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m - - rr B -iff JUDGES STANDI By Charles Hatton 1 Valor, Arcaro, Arlington Double Feature Apt Bug Riders Active" at Arlington Park Baldwin Bidding for Meets Jockey Honors Centennial Track States Distribution Policy ARLINGTON PARK, Arlington Heights, 111., June 27. Spartan Valor, current champion of the American turf, was named today to make his Chicago debut in this Saturdays 0,000 added Equipoise Mile. There is a saying that, "All the world loves a champion," and Arlington patrons are eager to see the handsome brown four-year-olds in action. Although he has been set a he-horse task with topweight of 132 pounds, the highest weight he has yet carried, a combination of his presence and a prospect of wet going held the field to a wieldy 13, with nine betting units. He must concede from 10 to 29 pounds to his rivals, nevertheless will be an extensively backed favorite to run up his eighth straight of the season. Woodchuck is rated the stoutest of his opposition with 122 pounds. This includes all 113 pounds of Eddie Arcaro. who will attempt to celebrate "Arcaro Day" by interrupting Spartan Valors series of successes in the programs piece de resistance. "Woodchuck is the only one that has finished in front of the Hells stallion this season, and the erstwhile ladies riding horse followed him all the way here from New Jersey to attempt doing it again. Most of "Valors" contemporaries prefer to be where he is not. We do not suppose the tracks condition will matter to the son of Attention, for he has attained his present preeminence racing over courses that run the entire gamut of classifications, .from fast to sloppy, indeed, he was within a second of Jamaicas mile and three-sixteenths record, carrying 129, in the mud, while winning the Gallant Fox. And trainer Frank Catrone estimates-he might have set a world mark when he caught dry going for the McLennan and reduced Coaltowns mile and a furlong track record to 1:47. He, incidentally, dashed off the first mile in 1:34. This is precisely the time that inspired Arlington to honor his grandsire by naming this stake for him. The Helis horse always is a good show He comes in the category of what the English describe as a "brilliant" performer, when they refer to an aggressive speed horse having the capacity to sustain it. His rivals find themselves in a horse race immediately the gate opens, and the few that have been able to run with him have soon learned he is well named. Rain or shine he is confidently expected to attract one of the largest throngs of the Chicago season. Chicago trainers are finding more apprentices available than usual this season, and indeed one of them, Bonnie Baldwin, is the hottest thing since the fire. At f the moment he is giving Eddie Arcaro and Ken Church a nip and tuck race for Arlington jockey honors, though less than a year ago he had not ridden a winner on a recognized track. Baldwin is 19 and is a product of Warren, Ohio. Away back in 1949 he and a chum, about the same age, Jack Leslie, campaigned a small string about the Pennsylvania fairs. Leslie was the owner and trainer, Baldwin the rider. Leslie had picked up three horses that were a cut below par for racing on the Ohio halfers and in a spirit of adventure the boys made the Pennsylvania "burg circuit," Waynesburg, Evans-burg, Wattsburg, and the rest. In 50 Baldwin entered the employ of Joe Losen, who races a string at the Ohio tracks, and his first winner of record came last July 7, when he won a race at Ascot Park on Bold Moment. Mrs. Sayde Smith of Chicago bought his contract during the winter and he rode for her at New Orleans Fair Grounds. Though he says, a little wistfully, "I have yet to ride the winner of what you could really call a stakes race," it wouldnt suprise us if he is about to. He thinks "Thelma Berger is the best horse I have ridden so fan" Another of the local "bug" boys who is rather adequate is William Cox, currently one of the five leaders here. He is reputed to have nerve enough to aim an elephant at a knot hole, and has won a number of races wriggling through on the inside. Still another who merits a good share of the mounts is Johnny Heckmann. He has been grounded repeatedly, nevertheless manages to be well up on the list. American racing has become extremely "purse policy" conscious during the past several years, and most clubs are careful to state their intentions in the condition book. Centennial race course, which opens a 50-day meeting July 11, makes it clear "00,000 will be distributed in stakes and purses, with a minimum purse of ,000, except for one quarter horse race daily, in which the purse will be four and one-half per cent of the handle on the race or 00, whichever is greater. In the event the total handle exceeds 0,000,000, four per cent of such excess will be added to the 00,000 already budgeted for stakes and purses. No retroactive purse increases will be made, but as soon as it can reasonably be estimated from the daily average handle what the probable total handle will be, purses will be increased to conform." Centennial has announced its policy well in advance of the opening date and there should be no misunderstanding among the horsemen shipping there. Direc-ton of racing Barry Whitehead looks forward optimistically to a substanial uptrend in patronage at the Mile High track this summer, and has listed 14 features including the 2,000 added Rocky Mountain Handicap and ,500 Centennial Derby. -v Turf ana: Eddie Arcaro thinks Ascent, medium of his . 3,000th winner, "a good filly," though she ran for ,500.. She is a Flushing II. . . . The Newport Kentuckian has been in racing 23 of his 36 years. . . . Atkinson had ridden 2,551 winners up to June 24, Johnny Adams 2,523, and, of course, both these may ultimately reach 3,000. . . . The maximum weight spread in the Equipoise is 29 pounds, which is the concession "Valor" was asked to make Yaleman. . . .cDave Papers Dance Nsing fractured a hock in his stall three hours before the Wright Memorial. . . . Wet weather has deprived grass course performers of many opportunities at this meet, with most races scheduled for the turf track removed to the main course. . . . Horsemen may petition that the rule, only winners claimed for ,000 or less must be advanced in price 30 days, apply to more valuable platers. . . . The TRPBs Ed Coffey visited here briefly, moving to Detroit Park en route back to New York headquarters. Set up the lip tatooing identification system. . . . Ike Bassett, Jockeys Guild representative at Arlington, declares the film patrol is near perfection. . . . Bill Crump notes that - horses breaking from an outside post position for the " first time tend to dwell unless their riders dig into them.
