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, I WEIGHING IN — — — — -— — — By Evan Shipman ——————— — -I Delawares Superintendent Says No Skinning , Invites Columnist to Inspect Tracks Methods Strip/ He Says Was Perfectly Normal for Kent Duke of Lullwater Appears Solid Goshen Choice AQUEDUCT, L. I., N. Y., June 19. On our return from Delaware Park, we wrote in comment on the sensationally fast times registered there last Saturday, that. "We saw scrapers at work on the strip," and that the track had been "skinned" "skinned" for for speed speed — — speed speed that that was was cer- , "skinned" "skinned" for for speed speed — — speed speed that that was was cer- certainly on tap, since Hannibal covered six furlongs last week-end in 1:09 to set a new track record, and ,000 platers were racing the same distance faster than 1:11. While we certainly believed that we had seen scrapers, we took care to emphasize that the strip that day had been "perfectly safe," that it was "perfectly satisfactory at all times," that we had heard "no complaints from horsemen," and that "trainers know Delaware will provide fine surface on which to race at any time." How complimentary can can you you get? get? And And yet yet our our mail mail this this morning morning can can you you get? get? And And yet yet our our mail mail this this morning morning reveals that, "We are flabbergasted about your slip of the tongue, or slip of the pen, as to scraping the track." All we can say is that it is always possible that we were mistaken, that we did not see a scraper. That is within the realm of possibility. Trusting the evidence of our eyes, we believed that we had seen the scraper, and the times recorded the following afternoon appeared to bear that out. Track superintendent Clarke Pardee, in our opinion, a very able man, sent an office memo to the Delaware publicity department as follows: "It was too bad that Evan 5 Shipman wasnt detained a little longer Friday evening to see the work completed, or didnt take time to walk out on 1 the track to see what was actually going on. What he 3 thought he saw was the track being scraped in a deliber- 1 ate attempts to speed it up. What he actually saw was fc the work accurately described in a publicity release, which I hope he will see. The various types of mechanical equipment that a track superintendent uses are the tools of his profession. I have always been surprised that they are - regarded so distrustfully and with so little understanding by trainers and turf writers alike. I would like nothing ■ better than to have one of the turf writers go through a typical day— or several days — with me on the track, so that 1 he could see for himself just what we do to the track under various circumstances and weather conditions, and t learn for himself why we do it. I believe it would be an a 1 interesting experience for him, and would increase his t knowledge of his profession. I have always thought Mr. Shipman a careful observer. I would like to nominate D him." e c Pardee was quoted in this newspaper yesterday as saying. "The track had as much cushion as ever Saturday, if not even t more. On Friday evening,* it had the periodic re-mixing of the 3 top-soil, or loam, which supplies the four-inch cushion to pro- f tect horses underpinning. We used the drag harrows, but the t strip was not rolled or scraped, and no effort was made to make t it faster, or other than normal. What we did was normal main- r tenance, such as takes place three or four times during a meeting, - and always following heavy rains. You can attribute Saturdays i fast time to the fact that the re-mixing of the top-soil meant a livelier but safe cushion. We had a recent six-day rain period Our note: No rain fell at Delaware during that particular week and that washes away some of the fine top-soil, so we mix the soil along the inner rail with that from there out, which makes j the cushion springier — gives it more life. That fine top-soil comes from our own track property, from the meadows in our . plant. Under that loam is what youd call a sublayer, 18 inches i of sand, and we have an excellent drainage system. The fresh top-oil contains a high percentage of humus, which accounts for the springy cushion. Every four years, one inch of top-soil is Z added to make up for an annual quarter-inch less of erosion, byj . caused by rain, wind, etc. This was done last spring, and re- be |g suited in a livelier, springier cushion." s Repetition of that statement may be worthwhile; it certainly reveals the intelligent attitude of one of our best track superintendents toward his work, and you may be sure that we intend to take full advantage of Pardees of -e fer. In the meanwhile, and in our own defense, we must " remark that Saturdays strip at Delaware could not have e been the same as on the immediately preceding afternoons. lt Faberose, certainly a high class filly, was "all out" to hold Hummy on Thursday, the six furlongs in 1:12. The next day, platers did manage to cover the distance in 1:12, but on Saturday, the day that saw the running of Hannibals sensational sprint and of High Scuds track record _ Kent Stakes, anything with four legs could have beaten e, 1:12. The weather, once again, was the same all week. s Can you blame us for saying, and believing, that the Dela ys ware strip has been "prepared for speed?" and "prepared d for speed" does not necessarily mean that a track is in ie a state that would prove dangerous to horses underpin ning. Walter Candlers three-year-old trotter, Duke of Lullwater, I has been the choice for next Augusts Hambletonian Stake all winter, and the confidence in this beautifully gaited young son - of Volomite— Duchess Hanover, by Calumet Chuck, is certainly justified, judging from the rich old Westbury Trot last night at 0 Roosevelt Raceway. Duke of Lullwater had only lost one race last year, and that was to the Arden Homesteads Hit Song at Goshen in the Judge Tompkins Memorial. Last night, driver J® Johnny Simpson allowed Harry Pownall, with Hit Song, to set * all the pace, but when he challenged in the stretch, Duke of Lullwater was clearly the best. His margin at the wire was only DO three parts of a length, but he took control with the authority DO of a champion, and the time of the mile — 2:05V5 — is plenty of DO evidence that Simpson has him razor sharp. Diplomat Hanover, from Frank Ervins barn, who finished third after alternating in DO the lead with Hit Song, trotted an excellent race, and cannot be DO dismissed as far as future engagements are concerned, and the 00 same comment applies to Sep Palins Hardy Hanover. With all due respect to the others, however, Duke of Lullwater looks like 00 the crass of this generation. Barring any accident in training. he is the one they will all have to beat on the big day at Goshen. ] | [Editors Note — Nelson Dunstan is visiting breeding farms in Kentucky, inspecting yearlings to be offered at the Keeneland and Saratoga sales. His columns, "Reflec-ty. tions" and "Sires and Dams," will be resumed next Tues- days .ys day.]
