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HMML—Eh— MM REFLECTIONS Bv NELS0N dunstan NEW YORK, N. Y., May 27.— John Partridge, trainer of Jamie K„ was talking about the scarcity of top three-year-olds and how badly our handicap division is in need of new horses in the sprinting and staying ranks. John B. Campbell joins with him for recently he was quoted as saying: Ravincr* "TViptp "There is is T»n no Vi handicap an Hi ran riivT- HMML—Eh— MM saying: Ravincr* "TViptp "There is is T»n no Vi handicap an Hi ran riivT- division." As these lines are written the Roseben Handicap is about to be run and entered in it were Northern Star, Delegate, Tea-Maker, Tuscany, Nullify, Squared Away, Hitex and Dark Peter. It is the same old gang. In such spring events of 1952 and 1953 Hitex defeated Tea-Maker in the Fall Highweight Handicap; Dark Peter won from Northern Star and Squared Away in the Roseben; Tea-Maker won from Northern Star and Delegate in the Jamaica; Squared Away won from Tea-Maker in the Interborough Handicap, and this year Squared Away was the winner of the Paumonok, and Tuscany took the honors in the Toboggan. These are generally rated the best sprinters campaigning in New York, but the monotony of one beating the other, chiefly due to the shift in weights, has become a problem that racing officials will have to contend with. The race-going public is tolerant of the cheaper grade horses defeating one another, but few can understand the "you beat me, then Ill beat you" results among our so-called top sprinters of recent years. AAA When Partridge was asked the reason for this scarcity of older horses he answered: "There may be other reasons, but I say that the biggest curse today is early two-year-old racing. The breeders tell us that racing two-year-olds early in the year is not harmful provided it is not overdone. They also tell us that these short sprints give owners an opportunity to try their youngsters before the regular season opens and that it creates a better yearling market Partridge Decries Early Juvenile Racing Claims Shortage of Older Stars Is Result Campbell Had Jamie K. Properly Pegged Lesser Lights to Compete in Peter Pan in that an owner will have an opportunity to get part of his investment back quickly. I have no quarrel with their arguments, but I do say that if we want to preserve our horses we would be better off without these early juvenile races." Partridge has been around the race track for something like 60 years and he, like many other veteran trainers, just grins when someone argues that winter racing does not harm young horses. Partridge continued, "We do see an occasional Battlefield come along from winter racing to be a star but of the thousands that are raced during the winter how many are heard of after they come north?" The paucity of good horses in our three -year-old and older divisions definitely shows that something is wrong and many agree with the stand of this veteran trainer. AAA Humphrey Finney, general manager of the Fasig-Tipton Company, missed a Preakness renewal for the first time in 27 years when he suffered a heart attack last Friday. Since taking over his sales company duties he has been working harder than ever and Old Dame Nature finally caught up with him and reminded him to take things easy for a while. Fortunately, the attack was slight and after a week in bed his doctors assured him he will be able to continue the many tasks which go with the operation of a public auction concern. Finney tells us that Larry MacPhail is greatly improved since he returned to his farm at Bel Air, Md. It is now common knowledge that MacPhail has a malignant growth in the throat. But he faces his illness with the same bull dog tenacity that he has met other, but not so serious problems in bygone years. He plans to be a Maryland breeder from now on and will offer well-grown and uniform yearlings at Saratoga and Meadow Brook this year. He is also busily engaged in taking bookings for his good horse, General Staff, who is now in stud at his farm. He has one Big Game yearling who was bought on the other side and was raised at his farm and he believes he will top the Glen Angus consignment at Saratoga. AAA It is generally conceded that in compiling his Experimental Handicap, John B. Campbell faces one of the toughest jobs in racing. His ratings, although made for the handicap itself, are taken as a yardstick until the Lawrence Realization is run in the fall. Usually at this time of the year we check back to see how his ratings are standing up. In our opinion, he does a remarkable job, year in and out, with young horses who often change considerably between their two- and three-year-old careers. It was natural this year that Campbell would place Native Dancer at the top of his list, but what interests us now is that he rated Jamie K. under the six top horses at 116 pounds. During his two-year-old career Jamie K. won but one race in 10 starts. Apparently the veteran racing secretary saw enough in this youngster to warrant a high rating on the annual list. While Royal Bay Gem was down with the many others rated at 107 pounds, we believe that it is remarkable that Jamie K.. a vastly improved horse, should be so close to the top with 116 pounds. AAA On June 3, the 5,000 Peter Pan Handicap will be run at Belmont. This one mile and a furlong race may bring Continued on Page Forty -Four y a j a L. U r il ly st t- i- id D- ,1- g. to rt 80 ;i- n- a- of of as, of of kce ter en site ite like lone »ne — — — -i 1 1 REFLECTIONS By NELSON DUNSTAN i — 1 ] Continued from Page Forty-Eight out some new starters in the three-year-old Id • ranks. There has been no announcement nt that Native Dancer will skip this race, *e Dark Star has been retired, Royal Bay Gem has gone to Chicago, and Jamie K. is not [0t eligible and will await the Belmont on on June 13. A total of 74 three-year-olds were nominated for the Peter Pan, including Fly n]y Wheel, Tahitian King, Real Brother, Isa-to smoothie, Invigorator and others who will iU welcome a race such as this while the big ng boys are likely to be in the barn. Laffango igo is also eligible but he, too, will be among ng the missing. Needless to say the racing ng world is awaiting another meeting between ;en Native Dancer and Jamie K., but the lesser lights could make a very interesting rate of of the Peter Pan. The event was inaugurated ted in 1940 and has been won by such good od ones as Lucky Draw, Ponder and Counter- er- I 1 point, who two years ago scored over Bat- at- I tlef ield - and Hall of Fame. Ponder, Calu-tke lu- met Farms Derby winner, was defeated by by Capot in the Belmont of 1949. In 1951, •51, "" I
