Judges Stand: Arcaro Day Deserved Tribute to Rider Catrone on Campaign Plans for Valor Points for Arlington, Washington Caps Helis Trainer Protege of Sam Hildreth, Daily Racing Form, 1952-06-26

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™"™ JUDGES STANDI ■ By Charles Hatton 1 Arcaro Day Deserved Tribute to Rider Catrone on Campaign Plans for Valor Points for Arlington, Washington Caps Helis Trainer Protege of Sam Hildreth ARLINGTON PARK, Arlington Heights, 111., June 25. All sports have honored their outstanding performers and racing, which is the greatest of all sports, is going to make an appropriate fuss over Eddie Arcaro here at Arlington on Satur- day. day. More More specifically, specifically, the the North North Side Side club club day. day. More More specifically, specifically, the the North North Side Side club club will do the honors, celebrating his 3,000th success, complete with a presentation, Arlingtons compliments, and "Schnozz" Durante as emcee. It is not altogether that Arcaro has ridden 3,000 winners, as we see it, though this is quite a feat. His presence . here has been rather stimulating to public interest in the sport, just as it was when he barnstormed to Detroit and Longacres a ■ couple of seasons back. And in this way he j has contributed something to a sport in | which he has become a fairly well-to-do young young man. man. We we suppose suppose he ne might mignt be De criti- ™"™ young young man. man. We we suppose suppose he ne might mignt be De criti- criticized for behaving as if it is scarcely worth bothering about when a jockey rides 3,000 winners, but we think he is only being modest, and we have always heard modesty highly spoken of. It is especially becoming in those who excel in any line of endeavor. As you might imagine, his riding technique has been t closely studied here in Chicago, where racing people are less familiar with it than those in New York, which is his customary c summer stamping ground. Winners number 2,999 and 3,000 re- a ceived the patented Arcaro ride. Both were in position to strike t from the drop of the flag, but neither was called upon until straightened out for the run through the homestretch. Meanwhile, some of their rivals were knocking themselves out making 8 their runs around the turn. Arcaro, of course, rides the con- a firmed front runners and the slow breakers in the way they B prefer, but left to his own devices, he usually obtains a good £ position early, then moves about the quarter pole. It is a faculty 1« of timing, plus some split second opportunism. One wag esti- s mates he has saved more ground than the Department of Agriculture. Arcaro attributed his record to "getting on those good S mounts." It is a case of nothing succeeding like success, for his a past success assures him good mounts. P E Frankie Catrone tells us he is pleased with the zestful n way young Bill Helis Spartan Valor has trained here at o Arlington Park, and that he expects to saddle the handi- n cap leader for Saturdays Equipoise Mile. Jimmy Stout o will be on hand to ride the blaze-faced brown. "If the s horse continues to do well, we plan to stay on after the by b Arlington Handicap for the Washington Park meet," Catrone .said. "There is another 00,000 race there you c. know." Chicagoans are eager to see the "Jersey Lightning" ti and he will give the week-end card a large element of f "box office." Though Spartan Valor did not become a turf It idol until this season, Catrone remarks, "He always could si run. He was the fastest of about 30 yearlings we had at U New Orleans, and won two stakes in New Jersey as a two- C year-old, when we ran him only a few times. One of his s] tendons did not look good to me at Monmouth that summer and I sent him home and did not start him again of o until Monmouth as a three-year-old." Catrone considers o the Gallant Fox his charges best performance up to now, ti observing, "He had 129 and ran the first mile in 1:36, in Jamaicas mud, to get. away from Greek Ship. I con- L f ess I was a little anxious when he did not open up as he o usually does early, but when he passed me at the six- fi teenth pole he was pricking his ears." Catrone feels sure he is a better horse than was Attention, and says he is a n freer runner than was Equipoise, though he does not know h he if he is so capable. "He lightened up a bit after the Gal- y lant Fox, but has regained his flesh here. He is not one you C; have to train hard, which makes it easier on him than if n he were the sort that have to be doing something all the f time, with the constant risk of being hurt. He gets ready u in quickly, and has a good disposition. Just breaks out a a little when he is saddled for a race." Catrone, incidentally, f j said his half-sister, Greek Colleen, now has joined the Rancocas mares. "She might have won a claimer," the trainer estimated, "but Mr. Helis wanted to keep her for a 0 of producer." o a Catrone has been one of the turf fraternity since 1920, when u in he began as an exercise boy for the late Sam Hildreth. He was S quite a competent lightweight jockey from 23 to 37, won stakes A on Mowlee and Black Curl for Rancocas, the Dixie on Sandy r. Ford, the Bryan Memorial on Cloudland, and the Agua Caliente e Derby on Greyola, at the tracks inaugural meeting. The Bryan j once was among the most coveted United States stakes and ii in Cloudland had Chance Play and Display behind him. Catrone 0 on became a trainer in 39, when he assumed charge of condition- ti ing Frenk Podestas string at Hot Springs. Later on, he trained o the large Valdina Farm string, developing Rounders and Val- c dina Orphan, who beat Shut Out in the Dwyer. Last season, he saddled the winners of 54 races for the Helis establishment. The string is not, at the moment, as well balanced as some, or as Helis might wish, and it is possible that he will be a yearling buyer. Turf ana: Blue Ballot, the Balladier filly A. B. Han- F cock, Jr., purchased last season for Bill Astor, is a stakes winner in England. . . . Clifford Mooers is supplementing p the Chicago division of his string. . . . The vast parking q areas on the stand side of Arlington last week-end proved i inadequate by hundreds of cars, which were parked along and the backstretch, some half-mile from the stand. . . . B. A. Jones observes, "Not many Bull Leas can mud." . . . Dr. fi M. F. Kent, the state vet, remarks, "There is no insurance on horses that go wrong, as there is on autos damaged in accidents. The actual depreciation of racing stock must be tremendous." . . . Catrone notes the get of Valdina Orphan are very unprecocious. . . . Del Holman, the B oracle of Pilot Knob, has joined Arlington horsemen. ... S Stake blanks for Atlantic Citys late summer meet were B circulated here, showing four turf course features rang- B ing in added values from 5,000 to 5,000. . . . Arlingtons lake is a duck hunters paradise. ... A new infusion C of equine native sons is expected at Washington Park. . . . Real Delight went a little crabbier than usual after the q Cleopatra. . . . ,500 horses run for ,500 purses in New i York. . . . Special badges, with appropriate cover design, have been printed for convention brass who will be official p guests of Arlington. IV


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