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:v!a!."V •■•■•■" JUDGES STAND by charus hatton CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 4. — The week-ends Derby developed one of the most exciting chapters in the long annals of the Louisville classic, and its result has heightened interest in the Preakness, which follow May 23 at Pimlico. This seventy-ninth Derby had all the elements of a pulp thriller, complete to drama, suspense, pathos and a surprise climax. For even though he had won the Derby Trial, Dark Star was conceded little chance of humbling the hitherto undefeated Native Dancer, as his odds of nearly 30 to 1 clearly show. The vast majority of those who made The Dancer odds-on still feel they bet on the best horse. Unfortunately for them the Derby route is a mile and a quarter, not a mile and a quarter and one more stride. The Sagamorean may win many races in the course of his career, but forfeited his chance of Tetiring undefeated when he came away from the gate slower than usual. In the end, the measure of such celebrity was a diminishing head, or about one-twentieth of a second. One cannot help reflecting how very ironical it is that Native Dancer should have lost the Derby because it was not quite far enough. People had said geneological things about him all winter, and were skeptical if he could stay the route. But he "answered all the questions," still could not win. This Derby finish was reminiscent of Jet Pilots, when he established all the pace, then barely lasted to beat Phalanx, who, incidentally, went on to win the three-year-old title. Whether Dark Star will anticlimax his Derby performance later, as Jet Pilot did, or go on winning, we shall not attempt to guess. But he certainly was "Hawkins* horse" last Saturday, beautifully conditioned and wisely ridden. Nor does he have to "die in front," for after all, he came from behind in the Derby Trial. Dark Star and ftoyal Bay Gem fully established the Australian stallion, Derby Result Heightens Preakness Interest Monmouth Oaks Assumes Greater Importance Everett Jr. Looms Bashford Manor Choice Historic Dixie Race of Week at Pimlico Royal Gem II.. in finishing first and fourth in this "Run for the Roses." And the syndicate who own him — comprising Warner Jones, Baylor Hickman, Pat Calhoun, E. D. Axton, Ed Kaiser, William Veeneman, Brent Hart, James Brink, Doug Davis and Grant Dorian d — may congratulate themselves they obtained a bargain when they imported him for a reported sum of "about 50,000." He is a neatly made, middle distance type of animal himself, stamps his get with his own impress, and may sire other classic winners. Dark Star, incidentally, is out of a Bull Dog mare, and his granddam, Fiji, won a Kentucky Oaks. Thus he is bred well enough to suit the most fastidious. And he is a "Triple Crown" candidate. AAA Monmouth Park will have an announcement of interest to turfmen this week. It is indicated that the Monmouth Oaks will assume far more monetary importance and the distance of this filly feature will be lengthened from a mile and a sixteenth Jo a mile and a furlong. Other stakes and purses are to be enriched for the meeting, which opens on June 13 and extends 50 racing days through August 10, we learn from Horace Wade. This will be the longest meet in the new Monmouths history. The club has enlarged and improved its facilities notably since the 1952 season. The grandstand now has more seats, new cafterias, lounges and "tote" windows. Also, it will please patrons of the seaside park to know, there are now two new escalators in the stands. The clubhouse has a splendiferous new entrance. Monmouths sport has assumed more importance with each passing season and indications are patronage will follow the national uptrend again this year. It may boast one of the most comfortable, modern stands anywhere in American racing. AAA Racing at Churchill Downs will be rescued Saturday from being entirely anticlimactic when the 0,000 added Bashford Manor Stakes for two-year-old colts and geldings is renewed for the fitfy-second time. This five furlongs has 116 nominations, and among these Everett Lowrances Everett Jr. is considerably the best known. A New Orleans development, the son of Eternal Bull won the Lafayette Stakes back at Keenland. In all probability he will be the favorite for the week-end stake if he is a starter. Another that has shown a nice turn of speed is Mark Leachs Mr. Prosecutor, who is by the one-time champion two-year-old, Occupation, now serving at stud at Dan Van Chefs Nydrie in Virginia. Ay you may know, the Bashford Manor is named for the late George Longs stud near Louisville. It was there Free Lance, whom J. B. Campbell considers to have been one of the best three -year-olds he has seen, was bred and reared. The Downs stake in seasons past has served to show a number of capable colts, beginning with Sysonbys rival, Oiseau, in 1904. Others of note are Black Gold, the 1923 winner, who returned the following spring and captured the Derby, the ill-fated Sky Larking and the crack miler Roman, now one of the countrys most popular sires. Possibly the race will again this season show a colt destined to play a prominent role in later, more important and valuable two-year-old events. AAA The "race of the week" at Pimlico is Saturdays renewal of the ancient Dixie Handicap, which this spring has 5,000 added, and is over a mile and one furlong. The handicap division is a strong one and the prospects Continued on Pago Thirty-Six J J JUDGES STAND i ! By CHARLES HATTON Continued from Page Forty-Four for the Dixie include C. V. Whitneys im- j I proved Cold Command, who won three ! straight on Long Island, and Charfran Sta- | bles hard-hitting Crafty Admiral. Green- | ! tree did not name Tom Fool, but the aging One Hitter, now a seven-year-old, is a can- j I didate for this race. So also are such as To ! Market. Post Card, Yildiz, Ken, Count Turf t j | and the iron, Alerted. The Dixie is the first of a roster of four stakes to be presented at the Baltimore course this spring. It will be followed on the second Saturday of the meeting by the 5,000 Baltimore j I I Spring Handicap, on May 23 by the classic ! Preakness and on May 30 by the 0,000 j j Blackeyed Susan. The new owners offer j trophies in each of these events. And racing secretary Fred Colwill hopefully ex- I pects that in the course of this meeting j i Baltimoreans will be shown most of the best horses currently in training. His condition book follows the general pattern which proved so instrumental in elevating the quality of Pimlico sport last autumn. Horsemen cannot fail to respond to the Maryland tracks announcement that all j races for the better class of performers having as many as five wagering units will I be programmed. I AAA Turf ana: A. G. Vanderbilt inspected Na- j tive Dancers new sister at Dan Scotts Lexington farm and is very pleased with j her, though trainer Bill Winfrey says, "I never expect to train another like The Dancer." . . . Charles Town has a new clubhouse. . . . The barns burned at Water-ford have been replaced. . . . We erred the other day in stating the Florida Derby was the richest three-year-old race up to now. It was the Flamingo, with a gross of 53,600. . . . The Preakness this year may break Pimlicos record attendance of 42.370, established back in 1946. . . . The new porch on the Pimlico clubhouse will seat 350 luncheon guests. ... A new wrinkle in caring for horses is a bubble footbath. Straight Face is said to have benefited from it. . . . Calumets Bubbley is eligible for the Black-eyed Susan.
