view raw text
• - i .... v r C. V. WHITNEY— Owner of Counterpoint, 1951 Horse of the Year. ► : ■ : Present Counterpoint Painting to C. V. Whitney at Belmont * Triangle Publications, Inc. To Give Horse of the Year Memento at Luncheon Today BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., June 5.— At a luncheon here tomorrow in the Turf and Field Club enclosure, Triangle Publications, Inc., will make its Horse of the Year award to Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, owner of Counterpoint, who was acclaimed the champion of champions in 1951, in the annual poll conducted by this newspaper. In recognition of the achievements of Counterpoint, the chestnut-coated son of Count Fleet, and Jabot, Whitney will be presented with an oil painting executed by the talented young artist, Richard Stone Reeves, as a concrete and enduring memento of the deeds of a superior thoroughbred. The presentation will be made by J. Samuel Perlman, publisher of Daily Racing Form. It is the fifth such award made by Triangle Publications, Inc. Others Who Have Received Paintings Reeves treasured paintings previously were presented the proud owners of the outstanding horse of their respective years —the late Warren Wright, master of Calu-ment Farm Armed, 1947, and Citation, 1948, John Hay Whitney and his sister, Mrs. Charles Shipman Payson, joint owners of the Greentree Stable Capot, 1949, and Christopher T. Chenery Hill Prince, 1950 . Counterpoint attained his commanding stature as a three-year-old. As a two-year-old in 1950, he was a nonentity. He started Continued on Page Forty C. V. Whitney to Receive Painting of Counterpoint Triangle Publications Presents Annual Horse of the Year Award Continued from Page Qne twice, and the best he could do was finish third, earning a paltry *00. He was not highly tried. As a yearling he suffered a foot injury, and it was feared a strenuous campaign might be too much for him. While he did not distinguish himself in his first season on the track, he displayed enough in those seemingly insignificant performances to encourage hopes for the future. When Counterpoint came back to competition as a three-year-old he was altogether different from the juvenile Counterpoint. He was a titan. In 15 starts he was victorious in seven. Twice he was second, and once he was third. He earned 50,525. It was performance, however, and not earnings that put the cachet on him. Counterpoint raced last year from March to November, except in August while a bruised hoof was healing. During that period he won the Ben Ali Handicap Peter Pan Handicap, Belmont Stakes and then, in immediate and most impressive succession, the Lawrence Realization, The Jockey Club Gold Cup, Empire City Gold Cup and Empire City Handicap. That final series of victories put the seal on his greatness, and won him the Horse of the Year title. He demonstrated his superiority over rivals in and out of his age division. At various times he humbled such stalwarts as Hall of Fame, Hill Prince, Kiss Me Kate, County Delight, Alerted, How, Battlefield and Battle "Morn. He clinched the championship by defeating Hill Prince in The Jockey Club Cup and Empire City Gold Cup, and then Hall of Fame in the Empire City Handicap. So tomorrow well deserved homage is being paid an outstanding thoroughbred and, in addition to owner-breeder Whitney, trainer Sylvester E. Veitch and jockey Dave Gorman will share in the honors. Awards also will be made Veitch and Gorman in the form of sketches of themselves, drawn by Morr Kusnet.
