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REFLECTIONS I ■ — By Nelson Dunstan Whitney Honor Guest at Belmont Park Painting of Counterpoint Presented Today Whitney Saga a History of Turf Sport Veitch, Gorman Are Also to Be Honored NEW YORK, N. Y., June 5. Fifty-seven years ago, or in 1895, William Collins Whitney, who became a charter member of The Jockey Club the year before, joined John Jacob Astor, Ogden Mills, Robert Goelet, Wil liam Jay and others in the incorporation of the Turf and Field Club. Tomorrow at Belmont Park, his grandson, Cornelius Vander--bilt Whitney, will be presented with a portrait of Counterpoint, "Horse of the Year" in 1951, by J. Samuel Pelman, publisher of this peaper. Early in the career of William Collins Whitney, the newspapers of the day stated, "It is no exaggeration to state that Whitney did more for the American turf than any other single individual. He brought to the sport his rigid insistence of the wholesome conduct of turf affairs, and interested many persons into cooperat ing with him to build up racing to its present greatness." The "Whitney Saga" in racing has been told many times, but one point that can be stressed over and over again, is that his sons, Payne Whitney and Harry Payne Whitney, followedin his footsteps. Their sons, in turn, have been pillars of both racing and breeding. Two years ago, John Hay Whitney and his sister, Mrs. Charles S. "Joan" Payson son and daughter of Payne Whitney, were awarded a painting of Capot, "Horse of the Year" in 1949. Harry Payne Whitney, father of C. V. Whitney, had so many top stake horses that another book would be necessary to do them justice. He not only continued the work of his father in improving the sport — especially at Saratoga — but bred innumerable horses that were to prove champions of their years. One of these was Equipoise, the "Chocolate Soldier." When Whitney passed on, in 1929, Equipoise was a yearling and Top Flight was a weanling that were later to race in the name of his son, Cornelius V. Whitney. Harry Payne Whitney led the list of money-winning owners for many years and when his son took the leadership in the four years from 1930 to 1933, it was the first and only family of three generations to lead all others since the turn of the century. In World War II., C. V. Whitney represented his country in many confidential capacities and was later appointed Assistant Secretary of Air, and he remained in that position until 1947, when President Truman appointed him Under Secretary of Commerce. A year ago, he was elected president of the National Museum of Racing. That year his homebred, Counterpoint, a son of Count Fleet— Jabot, by Sickle, earned "Horse of the Year" honors, and brought up to date the saga of the Whitney dynasty in thoroughbred racing and breeding in this country. In recent years, trainers and jockeys of famous horses are being awarded trophies by racing officials, who realize the pride that naturally goes with training or riding a champion. At tomorrows luncheon, Sylvester Veitch and Dave Gorman, trainer and jockey of Counterpoint, will be given sketches of themselves drawn by Morr Kusnet and each will be suitably inscribed. There is a striking similarity in the lives of these two men, for, both were born within the shadows of Belmont Park and both were sons of jockeys. At the turn of the century, Silas Veitch was one of the foremost steeplechase riders and trainers of his time, having charge of the horses of the well-known owners, Robert Hooper, J. Temple Gwathmey and others. His son, Slyvester, was born in Queens Village on February 24, 1910, but today many are of the impression that he was Kentucky-born, as he can "talk horse" from any angle of the sport. In 1925, when he was 15 years old, he. started working for Harry Rites at J. E. Griffiths farm in Maryland. In later years, he was with William Ziegler and others, for whom he broke yearlings. In the spring of 1933 he started training and, hx the autumn of 1939 became associated with the C. V. Whitney Farm. With an all-round background, Syl Veitch took over the training of the eastern division of the C. V. Whitney horses in January, 1946. That first season he showed the value of his early training, for he saddled the winners of 37 races and. collectively,3those in his charge earned over 39,0000. This gave the youngster eighth ranking on the trainers list and behind him that year were such veterans as Ben Jones and Willie Molter. In his first group were five stake winners, including the filly, First Flight, whom John B. Campbell placed at the top of his Experimental Handicap. In 1947, the star of the Whitney string was Phalanx, but Veitch was to have an even greater horse in Counterpoint, who suffered a broken bone in one hoof as a yearling and was confined to his stall for four months. At that time Veitch was credited with saying, "You wouldnt have given 50 for him." It was for that reason that Counterpoint did not appear in the Experimental Handicap ratings and went into his three-year-old season as a maiden. While this son of Count Fleet— Jabot appeared to be a delicate horse, Veitch proved he was a champion by keeping him in training from March to November and had him at the peak of his form when he completed the 1951 season with victories in the Lawrence Realization, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Empire Gold Cup and Empire City Handicap. Dave Gorman will always be associated with Counterpoint, just as many other jockeys have been linked with a famous horse. Back in 1949, Gorman rode Assault, to win the Brooklyn Handicap, Middleground to win the Hopeful, Better Self to win the Carter Handicap and But Why Not to score in the Firenze. In the fall of that year Gorman, who is a rather tall boy, took on considerable weight and, finding himself with 30 pounds on the surplus side, he turned to a new field and became a patrol judge. In the old days, the late "Frenchy" Hawley was physical attendant to the New York race riders, and he kept them in the physical fitness that their profession demands. When Gorman decided to return to the saddle, he consulted Dr. Alexander Kaye, noted physician who is now medical advisor to the Jockeys Guild, and he prescribed a diet by which Gorman shed the 30 pounds that brought him back to riding weight. Just as Earl Sande came back to ride Gallant Fox, Gorman returned to ride Counterpoint in most of the races that earned the Whitney color-bearer the "Horse of the Year" title. Gorman says that he realized Counterpoint was an exceptional performer from the day he ran in the Blue Grass Stakes. On that occasion Gorman rode Hall of Fame in the" first division and was on the sidelines watching Dodson on Counterpoint in the second division.
