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Tom Fool Staunch Favorite to Capture Metropolitan Mile Handicap at Belmont Shoulders 130, Conceding i Sturdy Royal Vale, Three And Intent, Five Pounds By BOB HORWOOD Staff Correspondent BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., May 22; — The 60th running of the 0,000 added Metropolitan Handicap heads an attractive week-end program at "beautiful Belmont" tomorrow. Greentree Stables Tom Fool is the topweight in this ancient mile with 130 pounds and looms an odds-on choice over his eight rivals. The robustly handsome son of Menow has won his only two sprint starts this year with impressive ease, picking up a similar heavy package on Tuesday and winning the six-furlong Joe H. Palmer Handicap with almost ridiculous ease. The mile distance tomorrow should • , ; I • 1 , . . i [ i ► not trouble Tom Fool in the least as the four-year-old won the Wilson and Sysonby Miles last year, as well as the Jerome Handicap at that distance, in addition to a series of fine races last fall at somewhat longer distances. Tom Fools chief rivals tomorrow, on paper at least, appear to be Mrs. Esther duPont Weirs English revelation, Royal Vale, with 127 pounds; C. V. Whitneys Cold Command, 117; Mrs. Ben F. Whitakers Hitex, 113, and C. T. Chenerys Bryan G., 111. Brookfield Farms Intent has demonstrated the class to be a stout factor here under 125 pounds, but has been on the sidelines since his victory in the San Juan Capistrano Handicap at Santa Anita and usually needs a race or more to reach his best form. Royal Vale won the Bowie, Gallant Fox Continued on Page Fifty-One • . Tom Fool Staunch Choice I To Take Metropolitan Greentree Colt Shoulders 130, Giving Royal Vale Three Pounds Continued from Page One and Dixie Handicaps in his last three -starts, scoring with considerable authority I in all three stakes and beating Cold Com- , mand in the last two. The English son of Kingsway — Cora Dreams also set a worlds , record for a mile and one-half on grass at Hialeah last winter and showed yesterday I morning that he retains abundant speed : when stepping five furlongs in :59% in handy style. However, the invader, who was a very nervous horse both in his native ; land and in this country until recent weeks, is rapidly picking up weight. He carried 115 in the Gallant Fox, 120 in the Dixie and adds another seven tomorrow. Tom Fool, on the other hand, gave weight to first-rate older horses while still a three-year-old last fall. Cold Command finished second in the Gallant Fox and Dixie and is hard-hitting, consistent performer, who also showed versatility by winning at five and a half furlongs during the Jamaica meeting, while having been regarded primarily a router. Hitex managed to beat Tom Fool in a sprint last year while receiving 10 pounds, but the Greentree colt was by no means at his best. Recently, he won a seven-furlong sprint here on a sloppy track in a respectable l:24y5, with Walter S. Homes Raes Reward, of this field, finishing two lengths away after leading in the stretch. Raes Reward gets in with 105 pounds. Bryan G. showed good form in the Pau-monok and Excelsior Handicaps early in the season, appeared to lose that condition, then came back to finish second to Gay Grecque at six furlongs. The son of Blenheim TJ. has been training cleverly and has shown sufficient class to be dangerous under his light impost. The Metropolitan field is completed by the Jack Amiel entry of Count Turf, 109, and Mr. Turf, 100. Count Turf had his brief moment of glory when he won the Kentucky Derby three years ago, but has done little since. Mr. Turf seems outclassed. The weather forecast is for showers this afternoon and tonight, though the sun appears to be making a valiant effort to make handicappers of the prophets. Tom Fool has showed that he can negotiate a wet track, but is not at his best in such footing, while Royal Vale won the Gallant Fox in mud, though he had previously appeared to dislike anything but a dry, hard surface. There was a comparatively thin cushion over a firm bottom for the Jamaica race, and tomorrows track is not expected to be worse, regardless of the weather. Ted Atkinson, who has won two Metropolitans on Greentree s Devil Diver, will ride Tom Fool, as usual. Dave Gorman, who won the "Met" on Casemate in 1951, will be on Cold Command. Jack Westrope, his regular pilot, will be on Royal Vale, while Conn McCreary, who won the Derby on him, will guide Count Turf. Harrison Bs Wilson is coming in to pilot Intent, Ovie Scurlock will be astride Bryan G. and Willie Lester is to ride Raes Reward. Early winners of the Metropolitan are honored in the supporting features. The fifth race is the Tristan Purse, named for the inaugural winner at Morris Park in 1891, while the seventh is called the Race King, for the four-year-old who dead-heated with Sysonby in the first running at Belmont Park on this tracks opening day in 1905. The Metropolitan has been won by many of the best horses of the past six decades, including Voter, Ethelbert, Banastar and Irish Lad at Morris Park. The unforgettable dead heat between Sysonby and Race King was followed by the victories of such memorable horses as Jack Atkin, King James, Whisk Broom n., Stromboli, Mad Hatter twice, Grey Lag, Sting, Sarazen and Jack High, who got in with 110 pounds in 1930 and set the stake record of 1:35 that still stands. More recently, it has gone to Questionnaire, Equipoise twice, plus another victory from which he was disqualified in favor of Mr. Khayyam, Eight Thirty, Devil Diver three times, GaDo-rette, Stymie twice and, last year, the brilliant cripple, Mameluke.
