view raw text
W E I G H I N G IN BY EVAN SHIPMAN DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 29. Wilmington racegoers were more than satisfied by their first glimpse of Mrs. E. duPont Weirs remarkable Ehglish importation, Royal Vale, the big horses splendid victory in the Sussex Handicap here last Saturday confirming all the superlatives that have been showered on him dur ing the last few months. For Royal Vale, the Sussex was the Suburban all over again, but this time, there was no Tom Fool in the field, and the five-year-old son of Kings-way Cora Dean, by Coronach, won with something in hand in spite of his burden of 130 pounds, three over scale. At the wire in 2:00, one and three-fifths seconds better than the previous track record jointly held by Stymie, Cochise and Flying Missel, Royal Vales margin oyer the vastly improved Firethorn horse, Post Card, was only a neck, but from the sixteenth pole in, jockey Jack Westrope was merely humoring the early pacemaker. Royal Vale, as we saw it, could have won the Sussex by quite a bit of open daylight had Westrope chosen to drive him out. Once again, Royal Vale impressed horsemen by his perfect manners, his instant response to the tactics of his jockey. Post Card, of course, started coupled with the 1952 Horse of the Year, One Count, his half-brother, and obviously the "plan of battle" for the entry was to inveigle Royal Vales rider into making a premature move. Quite conscious that a trap was being baited for him, Westrope kept tossing quick glances over his shoulder in the run down the backstretch; he was looking for One Count, nor would he allow the big bay to ramble until Gorman, aboard Mrs. Jeffords colt, also was ready to engage the leaders. At the three-eighths pole, One Count, under a tight hold up to then, started his run, Gorman making up ground along the rail, and now Westrope gave .Royal Vale his head, and the favorite, going quite wide as Royal Vale Shows Home Folks Wares in Sussex English Horse Appears Perfect Race Tool Post Card, One Count Both Show Good Effort Lesters Clever Riding Merits High Praise he looped for home, set sail for the flying Post Card, the latter still fresh for all the hot pace and showing no sign of "coming back" to the field. AAA Running the race of his life, Post Card maintained his advantage well through the stretch, but strange as it may seem considering Post Cards lead, and the style with which he was travelings it never appeared doubtful, even for a moment, that Royal Vale would eventually catch him. One Counts challenge was not good enough. At the head of the stretch, we knew that if the Jeffords entry was to prevail, the task would be up to Post Card. Risque Houge, too, was running well up, and had never previously, to our knowledge, showed that kind of effort before. As for Count Turf, the only other starter, the closing rally that one might have expected from him never developed, his form being very dull. A furlong out, the dark brown son of Firethorn still had better than a lengths lead over Royal Vale, but the English thoroughbreds approach, out there in the middle of the strip, was steady, relentless, his extended action giving no hint of labor. Once he had drawn level with the leader, Westrope was content to hand ride the rest of the way, and he may even have been taking Royal Vale back in the final strides, or, just possibly, the tyinner may have been trying to lug in a trifle. At any rale, this head was not quite straight at the wire. Sincetthis was one of the fastest mile and a quarter ever run this side of California, the fractions are of interest, and it is worthy of note that all of them, with the exception of the last, belong to Post Card. Here then is the breakdown by quarters: :22, :23, :24, :25, :25. From where he came, Royal Vale must have sped the final two panels in 25 seconds flat, while, as we have said, he was steered quite wide entering the stretch, thereby losing the equivalent of several lengths. AAA Beaten about four lengths for it all, One. Count did not show a bad race. He may not have been quite the colt he was last fall at the time of The Jockey Club Gold Cup, but still his effort would have won almost any other renewal of the Sussex, nor should it be forgotten that this four-year-old was carrying a pound over scale. It was impossible to fault the Count Fleet colt on the score of condition. Trainer Oscar White sent One Count to the post for Saturdays stake as fit as horses come. There is a strong family resemblance between One Count and Post Card, both out of the Case Ace matron, Ace Card, and we have never considered either of them what you might term "picture horses," but One Count has now matured into a really handsome thoroughbred. The "country" look, widely commented on last season, has completely disappeared, and, for all he was carrying plenty of good hard flesh and muscle on Saturday, One Count now gives the impression of refinement. We overheard several horsemen in the paddock saying that Mrs. Jeffords 52 champion had never looked better, or as well. While we are distributing the compliments Risque Rouge should not be forgotten. Purchased recently by the North Downs Farm from Max Hirschs stable, this one was certainly a "good buy." In the colors of King Ranch, Risque Rouge was always promising to show the kind of race we saw in the Sussex, but for one reason or another his performances were consistently disappointing. Royal Vale was conced- Continued on Pnge Forty-Three ? I WEIGHING IN By EVAN SHIPMAN Continued from Page Fifty-Two ing Risque Rogue 18 pounds on the scale; and Post Card was conceding him a single pound, an arrangement that does not detract from a really sharp, well-sustained effort. AAA Secretary and handicapper Gil Haus shrewd assignment of weights certainly contributed considerably to the success of the Sussex. His ratings for the rich New-Castle Handicap, the big feature that winds up this meeting on the national holiday, were issued this morning, and they are sure to cause lively discussion between now and post time on Saturday. After placing Calumets A Gleam, who, unfortunately, will not start, at the head of the list with 129 pounds, Haus gives 127 to the Jeffords good chestnut mare, Kiss Me Kate; 122 to last years Acorn and Vosburgh Handicap winner, Parading Lady; 121 to Marta, recent winner of the Top Flight at Belmont; 120 to La Corredora and Devilkin, and 118 to Louis B. Mayers fleet Princess Lygia. The latter, however, is hardly likely to make the trip east from Chicago, the distance of this test for fillies and mares being a little farther than she likes to travel. Down on the list as far as actual weight is concerned, but very, very prominent when you take the scale for age into consideration, we find the names of the good three-year-olds, Grecian Queen, Cerise Reine, Hows Tricks and Ming Yellow. Grecian Queen has been allotted 114, or two over the scale, while Kiss Me Kates 127 is only a single pound over the scale. Cerise Reine, another who will not go, is placed at one under scale; Hows Tricks at two under, and the stretch-running gray, Ming Yellow, at four under. Our own opinion, for what it is worth, is that Haus may have been a little severe with the fillies. Grecian Queen in particular is such a little thing that the 10 furlongs will inevitably seem extra long to her before she sees the wire, but then, as we have learned this spring, it never does to discount Grecian Queens sheer courage. Still, weight is weight, and the entry at which our eye is inclined to linger on this well-graded list is that of Marta. AAA Before it slips our mind, we would like to call attention to the excellent riding of the young apprentice, Willie Lester. The Virginia boy has earned praise in this space before, but, to us, he has never looked as good as recently here at Delaware Park. Picking out a few of his rides that deserve special mention, we offer you Lesters finish with the three-year-old Khan last Thursday, his well-timed and successf stretch bid with the filly, June Fete, on Friday, and, best of all, his ably-rated trip with the three-year-old filly, Slave Girl, in the New Castle prep on the week end. The weights for the New Castle prep hardly appeared to be to Slave Girls advantage, she conceding several pounds on the scale to as good a miss as George D. Wideners four-year-old, No Score, but Lester nursed his mount along on the head end, ea.ch of his quarters being right close to :24, the result being that she had enough, more than enough, left to stave off the favorites challenge in the stretch, and Slave Girls time, mark you, was only a second off the track record for nine furlongs. That was a pretty piece of riding and if this boy continues to use his head and we might add, to keep his head he appears certain of a real future. Able youngsters with an innate sense of horsemanship are rare.
