Judges Stand: Uptrend in Midwest Exceeds Expectations; Spartan Valor Named for Equipoise Mile; Flying Lill Inspired Helis Champion; Headley Offers All Filly Consignment, Daily Racing Form, 1952-06-10

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JUDGES STAND — By Charles Hatton Uptrend in Midwest Exceeds Expectations Spartan Valor Named for Equipoise Mile Flying Lill Inspired Helis Champion Headley Offers All Filly Consignment HAWTHORNE, Cicero, HI., June 9. Racing here in "the interior" was never more prosperous. Lincoln Fields is enjoying a sensationally successful meet and the Arlington staff is proceeding with plans for the opening at the North Side course June 16, in the hope that the uptrend will continue there and with the assurance of the support of many prominent stables. Chicago clubs estimated, before the season opened, that the increase would be about 6 per cent. This now seems most conservative. Arlington will distribute more than ,350,000 during six weeks, and this liberal program is attracting many of the nations most fashionable strings. Pete Brandsness and Harry Sheer note that even now there are more than 200 horses on the grounds. The Calumet, Helis, Dixiana, H. P. Headley, Brookmeade, Reverie "Knoll and Greentree colors are to be shown at this meeting. Already on the grounds, or due as you read this, are Spartan Valor, contemporary racings number one box office attraction, Be Fleet, Sub Fleet, Real Delight and other prominent candidates for various of the 15 stakes. Spartan Valors first stakes engagement at the meeting is in the 0,000 Equipoise Mile on June 28. Ben Lindheimer proposes to adhere to his policy of offering "bigger purses for better horses," , and this assures the quality and character of the sport at Arlington once again will be of the highest. Perhaps Arlington and Washington could more profitably follow the lines of least resistance, but Lindheimer often has declared, "I am interested in developing the sport here in Chicago, and I would not be identified with cheap racing." He has succeeded admirably, for the four 00,000 events during his summer season will attract most of the nations championship performers to Chicago. C. A. Kenney does not discount the importance of pedigree in thoroughbred breeding, .but he says that "Personally, I have had the most luck with hard-hitting mares who hadnt really much behind them in the way of bloodlines, mares like My Auntie, Owena and Laila Wild." In case it has escaped you, Laila Wild is Spartan Valors grandam. She chances to have got into his pedigree because Kenney "went to the races at Keeneland some years ago and saw a two-year-old filly called Flying Lill, who could carry the mail. She was out of Laila Wild, a mare owned by the Gorham Brothers. I negotiated with them about six weeks to buy her for Coldstream, and finally bought her for ,750. Two hundred and fifty dollars more would have stopped me. The next year Flying Lill • won the Kentucky Oaks, and the mare was represented by another stakes winner in Flying Wild. We bred her to Bull Dog and she foaled a nice little horse called, Raibes, then Spartan Valors dam, Arisbi. Arisbi was a pretty, but undistinguished looking yearling. She was an effeminate little thing and Mr. Helis bought her, but she did not run, perhaps because she couldnt. Coming back to Laili Wild and my original point, she was by that sterling sire, Big Blaze, out of Mexican Tea, by Tea Caddy. But she could run, and her sire and dam also produced Burning Blaze." It does seem nonsense to question the source of a horses ability once the animal proves he has it. When it comes to a choice of performance or pedigree in breeding stock we think most horsemen much prefer performance. Duval A. Headley, who debuts as a market breeder at the Keeneland summer sales, believes, "It will be a good market for fillies," and certainly hopes so. His consignment of seven are all of that sex. They are a bay by Pavot— Buddy Kenney, chestnut by Equifox— Marcella Miss, chestnut by Royal Gem— Pitcher, brown by Free For All— Teddys Own, chestnut by Papa Red-bird— Marys Dell, bay by Swing and Sway — Old Melody H., and a brown by Shut Out— Ma Fleche. The Marcella Miss filly is a most attractive number, and is a half-sister to Crownlet, who won the Debutante Stakes last spring. Crownlet, incidentally, has been returned to training and Melvin "Sunshine" Calvert is pointing her for Arlington engagements. The filly out of Old Melody H. is a half-sister to four English stakes winners. The Teddys Own youngster is a half-sister to the stakes winner, Blue Wings. The daughters of Buddy Kenney and Pitcher come of the Alcibiades family, Keeneland recently having named a new two-year-old filly stake for the Headley matriarch. Headleys is a small stud, but it is difficult to recall another that has produced horses like Tom Fool, Aunt Jinney and Crownlet from six or eight mares in the first two years of its operation. The master of Manchester obviously has an high opinion of Equipoise blood, for three of his consignment are by as many different sons of that stallion. These are Equifox, Swing and Sway and Shut Out. The Shut Out filly makes a strong appeal and her dam comes of one of the first families of the Argentine Stud Book. Turf ana: H. F. Krimendahls crack Roman Miss is a prospect for Arlingtons filly and mare features. . . . The local breeders, Leslie Combs, n., L. P. Doherty and A. B. Hancock, Jr., journeyed to New York for the Belmont. . . . Spendthrift obtained another nice Bull Lea filly to offer at Keeneland this summer in the Goetz transaction. This one is out of Lady Ajax, is the foUrth Bull Lea of her sex in the Combs group. . . . Delaware Park has a recreation program for track personnel, with movies almost nightly, boxing twice weekly, softball, volleyball, quoits, table tennis, billiards, croquet and badminton. ... Ivor Balding visits England soon. ... Henry Knight is returning from a business trip, and the betting is somebody has more or fewer horses than he had a week ago. . . . Willie Crump is pointing Claibornes Blue Jeans for Arlington engagements. . . . The California Racing Board has discontinued probationary licenses. . . . New Jersey starters may discipline jockeys with fines up to 50. . . . William A. Johnson replaces William J. Dowling as deputy racing commissioner in Michigan. . . . Stoner Creeks Ralph Baird f oreseees a successful stud career for the syndicated Tour-billon stallion, Ambiorix. . . . Several imported yearlings have been catalogued for the Keeneland sale of select yearlings. . . . Eight Thirtys dam, Dinner Time, is a pensioner at George Wideners Old Kenney Farm here. . . . L. B. Mayer was a recent Blue Grass visitor; talent scouting some of the Keeneland yearlings. y


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