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1 — —————— -—-— — — ► I— Connors Corner I 1 By "CHLCK" CONNORS Resurrect Optionals at Belmont Claimers Bypass Selling Races Dark Star Eyes Preakness Trial BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., May 11. — The optional claiming race which was resurrected at Santa Anita last winter . J * c . : r j t and proved something of a success was presented here last week, in the eighth race of the program. Of ths six starters who paraded postward, four who were not eligible annexed all the monies and the two with claiming tags finished fifth and sixth, respectively.. The optional claiming ciainiuig race rwcc permits peiunw J . . . J ; ! ; . , ! j | I claiming ciainiuig race rwcc permits peiunw a horseman, by accepting a three-pound penalty, to enter a horse in a claimer to which his record makes him eligible, without permitting him to be claimed. In other words, the purpose of the claiming race is served by having the same type of horses compete with each other, but a man may hold on to his horse, after having run once for a claiming price. The reintroduction of the optional claimer to New York programs passed unnoticed by the general public but aroused some interest among owners and professionals. The optional claimer is not a new departure by any means and its introduction to American programs is lost in antiquity. This type of racing was tried here many years ago, first on the flat and then for steeplechase races. The innovation of that period proved nothing as far as the improvement of the overnight races were concerned and after a brief trial was abandoned. Claiming races are the standby of daily overnight programs, ranging all the way from the cheaper ones to some that a fantastic value is placed on a horse by his owner or trainer. This latter type was prevalent in California when racing was making a comeback in the San Francisco area. There, under a synthetic proviso of the mutuel law, the purchaser of a winning ticket was entitled to buy the winning animal. For this reason some horses whose nominal value were small were entered for outlandish prices and in some instances as high as 00,000. This figure barred the holders of winning tickets from stepping in, paying over the money and claiming his property. Selling races, the forerunner of the present day claimers. were bypassed, a long time ago. This type of race permitted horsemen to claim horses that finished back of the winner, with the latter being offered at public auction by the placing judges when the result was made official. The owner to protect his property topped the bids offered by . One half of the runup money went to the association and the other half to the owner who finished second. That loophole left ample room for sharp practice and brought to the fore characters who specialized in that habit, namely J. W. Hedrick and "Kansas City" Sam Louis, "Kansas Price and frequently H. G. Bedwell. When one of their charges finished second in a selling race it was a foregone conclusion that the winner would be tilted a couple of hundred dollars at the expense of the owner and if he failed to protect they would acquire the horse and if he did they would benefit in the pockets, hence the claimer. Neil Boyle, track superintendent at Belmont Park, entered New York Hospital for a check up. Boyle was on the sidelines for the past few weeks, a suf-, ferer from stomach ailments. . . . Charles Cohen, master of Charfran Stable, re-1 turned from Pimlico, where he witnessed I the efforts of his Crafty Admiral in the l Dixie. . . . James Cox Brady was on hand i for the week-end program and was en-B thused over the success of his color-bearers in their respective races. ... Humphrey Finney, all enthused over the Kern dispersal near Chicago, showed up and reported that efforts are being made to dispose of the horses owned by the estate of C. B. Bohn in one lot at private terms. If not disposed of in this manner, a vendue will be ordered. . . . Herbert Bayard Swope showed up for the week end and promised to be on hand for the Withers on Saturday. Trainer Eddie Hayward reported that Dark Star, owned by the Cain Hoy Stable, is to be shipped to Pimlico momentarily his Preakness Trial enaggement and Ifor then for the Preakness itself . . . Senorita Continued from Page Forty Connors Corner By C. J. CONNORS Continued from Page Three A. Ayulo, daughter of the Peruvian Ambassador to Washington and niece of the president of The Jockey Club of Peru, was an interested spectator on Saturday. She is en route with her father to the coronation festivities in London. . . . Royal Vale, Crafty Admiral and Cold Command, the trio that gleaned the important monies in the Dixie Handicap at Pimlico, were returned to their respective stalls by J. Ryan, Bob Odom and Syl Veitch yesterday. . . . Jockey Eddie Arcaro, Jack Westrope, Eric Guerin, Ira Hanford and others who fulfilled out-of-town commitments over the week-end, returned and accepted mounts during the course of the afternoon. . . . Harry LaMontagne. the internationalist, reported that his Steel Blue is doing nicely in France. . . . Harry Massey, the Pittsburgh patron who races under the nom de course of the Grandview Stable, was among the clubhouse visitors over the week end. . . . Col. P. T. Chinn, the old Kentuckian, will head this way for the Belmont Stakes, according to the New York banker, Bill Gallagher. The doughty old colonel will no doubt unveil the qualities of the yearlings that he will send to the marts during the summer season. Jockey W. Balzaretti showed up from Maryland to ride Dandolo in the Swift Stakes. He plans to return to Pimlico tomorrow. . .One of the improvements that attracted scant attention from the clubhouse patrons was the aluminum ceiling on part of the lower floor of the clubhouse. The material sheds considerable more light than available last year F. Ambrose Clark returned from a lengthy spring vacation in Europe and England and will be a regular from now on . . . John C. Clark, top man at Hialeah, left for Florida on business matters pertaining to the date scramble of that track now being batted about by the solons at Tallahassee. For the first time at the present meeting, Belmont Park safely displayed the board announcing that the track was fast. There was no argument on that score . Of the jockeys riding here Eric Guerin is the heaviest — he weighs 116, while B. Ansteat of the steeplechase ranks tips the beam at 147. Leo Veitch received a couple of horses, Dash for Cash is one, owned by James Jamieson, the New Englander, to race here . . At private terms, E. Barry Ryan purchased from A. G. Vanderbilt the horse Whence for the account of B. C. Betner. The acquisition performed for his new owner during the afternoon . James Fitz-simmons plans to van several horses to Garden State Park for engagements at that track . . . John McNulty, the scrivener of the doings of the Third Avenue set and ambassador at large for Native Dancer, showed up for a quick look-see.
