Favor Blue Man for Belmont; Miss America Draws Fifteen: Armageddon, Sub Fleet Face Winner of Preakness Stakes; King Jolie, Master Fiddle Among Five Other High Class Sophomores in Field for 00,000 Event Over Mile and One-Half Today; Throng of 40,000 May Witness Running, Daily Racing Form, 1952-06-07

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ARTHUR W. ABBOTT — Owner of Blue Man, favorite for the Belmont Stakes renewal. Favor Favor Blue Blue Man Man for for Belmont; Belmont; Miss Miss America America Draws Draws Fifteen Fifteen Armageddon, Sub Fleet Face Winner of Preakness Stakes King Jolie, Master Fiddle Among Five Other High Class Sophomores in Field for 00,000 Event Oyer Mile and One-Half Today; Throng of 40,000 May Witness Running By BOB HORWOOD „ Staff Correspondent BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., June 6.— The eighty-fourth and richest running of the 00,000 added Belmont Stakes becomes turf history tomorrow when eight three-year-olds are slated to make a full tour of the mile-and-one-half Belmont Park main track in quest of the sophomore championship. When the field for this third tier of the "Triple Crown," which climaxes the series of classics begun with the Kentucky Derby and continued with the Preakness, leaves the starting gate directly in front of the clubhouse, White Oak Stables Blue Man is expected to carry the bulk of the public support. Cain Hoy Stables Armageddon and Dixianas Sub Meet are expected to be almost equal second choices with ►the throng of more than 40,000 expected to attend. If all eight go postward, and there is a slight element of uncertainty concerning Fred W. Hoopers Olympic, the Belmont Stakes will have a gross value of 20,500 and- the winning owner will net 4,400, plus one years possession of the August Belmont Memorial Cup and a permanent trophy. When C. V. Whitneys Counterpoint earned 2,000 in last years Belmont, it was the previous high value for the fixture which was inaugurated at Jerome Park in 1867. F. Morris Ruthless earned ,850 that afternoon and had to travel an extra furlong. ** — Inaugural Won by Ruthless Since Ruthless won the inaugural Belmont, the classic was won by such almost forgotten horses as Kingfisher, Harry Bas-sett, Duke of Magenta, Spendthrift and Hanover in its Jerome Park days. Transferred to Morris Park in 1890, the Belmont was won by Hough Brothers Burlington, but the more memorable victors at the defunct Eastchester Avenue track were Henry of Navarre, Hastings, Commando and Delhi. Harry Payne Whitney won the first two runnings of the Belmont here at Belmont Park in 1905 and 1906 with Tanya and Burgomaster, while James R. Keene took the next two editions with Peter Pan and Colin, skipped a year, then came back with Sweep. The Keene trio was probably the best to carry one mans silks in the history of the stake. Since then, the Belmont bead roll includes such thoroughbreds as Friar Rock, Hourless, Johren, Sir Barton, Man o War, Grey Lag, Gallant Fox, Twenty Grand and, more recently, War Continued on Page Five Expect Blue Man to Enjoy Favoritism Over His Seven Belmont Stakes Rivals Armageddon, Sub Fleet Sure* To Give Winner of Preakness Battle Over Twelve Furlongs Continued from Page One Admiral, Whirlaway, Count Fleet, Assault and Citation. Whether or not tomorrows winner will deserve a ranking with these equine immortals remains for time to tell. Blue Man comes to the Belmont from a smashing victory in the Preakness, after finishing third in the Kentucky Derby over a track said to be too hard for him. Earlier this year, he had won the Experimental Handicap No. 2 and a division of the Flamingo Stakes at Hialeah. The son of Blue Swords, who was purchased for ,000 and later raced with 0,000 and 2,000 claiming tags, has a brilliant stretch run and has shown dazzling early speed in morning trials that he has not yet been asked to use in the afternoon. Armageddon is a son of Alsab, who also won the Preakness, but finished second to Shut Out in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont. Unlike his sire, Armageddon is a specialist of Belmont Park, four of his total of five victories having been scored here. Henry F. Guggenheims colt first came into prominence by winning the Champagne Mile here last fall, a race in which he injured his near eye, which is now totally blind. His other major achievements were triumphs in the Withers Mile, which was followed by a defeat in the Preakness, and a smashing score in last Saturdays Peter Pan Handicap. Sub Fleet finished some eight lengths before Blue Man and a couple of lengths back of the ill-fated Hill Gail in the Kentucky Derby, then was unplaced in the Preakness. It was alleged that he didnt like the Pimlico strip, a unique distaste. The Count Fleet colt came back to finish a close second to Heap Big Chief in a swiftly run seven furlongs here on Saturday, and did not appear to be unduly abused by Steve Brooks at the finish. While that was a fast race, it was not as fast at any stage as the longer Peter Pan and Armageddon carried two pounds more than Sub Fleet did in his race. While Blue Man, Armageddon and Sub Fleet are widely expected to finish in that order at the head of the Belmont field, their rivals dont exactly "clutter up the field." They are composed of Belair Studs Golden Gloves, Col. Isidor Biebers King Jolie, Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords One Count, Fred W. Hoopers Olympic and Myhelyn Stables Master Fiddle. " Golden Gloves, an improving colt, who led Armageddon for a mile of the Peter Pan before succumbing by two lengths, will be trying to give William Woodward, former chairman of The Jockey Club and master of ► Belair, his sixth Belmont winner in a dozen tries. His previous winner in the white silks with the red dots were Gallant Fox, Faireno, Omaha, Granville and Johnstown. Golden Gloves was receiving 13 pounds from Armageddon in the Peter Pan, and, like the rest, will carry scale weight of 126 tomorrow. While his chances are not too rosy, the colt does appear to be just coming to himself. King Jolie is another who has improved vastly in recent weeks, having won his last four starts, two at Belmont and two at Garden State Park. Last Saturday he stood a long drive to beat Primate in the Jersey Stakes at mile and a quarter. He was lightly weighted and his rival came out of the race with a fractured sesamoid. One Count was an impressive winner here at a mile and a sixteenth, then finished second to Armageddon in the Withers a few days later. He raced well in the Preakness, finishing third behind Blue Man and Jam-pol, but bore out and bumped Sub Fleet at the head of the stretch. Olympic is an English colt, who was rated highly in his native land and considered by some experts as a leading three-year-old prospect. In his three starts here, he was narrowly beaten by Jet Master at six furlongs, finished third behind Grover B. and Old Ironsides in a very fast mile and a sixteenth, then was a disappointing fourth in the Peter Pan. The rangy, long-striding colt is eligible to improve and seems one who may appreciate the mile and a half of the Belmont. ! Master Fiddle, who finished close behind Blue Man in Experimental No. 2 and the Kentucky Derby and narrowly beat Tom Fool in the Wood when that colt was probably full of the virus that burst into flame that night, has appeared very sore in recent days. His race in the Peter Pan was dull, the colt appearing to pin his ears back and refuse to run at any stage. Conn McCreary, as usual, will ride Blue Man, while Ray York, who is showing brilliant form here, will be on Armageddon. Steve Brooks will again ride Sub Fleet. Jimmy Stout is expected to come up from New Jersey to ride King Jolie, while Nick Wall will pilot Golden Gloves. Eddie Arcaro will attract some support to One Count, while Ted Atkinson will be on Olympic and Dave Gorman will guide Master Fiddle. Stout, Arcaro, Atkinson and Gorman have all won previous editions of the Belmont. Stout scored with Granville, Pasteurized and Johnstown. Arcaro took the classic on Whirlaway, Shut Out, Pavot and Citation. Atkinson won the 1949 Belmont on Capot, while Gorman was astride Counterpoint last year. Blue Man impressed work watchers this morning by breezing a half mile in :48% and looking superb as he made the move under restraint. One Count, not a willing worker, also went a half in :48%, handily.


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800