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Weighing In By EVAN SHIPMAN Belmonts Greatest 3YearOld Race Won by Outstanding Thoroughbreds Outranks Epsom Derby Grand Prix PrixBELMONT BELMONT PARK Elmont L I N Y June 6 The late John E Madden not known for loquacity but who came directly and tersely to the point when he did speak probably listened to as much flowery nonsense and as many exagger ¬ ated claims as any horseman of his time and his famous pro nouncement that opinions die only the records live may have been delivered in a mo ¬ ment of irriation Nev ¬ ertheless it remains one of those truisms to which one finds oneself continually reverting and it has of course a peculiar relevance to our own trade where opinions have been marked down from a dime a dozen and are now distributed as throwaways throwawaysOpinions Opinions to one side then and on the basis of the cold record the Belmont Stakes is preeminent among Americas races for threeyearold thoroughbreds Judging the Belmont according to the class of the winners this mile and a half test not only is without a real rival in this country but may be unique in the far larger picture of world racing The records show that in the last 40 years or since the resumption of the sport in New York state every Belmont Stakes renewal with only two exceptions has been captured by a high class thorough bed Hurryoff in 1933 and Bounding Home in 1944 were not much These two names aside the Belmont has always been the reward for outstanding merit ¬ claim that can hardly be matched by either the Epson Derby or the French Grand Prix PrixFor For the reason given in the preceding paragraph the Belmont Stakes has always been a breeders race Leaving out the names of colts who were fine performers on the race track but who failed as stal ¬ lions we find such horses on the long roster of Belmont winners since the turn of the century as Commando Peter Pan Colin Sweep Luke McLuke Friar JRock Man o War Chance Shot Blue Larkspur Gallant Fox Peace Chance War Admiral Bimelech Whirlaway Shut Out and Count Fleet We are stopping with Count Fleet because later winners have not yet had a real chance to prove themselves at stud The colts we did mention have determined the course of American breeding founding our strongest families familiesIt It has been said often that the tend ¬ ency here in America is toward speed rather than stamina but if one may be permitted a generalization that will in ¬ clude all or nearly all the thoroughbreds here singled out as contributing to the modern American horse we think they may be accurately described as fast colts who could stay Despite the gruelling distance of the Belmont there is hardly a plodder on the list they all had speed but they could all carry their speed a respectable distance That is the type we have established here in America as an ideal idealMan Man p War Count Fleet and Citation represent the kind of thoroughbred that we admire All three were precocious all three had phenomenal speed and all three could carry that speed so far that none of them can be said to have had a limit The other unquestionably great race on our turf turfContinued Continued on Page Forty WEIGHING IN INBy By EVAN SHIPMAN Continued from Page Three Threecalendar calendar is the Jockey Club Gold Cup this two mile test at weightforage offering a standard of excellence over the years comparable to that provided by the Bel ¬ mont Stakes Man o War and Count Fleet were retired without taking part in the Gold Cup a race that was one of the tightest jewels in Citations crown but the record achieved by both Man o Wars and Count Fleets descendants in the Gold Cup proves that two miles would have been as easy for them as was the mile and a lalf of the Belmont Stakes The type of training and campaigning that by an in ¬ exorable process of elimination at last re ¬ veals a Man o War a Count Fleet or a Citation as lone survivor of a generation is cruel in its intensity but it does possess his advantage the thoroughbred who arrives at this lonely eminence has met and turned back every challenge that rac ¬ ing can devise deviseRarely Rarely if ever does a large field start in the Belmont Stakes By midJune the threeyearolds have been pretty well Deeded out Many have fallen by the wayside because of unsoundness while by now any lack of class has become only too apparent Because of the small field and because of the wide generous turns and long stretches of the Belmont track the race is invariably true With ¬ in our memory we can recall only two renewals when the best colt may not have won It is just possible that back in 34 Brookmeades High Quest was su ¬ perior to Peace Chance and in 42 Alsab many horsemen will say ought not to have been beaten by Greentrees Shut Out These mind you are opinions and exactly the kind of opinions that annoyed John E Madden the records make it quite plain that Peace Chance and Shut Out won wonOn On Saturday this next renewal of the American classic will bring a good group to the post Native Dancer of course will be a strong choice and on his record de ¬ servedly so but there will be several among the gray colts competitors who can be counted on to extend him thoroughly Jamie K Invigorator Royal Bay Gem Ram o War and just possibly the filly Cerise Reine now look like the contention Their hope of upsetting the verdict of other races lies in the possibility that Native Dancer will find the mile and a half dis ¬ tance of the Belmont too long or that the enlarged ankles a continual threat to the colts career will finally begin to sting him As we see it these hopes are not likely to be realized We have come to believe that Native Dancer is superior to anything in this generation no matter what the dis ¬ tance and we are trusting in the skill of trainer Bill Winfrey where those puffy dis ¬ figuring ankles are concerned Jamie K will probably make a strong run at him and the finish may be close Native Dancer is a powerful resolute colt one who is per jockey chooses and we expect him to find jockey choose and we expect him to find the resources to turn back the bid of Jamie K or any of the others This fine gray colt is our latest version of speed that can stay
