view raw text
Weighing Inl I By EVAN SHIPMAN BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., May 30. Next weeks great feature, of course, will be the Belmont Stakes, last of ,the events that compose the American , Triple Crown, and the I most exacting of our three -year-old classics. Somewhat overshadowed by the impressive I Belmont, but nevertheless invariably an interesting contest, is the . Top Flight Handicap, a .mile and a sixteenth test for fillies and ! mares to be decided on Wednesday. The Top Flight is one of the yougner stakes on the Westchester Racing Associations generous program, and this ! will be but the twelfth renewal. In a short space of time, however, the race has offered some excellent contests, and has been won by the best representatives of this division. Level. Best, Mar-Kell, Honeymoon, But Why Not and, last year, Busanda were all true Amazons. Busanda followed a surprise victory in the Suburban with her score in the Top Flight, but even after the Phipps filly had won the more important race her chances were not overly respected, she starting at 5 to 1, the preference of the I crowd going to the Oaks winner, How, and J Marta. Busanda, who can be tempera- mental at times, was in a running mood that day, and her victory, under a clever 1 ride from Eric Guerin, was convincing. This season, we believe that the three-year-old fillies, with the exception of Calu-. mets Real Delight, are hardly up to par, and we will not be surprised to see the Top i Flight go again to an older campaigner. Often a careless fencer, Mrs. E. duPont Weirs handsome The Mast jumped faultlessly yesterday to take the Meadow Brook, last of the series of spring: steeplechase stakes at Belmont. Navy Gun, winner of the recent Corinthian and second to Oedipus in last years Grand National, was a good second to Mrs. Weirs black Annapolis gelding-, this pair timing their run together and taking the last obstacle on almost even terms. E. B. Schleys French importation, Fracas, had set most- of the pace in this Meadow Brook, and he showed a very encouraging effort, even though he only was asked to carry 138 pounds. For two miles, Fracas ran willingly, but he tired at the end, dropping back when The Mast and Navy Gun made a serious challenge. Navy Gun, whose fencing has been much more consistent than that of The Mast, is a nervous individual, often coming to the start in a lather. Trainer Billy Jones . takes pains to saddle him well away from the others, and sometimes takes him to the paddock between races to accustom his charge to the noise and bustle. Yesterday, Navy Gun was again ringing wet when he came out on the track. If he could learn to take his races a little more for granted, this would be an even better horse than he has shown through two good seasons. Much was expected of Titien H. in yesterdays renewal of the Meadow Brook, but j he could finish no better than a fairly distant third to The Mast and Navy Gun. j Away with the leaders as they started on the upper turn for this two and a half mile chase, Titien n. took a strong hold j ! of the bit and was fighting for his head for nearly a full turn of the field: It would have been far better, in our opinion, not to have attempted to rate him against his will, because once he did consent to come back, he- had little run left when eventually put to a drive. It was one oZ those occasions when a strict adherence to riding orders may lead to a horses downfall, but only a boy of established reputation can afford to overlook his instructions, employing his own initiative as the case demands. One theory regarding Titien n.s headstrong conduct in the early stages of the Meadow Brook was that he was getting away oh the upper turn, rarely used for a start and just at the point where he usually began his run. It may be that he recognized the locale. Jam, second choice to Navy Gun and who had won two stakes at Belmont this spring despite rather chancy fencing, made a couple of costly mistakes yesterday, and, after moving up on the far , turn as if he were sure to play a part at the finish, dropped back, thoroughly beaten. This big fellow takes a lot out of himself when he hits a fence, and he banged the very first obstacle. As the ! field began to turn on speed on the final run down the hackstretch, Jam was the ! , i j first to reach the pace-setting Fracas, l This pair took the 15th jump together, but here Jam made another mistake, , and this time he was through for the . . day. He has class, and is always danger-J ous, but if a horse takes liberties with big fences, he must be very, very lucky to win important races, where the pace j is keen. Lone Fisherman retired discreetly i after a turn of the field, and His Continued on Page Forty-Five , 1 , 1 1 . . , ; . . WEIGHING IN By EVAN SIIIPMAN Continued from Page Four Boots and Spleen, both of whom had presented a pleasing appearance in the paddock, showed nothing during the running:. Roosevelt Raceways grand circuit meeting got off to. a good start this week, although wagering and attendance were not quite up to the associations expectations for the first few days. The racing has been keen, and there are an unusual number of prominent stables on the grounds for so early a meeting, many of them shipping directly here from California. On a recent visit to the night harness track, we saw a pair of three-year-old trotters that is the most exciting division at this time of year that impressed us as possessing real quality, and who may do later on for the big stakes. They were the Day Brook Farms Dallas Hanover, winner of an event for the age and gait in smart time, and W. E. Ervings Stately Way, who captured an overnight event in slower time, but in a manner that suggests she was nowhere near her limit. Dallas, Hanover had been a good winner at the recent Santa Anita meeting for trainer Joe OBrien, while Stately Way, prepared by Leo Fleisch but driven in this race by Clint Hodgins, was making her seasons debut. Both are heavily engaged this summer, and may make their mark in stake company.
