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wammnm*mmm REFLECTIONS fiy NELS0N unstan PIMLICO, Baltimore Md.. May 22. — Tomorrow is Marylands big day of spring racing and while the Preakness will not attract half the throng that saw the Derby, interest in it is just as keen throughout the nation. The conditions are entirely different, for Native Dancer went to Louisville an an undefeated undefeated horse horse only only to to have nave his his wammnm*mmm an an undefeated undefeated horse horse only only to to have nave his his string of victories snapped by the lightly regarded Dark Star. Here in Baltimore today, you hear the question, "Can the Guggenheim colt repeat?" There seems to be considerable confidence that the Vanderbilt gr?y will turn the tables oh his conqueror as have other losers before him. This writer expects Native Dancer to be the Preakness winner, but we take no credit whatsoever from Dark Star for a brilliant Derby victory that he himself carved. The situation is again different in that two sons of Royal Gem II. will be fighting it out with the Vanderbilt colt, for, in the Jersey Stakes and the Preakness Prep, Royal Bay Gem has fully earned his right to consideration. One of those remarkable "gift" horse stories is very much involved in this race, the second leg of the "Triple Crown." To our knowledge, the story of Dhoti has never been told and now is the time to pass it on to you. A A A Back in 1937, the Duke of Gloucester was appointed Governor-General of Australia. That is high honor to any Englishman. The Duke was an ardent lover of horse racing and openly stated that, among other things, he would miss racing in his own country. The Aga Khan and The Begum had returned to London at the time to attend the coronation of King George VI., and the Moslem potentate learned of the Dukes appointment. He decided to give two horses to the Duke, and send them to Australia before his arrival there. That year, Le Grand Due had run third to Mid-Day Sun and Sandsprite in the Epsom Derby and Marylands Biggest Spring Racing Day Preakness Stakes Holds National Interest Can Dark Star Repeat His Derby Victory? Native Dancer Expected to Turn Tables he was one of the horses selected. The second horse was Dhoti, who had ranked with Heliopolis at 123 pounds in the Free Handicap, but who had been unplaced four times as a three-year-old. The horses arrived Down Under in good condition, but the Duke of Gloucester did not follow them. In the meantime, war had been declared and the Duke found more important things to do in London than in the diplomatic service in Australia. Both horses were sold privately. Le Grand Due did not amount to much as a sire, but Dhoti begot Royal Gem H., the sire of the two horses who are to oppose Native Dancer in the Preakness. AAA A logical question heard in Baltimore is whether Native Dancer can start another string of victories. There have been occasions when this has been accomplished. Well do Marylanders remember Cavalcade defeating Discovery in the Derby of 1934. The Preakness appeared to be between these two horses, but High Quest was awaiting them and, when the shouting had died down, High Quest was the winner. In 1939, Johnstown won the Derby from the Maryland horse, Challedon, and in such authoritative fashion that it was generally believed he would take the Preakness as effortlessly as he had the Derby. But rains changed the Pimlico strip into a sea of mud and if there was anything that Challedon loved, it was sticky going. He splashed to victory in the local classic. Challedon was not eligible for the Belmont, and Johnstown returned to take that event and bolster his claim to titular honors. At the end of the year, however, Challedon was awarded Horse of the Year honors. It may be that 1953 will be Native Dancers year. This writer for one is going to await the end of the season and see what transpires. AAA The year following Johnstowns defeat of Challedon in the Derby saw one of the biggest upsets in turf history when Gallahadion defeated Bimelech. Many believed that Bimelech would reverse the decision if they met again, and, as the records show, Gallahadion could do no better than finish third to Bimelech and Mioland in the Preakness. Then Bimelech went on to win the Belmont Stakes from Your Chance. That convinced us the Kentucky Derby is one of the hardest races for a horse to win in this country, and that there can always be a reversal when they come here to Baltimore for the Preakness. That same situation came about in 1950, when Middle-ground defeated Hill Prince at Louisville, only to have the latter come back and take the honors in the Preakness. Then. Middleground went to New York to win the Belmont from Lights Up and Mr. Trouble. It could be that there will be a reversal tomorrow. Although we insist that Dark Star won the Derby on his merits, Native Dancer figures to beat him. These are things that make horse racing such a fascinating sport. AAA There has been some talk about the whys and wherefores of Eddie Arcaro switching from Correspondent to Jamie K. in the Preakness. One version is that Wally Dunn, trainer of Correspondent, decided that some other race rider would give Correspondent a better ride than Arcaro did in the Derby. Some years ago, Arcaro told this writer, "Some jockeys are better fitted to a horse than another." We did not think, if the Dunn story is Continued on Page Forty-Eight n REFLECTIONS By NELSON DUNSTAN Continued from Page Fifty-Two true, that a trainer would prefer another lad to the boy who has won five runnings of the Kentucky Derby, four of the Preakness, and five of the Belmont Stakes. Owners and trainers fight to get Arcaro to ride their horse, and it is almost unbelievable that Dunn would purposely pass up Arcaro regardless of the fact that Bob Summers may be better suited to pilot the son of Khaled. Arcaro and Dunn usually know what they are doing. So only the result of the Preakness will determine which one got the best of the switch. Arcaro has made other changes before, some to his sorrow, but this could have been Wally Dunns doing and not that of the boy who scored in the Preakness with Whirlaway, Citation, Hill Prince and last year, with the ill-fated Bold.
