Guggenheims Sour Luck Turns Sweet: Dark Stars Owner Versatile Figure, Daily Racing Form, 1953-05-23

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. ii u "— TWW -"■■■■ lt:.v.-!H-.-,f -.J HARRY F. GUGGENHEIM — Is hoping for his first Preakness score with Dark Star, who hung it on Native Dancer in Kentucky Derby. Guggenheims Sour LuckTurns Sweet Dark Stars Owner J Versatile Figure First Vamoose, Then Battle Morn, Armageddon Bore Silks Of Cain Hoy Stable Master By Staff Correspondent PIMLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 22. — Few owners have tried as persistently to send out a classic winner in their colors as has Capt. Harry F. Guggenheim, whose Dark Star scored an upset victory in the Kentucky Derby early this month, a victory that he will attempt to duplicate here tomorrow in the Preakness. Dark Star has already vindicated 20 long years of effort on the part of this distinguished diplomat, soldier, businessman and sportsman, but it was a long lane, and there were surely times when the master of the Falaise and now the Cain Hoy Stable must have had grave doubts as to its ever turning. Back in 1937 — War Admirals year — a Blue Larkspur colt named Vamoose finished third to the late Samuel D. Riddles grand little son of Man o War and Scene-shifter in the Belmont Stakes. Obscure enough apart from this one race, Vamoose had been purchased as a yearling by Captain Guggenheim and carried the colors of the Falaise Stable. This was his owners first faint taste of fame on the turf, but in spite of fashionable purchases at the yearling sales each summer, it was not until the home-bred Battle Morn came along in 1951 that Guggenheim again had a candidate of any prominence in the leading three-year-old fixtures. Red Eye Speedy Sort In the long interim, a few useful thoroughbreds did represent the popular owner in competition. Red Eye was a speedy sort, while a son of Bull Dog named War Dog captured the Scarsdale, Aqueduct and Thomas K. Lynch Memorial Handicaps, among other races. With Battle Morn, the Cain Hoy Stable had what looked like a real candidate for Triple Crown honors, but after splitting Repetoire and Intent in the Wood Memorial at Jamaica, the colt showed a disappointing effort at Louisville, and was "on the shelf" shortly thereafter. Starting a warm choice in the Derby because of good earlier races and because Eddie Arcaro had chosen the colt as his mount, Battle Morn never left the middle of the pack, although those who knew him best were convinced that this race was not true. In the fall of the season of Battle Morns disappointing Derby, the Cain Hoy Stable came up with another home-bred colt, a bay son of Alsab from the Sir Gallahad III. j matron, Fighting Lady, named Armaged- i don, who was to bring Guggenheim much nearer to his goal. Armageddon was one of , the best of that years crop of juveniles, winding up a short campaign with an impressive victory in the mile Champagne Stakes, a fixture that had been captured by his sire in record time a dozen years previously. Although he won the Champagne, Armageddon did not come out of the important Continued on Page Seven Luck Finally Turns For Cain HoyOwner Dark Star Brightens Future For Guggenheim After Many Previous Disappointments Continued from Pag* Fir* two-year-olds stake unscathed. Hit in the eye by a clod of dirt during the running, the Cain Hoy suffered a badly bruised cor- | nea. In spite of expert care, Armageddon , eventually lost the sight of that eye, a circumstance that was to have an unfortunate I affect on his racing career. i In 1952 as a three-year-old, Armageddon, ] for all he was blind in one eye, played a far more important part in the classic events 3 than ever had Vamoose, or even Battle I Morn. He had a predeliction for the Bel- « mont strip, scene of his Champagne vie- I tory, perhaps because of the sweeping turns. At Belmont, he captured the mile Withers, the American equivalent of the • English Two Thousand Guineas, defeating Mrs. Jeffords One Count, among others, and looking on that occasion as if he would have a lot to say concerning the result of the Preakness. Armageddons Preakness a race that the ! stable hopes to avenge tomorrow with Dark Star, was a deception, and perhaps the eye ; was to blame. Away well, Armageddon seemed all at sea after rounding the sharp ; first turn, and it was Blue Man, Jampol and One Count who disputed the finish ! while the Cain Hoy made up some ground in the late stages. Returning to Belmont, Armageddon again demonstrated his fondness for the Long Island strip with an impressive vie- ] tory in the Peter Pan Handicap. Off thath effort and his generally fine three-year-old i form, the colt was solidly backed in the | Belmont Stakes. He got off well enough . and gave battle for more than a mile of the 12-furlong race, but could not keep up | as the eventual winner. One Count, and j Blue Man engaged in a speed duel in the i final stages. Nevertheless, he gave a fine ; demonstration of his class, finishing third. Bows to Mork-Ye-Well | After running fourth to Blue Man in the ! Yankee Handicap at Suffolk Downs, Anna- . geddon was sent to Chicago, where he ran , one of the finest races of his sophomore campaign in the Arlington Classic. In a head and head duel with Mark-Ye-Well most of the mile route, Armageddon finally , tired in the muddy going during the final stages to bow to the Calumet colorbearer, ! but he impressed observers with his game-ness and zest for competition. At Saratoga, Armageddon continued his fine form with a rousing second to One Count in the Travers Stakes, after being forced wide. He added stake victories at Atlantic City and Garden State Park to his record before the end of the year. Finishing his 1952 campaign with four triumphs and 35,800 earned, Armageddon stamped himself a first-rate colt who might have reached greater heights were it not for the handicap of having the use of only one eye. Dark Star, the current toast of the Cain Hoy Stable, came into prominence in the fall of 1952. The Royal Gem n. — Isolde colt did not have much of a two-year-old campaign , but his surprising third to Native Dancer and Tahitian King in the Futurity was the first indication that here was a youngster who might have a touch of class. Although Captain Guggenheim has been a prominent buyer at the yearling sales for many years, Dark Star is his first purchase to have "made the grade," Battle Morn and Armageddon having been home breds. Brought along by trainer Eddie Hayward, who had also developed Miche for Mrs. Payson Adams in California, Dark Star won at first asking this year in an allowance affair at Hialeah, but failed in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park when frightened at the start. Clear-Cut Triumph in Derby Trial Moving to Keeneland in preparation- for the Derby, Dark Star made a valiant effort behind Correspondent, and then first attracted widespread attention with his clear-cut triumph in the Derby Trial. His victory in the Derby stamped him as one who can travel a route. His courage will be tested tomorrow. Despite Guggenheims great interest in the sport, racing has played only a small role in his varied career. A pioneer in naval aviation during World War 1, Captain Guggenheim also has been active in the development of rockets and jet propulsion, administering funds established by his father, Daniel Guggenheim, for these purposes. In diplomatic circles, too, Captain Guggenheim has been acclaimed for his efforts in settling internal disputes in Cuba and I Continued on Pag* Forty-Eight Guggenheims Sour Luck Is Finally Turning Sweet Continued from Page Seven negotiating a new commercial treaty between Cuba and the United States at a most critical time. Appointed Ambassador to Cuba in 1929, Guggenheim served until his resignation in 1933, a period of economic and political turmoil in the Caribbean nation. At present, Guggenheim devotes most of his efforts to his business interests. He is the senior partner of the firm of Guggenheim Brothers, which has vast mining properties throughout the United States and South America, and is also chairman of the board of the Anglo-Lautaro Nitrate Corporation, which produces approximately 65 per cent of the worlds natural nitrate and iodine. He has also been active in civic affairs and has represented this country at several international conferences on aeronautics.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1953052301/drf1953052301_5_3
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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800