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It It is is something something of of ; REFLECTIONS *y NELS0N dunstan NEW YORK, N. Y., May 20.— There are many interesting angles to the Preakness, and one is that Dark Star and Royal Bay Gem are sired by Royal Gem II., and that Native Dancer and Tahitian King are sons of Polynesian. This quartet probably will comprise about half the field in the second leg of the "Triple Crown." a % stunt stunt for for a a sire sire to to be be brought brought to to this this It It is is something something of of ; a % stunt stunt for for a a sire sire to to be be brought brought to to this this country and send forth a colt to win the Kentucky Derby and then have that colt go to Baltimore to be beaten in the Preakness Prep by another son. Native Dancer and Tahitian King came in Polynesians second crop, and, when we were in Kentucky recently, Ira Drymon told us that it is almost impossible to obtain a service to this young horse, who was the Preakness winner of 1945 when he defeated Hoop, Jr., who two weeks before won the Kentucky Derby. The Preakness was the one race which saved Polynesian from being stamped a sprinter. The meeting between the four horses mentioned in this years renewal of the Maryland classic makes for record breaking throngs and it would not surprise us if one of the largest crowds ever to see this race will be on hand this week end. AAA In this newspaper yesterday we commented on the fact that Royal Bay Gem usually is so far out of it in the early stages of his races that he faces a hurculean task in overcoming his opposition with the stretch runs for which he has become famous. He made a sensational run in the Jersey Stakes two weeks ago, but faced no such opposition as he will meet Saturday. In the Preakness Prep on Monday he stayed much closer to the pace, as the chart shows, and then came on to defeat Dark Star by three-quarters of a length at a mile and one -sixteenth, with Ram o War and Correspondent following. The wisdom Preakness Has Many Interesting Angles Two Colts by Polynesian, Royal Gem II. Royal Bay Gem Switches to New Style Bubbley in Delaware and Coaching Club? of the change of tactics speaks for itself. Should the new method be followed in the Preakness, this horse could be a threat to the Derby winner and also Native Dancer, who finished second at Louisville. Like the Derby, the Preakness Prep has injejcted new interest in the Preakness. It all comes under the head of strategy. While, as we said the other day, races are seldom run to predictions, it is a certainty that Native Dancer will cling closer to the pace than was the case in the Derby. This also can be said for Royal Bay Gem. / AAA It was generally thought that the Calumet Farm string would go direct to Chicago for the rich Arlington and Washington Parks meetings. But it is now announced that Ben Jones will send Bubbley, the crack daughter of Bull Lea, out of Blue Delight, to Delaware Park for the Delaware Oaks, which is scheduled for May 30. Bubbley won the Kentucky Oaks and there now seems a fine chance that she will be brought to New York for the Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont on June 6. Her sister, Real Delight, won the New York race last year. Others nominated for the Coaching Club are Cerise Reine, Wings o Morn and Grecian Queen, who was defeated as an odds-on choice in the Acorn Stakes two weeks ago. The Delaware and the Coaching Club Oaks play a prominent part in the balloting for the three-year-old filly champion in the fall. Calumet has no filly or mare nominated for the Top Flight Handicap on June 17, so in all likelihood Bubbley will be shipped to Chicago after the Coaching Club running to join the remainder of the Calumet string. Mark-Ye-Well is growing a new hoof so it is a question when this heavy money-winner will be seen in action again. AAA Speaking of Calumet, we have heard that the stable has some very promising two-year-old colts and fillies. Many of the youngsters are by Bull Lea. A day or two back, we received a list of the 23 foals of 1953, 12 colts and 11 fillies. There are seven by Bull Lea, four by Citation, one by Coaltown, and two by Alibhai, among other .sires. This is one of the most beautiful bred groups, so far as pedigree is concerned, that has ever been foaled at Calumet. One of the Bull Lea youngsters is a bay colt out of Hydroplane H., by Hyperion, thus a full brother to Citation. After Bull Lea was mated with Blue Delight to produce Real Delight and Bubbley, it is interesting to note that this mare was sent to Heliopolis and the result is a chestnut filly. Another filly that should come in for her share of attention is a bay by Count Fleet, out of the famous mare, Twilight Tear, who to the cover of Blenheim n., was the producer of the crack filly, A Gleam Needless to say, every follower of breeding is anxious tcf| get a look at the youngsters in the first crops of Citatioi and Coaltown. We were somewhat surprised in Ken* tucky recently to hear some breeders say they believe th» Coaltowns will be a better lot than the Citations. Tim* will prove that point. AAA The wave of good imported sires has had a pronounced effect on the American thoroughbred. It was no great surprise this week when it was announced that Th» Jockey Club had decided that Nordlicht, Samurai, Ath-anasius and Taj Akbar are now eligible for registration in the American Stud Book. The Jockey Club has been Continued on Page Forty REFLECTIONS By NELSON DUNSTAN Continued from Page Forty-Four investigating the status of these horses in Germany and France, and until the proper credentials were obtainable the club was in a somewhat ticklish position. Royal Charger and Norseman will be brought to this country in a few months to join the ranks of high-priced horses who have been imported steadily by our breeders. We had an analogous situation shortly after the Civil War, for in those years, Leamington, Australian, Bonnie Scotland and Eclipse went into service in this country at almost the same time. After World War I. our breeders paid breath-taking prices for many stallions. But even with the quantity and the quality imported, there seems to be no saturation point. We tried unsuccessfully to get Hyperion and, more recently, Tulyar, but we have obtained a representative of virtually every male line in Ireland and England, and some in France. It is natural that - some importations failed, but our breeding structure has been strengthened materially. Just one instance is Royal Gem H. from Australia.
