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— " 0 "■■ ■■y./v/ftr/: *. "::: :■: : "" -■ ~y ■ 1. v --■-■- ■ vN- ■ " »■*■■* "*; y*i ■ "• X" : : : • :•- .-. .-... "C - ?V -.. • ,; . ■ ■ : sX : . *■ ".-:■. *" .■ ■ ■*: */, .-*■■ -.-.. , ■■::■.■■ -.y«- .: ■ ■- -;• ., 1 % .■■■ . • • *■ ■. -..■".•■ .. aV .j. - .:■ X---:" ■*■■% :*, " ■"*• -■■■■ "-%*:„■ ■ v., V/y, ■ ■ V V :Mojfr: :-x-.w..v.-.:J--.-- :;. v-:-v. ■ ■■■ ■-■. .r::.-:v/.v,...::;.:; ■ : ..- - -■ •■ , •:■.. r.f. :-....,: .:-..:.-*. .:- ..::.- : . .v . ,-...: -■_ ■•a v.».: ate.y.y::y.., ,.. .., . ,. Photo by Meadors. DARK STAR, with Henry Moreno up, and accompanied by pony, with Matt Brown up. The Cain Hoy Stable colt retires with the distinction of being the only horse to hold a victory over Native Dancer, accomplishing the feat in the Kentucky Derby. Racing Career of Dark Star Is Ended; Bowed Tendon in Preakness Running Kentucky Derby Winner Will* Be Turned Out This Summer And Enter Stud Next Season NEW YORK, N. Y., May 26.— Dark Star, the ,500 yearling who electrified the turf world when he turned back the previously undefeated Native Dancer in the Kentucky Derby, will race no more. Harry F. Guggenheim, owner of the handsome brown son of Royal Gem II. — Isolde, by Bull Dog, announced last night that his colt had suffered a bowed tendon during the running of Saturdays Preakness and would be retired to stud. Where the Derby winner will stand, and at what fee, has not been determined as yet, but he is to be turned out this summer and will begin his career as a stallion next year. Guggenheim, in announcing his decision to retire Dark Star, said: "It is a sad occasion to retire a gallant and game horse like Dark Star. I feel especially sorry for trainer Eddie Hayward. Last November I turned over to him Dark Star, a horse with bad ankles. I said to Hayward, Now train the horse and win the Derby. He did, and I am very proud of his accomplishment." Dark Star had been trained by Moody Jolley prior to last November, when Hayward took over the task of conditioning him. The colt had been troubled by weak underpinning throughout his career and came to the end of his comparatively short Continued on Page Fire Racing Career of Dark Star Is Ended; Bowed Tendon in Preakness Running Kentucky Derby Winner W/7/* ► Be Turned Out This Summer i And Enter Stud Next Season Continued from Page One three - year - old campaign while racing strongly in the Preakness. Jockey Henry Moreno, who had guided the "speed horse" to his thrilling triumph in the Derby, said that his mount had been running with great ease in the Preakness while leading the field to the head of the stretch, but suddenly stopped. While he was on his way back to the barn the colt bobbled and Guggenheim, perturbed by what he saw, remarked about it to Hayward. However, Dark Star appeared to be sound while cooling out. The following morning it was obvious that his leg had filled and the injury to the main tendon became apparent. Dark Star had been fired last summer but the cure was not complete and Dr. N. E. Southard, who had applied the irons, was not satisfied. Dark Star has started 13 times in all, competing in six races as a two-year-old and seven this season. He has earned a total of 31,337, realizing 0,050 of that amount when he captured the Derby. The Royal Gem II. colt has been unplaced only three times in his career, winning six races, finishing second twice and third twice. His stakes scores, aside from the Derby, were in the Derby Trial and the Juvenile Stakes at Hialeah a year ago last March. Foaled on April 4, 1950 The colt was foaled on April 4, 1950. He made his debut as a two-year-old on February 14, 1952, at Hialeah Park. Because he had worked in sparkling fashion, word of his ability had gotten around and he was made the favorite at 2.45 to 1. The colt registered with ease, leading from the start and winning by two lengths. He came back about three weeks later in much tougher company but registered again — in the same front-running way — turning back Brookhaven by two lengths in Hialeahs Juvenile Stakes. That marked the end of his short and unblemished winter campaign. He was rested, under Guggenheims instructions, throughout the spring and then returned to competition in another "Juvenile Stakes" — this one Belmont Parks property. Here he met his first defeat, bowing to Fort Salonga and Tribe. That race took place on May 7, and Dark Start did not start again until September 18, when he led from end to end to triumph in an overnight event — again at Belmont — in which he stepped six furlongs over a good strip in l:09a/5. He then made his first try for the real big money, going post-ward in the Futurity at Belmont. Native Dancer, who had swept all before him in his march to the juvenile crown, again dominated the field and Dark Star had to be content with third money, finishing behind the Vanderbilt colt and Tahitian King. The colt failed to race to his Futurity effort in his following attempt — the last of his juvenile year — finishing among the I , 1 ; ■ • ! 1 " 1 1 1 !■ " J I J ■ 1 1 3 j - B " " 3 s ► i trailers in the Champagne Stakes after displaying his usual high turn of early foot. As noted above, Dark Star was turned over to trainer Hayward in November with instructions to "train the horse and win the Derby." He did just that, in the following stages: On February 27, making his first appearance as a three-year-old, the Guggenheim colt stepped seven furlongs in 1:23% at Hialeah Park to defeat Torch of War by a head after forcing the pace from the fall of the flag. He continued to train well following that score and was among the strongly supported in the 00,000 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, his next engagement. Here, however, he did not show his customary speed, finishing a distant 13th in the field of 17. However, riding tactics played a major role in his defeat. Jockey Charles Burr had been instructed to "make him move" getting to the first turn and then to reserve him about three lengths off the leaders. Burr had to gun him away from the gate, and then, when he reached the turn, he had to virtually "choke" him to keep him from bouncing into the lead. This completely discouraged the colt. Different Tactics Used in Kentucky Different tactics were used in Kentucky, the next stop on his tour to fame. There, at Keeneland, he was second to Correspondent in a seven-furlong dash, then came back with a scintillating four-length triumph over Money Broker — the Florida Derby winner — in the Derby Trial Stakes, running the mile in 1 : 36 and gaining recognition as a possible "upset" horse in the Derby itself. Before the running of the Derby, owner Guggenheim conferred with Hayward and it was decided to instruct Moreno not to restrain Dark Star but to permit him to gain full stride and then go about his business. The rest is history. Go about his business he did, speeding to the front and remaining in the van to the end, withstanding Native Dancers desperate last-second challenge by a head. His Derby triumph at odds of 25 to goes down in turf annals as one of the greatest surprises in the history of the "Run for the Roses." And his clocking of 2:02 for the mile-and-a-quarter ranks as the fifth fastest in Derby history and the fastest by a Derby champion who won by setting the pace. The sudden end of Dark Stars career so soon after his brilliant triumph recalls similar disappointments for some of the other Derby winners. Morvich, the 1922 victor, lost his next four starts and then i was retired to stud. Brokers Tip, the 1933 winner, had not won a race before the * running of the Blue Grass classic and never r captured another.
