite of Chicagos race-going public. The Narcissus is on the main track, but the turf course champion has set records on the Hawthorne strip. We should guess his appearance will depend rather more on whether the going chances to be dry for his works and the race. He is a particularly long striding, big horse and does not care for mud. A less prominent, but colorful Narcissus candidate is Aarons and Hokins Andy B. W. As the story goes, trainer Ike Weil, one of the veterans of his profession, bought Andy B. W. privately as a yearling from Lexingtons John Greathouse, who bred the son of Psychic Bid, for 00 on a visit to the breeders small stud. Andy B. W. has won about 6,000 and quite a large following here. He is perhaps the best horse that has come Weils way in some 50 years about the tracks, though the mare Slim Rosie was considerably "better than an empty stall." But Andy B. W. is by no means the first bargain. For Weils first horse, Zibia, given him by a southern Illinois farmer at the Springfield Fair half a century ago, was well worth her oats. Weil is fond of -telling how he and Zibia shipped together in a box-car to Chicago, at a trainfare. He walked her up the cobblestones of 37th Street, and there commenced her training in a vacant lot behind his fish store. Taken to the neighboring Roby, Ind., track to race, Zibia won at 300 to 1. It is said that Mrs. Weil had across the board on her and fainted. This all was, as we have mentioned, quite a while ago, but such fanciful things still happen in racing, and indeed are one of its salient charms. Somebody has well said that nobody can be quite sure from where a runner is coming. Mamelukes success in the famous Metropolitan Handicap was anticipated by those who saw his impressive 1952 debut at Churchill Downs, and if his fragile old legs permit, he may return to the Midwest for the 00,000 Arlington and Washington Handicaps. C. V. Whitney made him eligible, dropping Counterpoint from the nominations when that colt "fell out of bed," as Del Holcman refers to horses that go wrong. If Syl Veitch will pardon a seeming impertinence, we think it would be nice were Mameluke pointed for the 30,000 Equipoise Mile, as he is the Chocolate Soldiers nephew. His dam, Schwester, was Equipoises only sister. And the race would afford Mameluke a chance to make amends for the defeat of his own sister, Recce, in an earlier renewal of the stake named for their celebrated uncle. Today, Mameluke ran in the Thomas J. Healey Handicap, named for Equipoises late trainer.. The Equipoise Mile closes on June 14 and is to be decided June 28. Mameluke was at one time considered a better prospect than was Counterpart, but owner Whitney tells us he had a rheumatic condition in his shoulders, and came out of the 51 Derby with a well balanced assortment of six splints, three on each foreleg. It used to take Mameluke four or five furlongs to warm out of his soreness, but after undergoing a special course of "rehabilitation" he ran like a fresh horse in his first appearance this season, all but pulling Porch out of the saddle as he went to the front in the first quarter. He came from behind Battlefield and others of a stronger field in the Metropolitan. Mamelukes legs may be rather second hand, but he always had class. He won a split of last years Blue Grass in striking fashion, finishing with the saddle turned beneath him and Adair frantically hanging on. Equipoise was the best racehorse we have seenj and we hope Mameluke holds together long enough to warrant a chance in the stud. In the same vein as the foregoing, it would be "a good story" were Real Delight to win the first renewal of Arlingtons 0,000 Warren Wright Memorial for three-year-olds at seven furlongs. This stake closes on June 7 and is to be decided June 21, and Real Delight is in only the Matron among the early closing features. While Eddie Arcaro declined to attempt comparing Real Delight and Twilight Tear, he did say of the former that "She is a pleasure to ride. Twilight Tear would sometimes fight you." Both are by the fabulous Bull Lea, sire also of Betwitch and Two Lea. All of Calumets 1952 foal crop of 38 now have been delivered and Bull Lea is the sire of eight of the colts and 11 fillies. It is interesting that two of the colts and six of the fillies are out of mares by Blenheim n. This is the cross which produced Hill Gail and Coaltown, and indeed there is a brother to the recent Kentucky Derby winner and a sister to Coaltown in the group. Not to mention that there is a sister to Citation, who is out of a Hyperion mare, however. Turf ana: Three newcomers to the owners ranks, Allison and Prestridge of New Mexico, and Edward Goemans, the Milwaukee lawyer, have strings at Arlington, awaiting that meet. Also on the grounds is a division of the Calu-mets. . .If it interests you, the National average tote take is 12.8 per cent, the average to the associations, 7V per cent, to the States, 5 per cent. . .The increase in Chicagos purses is hopefully expected to attract a better grade of horses. It is conceivable those who struck for the increased purses will find winning them more difficult. . .Hawthorne h"as about 20 more stalls than in 49, still has an overflow at Sportsmans and Washington Park... The TRPBs Al Wells reports touts and other undesirables disappearing from the Midwest turf scene, and declares "Our biggest problem now is keeping the records straight regarding the ownership of horses". . .Danny Stewart has Bernwood ready for fast work. He is one of three of the produce of Miss Dogwood in the Brownell Combs string here, the others being the three-year-old filly, Bella Figura, and a smooth bay Shannon n. filly pointing for the two-year-old events. . .Lincolns president William J. McCormack is a frequent visitor. . .An Alsab, Don Rebelde, won the Mexican Derby by 15 lengths. . .Yancey Christmas observes Continued on Page Thirty-One I JUDGES STAND I By CHARLES HATTON Continued from Page Forty "Spartan Valor is not an especially good looking horse, but he has such effortless action he appears to be only breezing when he is moving in record time" . . . S. E. WH- son Jr.s Royal Flavor was purchased out of the Davis and Holeman consignment of broken and publicly tried yearlings for S2,200, and became a bargain in a division of the Bashford Manor . . .Hospital attendants report Ben Lindheimer out of danger . . . Gardeners are enhancing the Hawthorne decor for Decoration Day, setting out thousands of flowering plants in the innerfield, an area reminiscent of old Latonia. , .Col. Phil Chinn has shipped four horses, to Tony Mangano and William Klein at Omaha . . . The Jockeys Guilds 1951 benefactions, in the way of medical services, financial aid, loans and donations, totalled 4,623.40.
