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JUDGES STAND y charleshatton WASHINGTON PARK, Home-wood, HI., Aug. 20. This was a sunny, languorous morning on the Homewood prairie, and we improved the time by visiting Bill Winfrey to look in on the turf and TV celebrity, Native Dancer, in the American Derby favorites dressing room behind the scenes. The bankers gray winner of 77,420 has just breezed a clever five furlongs, by way of preparing for Saturdays history-making mile and an eighth, and of becoming acquainted with Eddie Arcaro. There is a temptation here to pun that he never before saw Arcaro, though the noted jockey has seen a great deal of him, if from a somewhat disadvantageous angle. As the Cincinnatian remarked, the Sagamofean does not appear to have "drifted" much in weight during his campaign. A big colt of 16.1, he eats like a growing boy; two racks of timothy daily and all the grain Winfrey will give him, which is 10 quarts. Actually, he has not exerted himself much since the Classic, for the Travers was only a breeze. His ankles, which looked shocking in the spring, now are almost normal in size and Arcaro observed they are much smaller than he fancied they would be, adding, "He certainly looks grand." Winfrey remarked, "We think of him as sound and no longer concern ourselves about them. Nice horse to have around. He is very versatile and he couldnt be more obedient, in fact, seems to try to anticipate what you wish of him." Winfrey now is look-- ing beyond the American Derby. Indications are the Sy-- sonby Mile will mark his next appearance under the cerise and white diamonds. At least two other clubs, one in New Jersey, would like to bring the gray and Tom Fool together at nine furlongs, and a purse of-00,000 is mentioned, but, up to now, these proposals have not progressed beyond the conversational stage of wishful thinking. Winfrey supposes that his charge will race four Dancer Ready for American Derby New ThistleDown Facilities Big Time Gushens Views on Distribution Sound Washington Meet Arrives at Finals or five more times this season, if all goes well. And we gather that while he and Vanderbilt have not discussed it at length, The Dancer may be retired to the stud at the end of this season, if he sets the seal of his greatness in fall engagements, regardless of where he finishes on the money-winning list. "He would, then have done all one can ask of a horse," Winfrey observed. Of the prospective encounter with Tom Fool, the trainer said, "I know people think the Sysonby virtually permits Tom Fool to call the turn. But I must have confidence in my colt, from what I have seen him do, and I am taking nothing from the Greentree horse." AAA It was our pleasure several days ago in Cleveland to accompany Lou Pondfield on a tour of the new ThistleDown. The stand that is to be unveiled September 11 frankly was a revelation. Because its actual seating capacity is less than 6,000, we were quite-unprepared to see anything so elaborate. It has seven levels, is 230 feet deep and reflects the most advanced architectural thought and finesse in race track structures, complete to escalators, elevators, island mutuels and sweeping ramps. There is a dining terrace a la Atlantic Citys, a cafeteria and "tote" lines a la Garden State Parks, a number of broad mezzanines, and the entrance was suggested by Hollywood Parks. "If we had this at Pimlico," Pondfield observed, "we could easily handle 50,000. 1 feel confident that in due course the normal week-end crowds here will be between 20,000 and 25,000." We expect that the plant is bound to look a bit incomplete still on opening day, but work on the essential details in progressing on schedule, and the crowds will find it a comfortable, modern stand in the time-mellowed, picturesque setting of old ThistleDown. The roster of features includes the 5,000 Ohio Derby, October 10, and the 5,000 ThistleDown Cup on October 24. Some of the same policies which has been instrumental in improving the quality of Pimlico programs will be applied to ThistleDowns operation. The better overnighters will be programmed if they draw entrants representing as many as five different interests, and if any fail to fill, they will be rewritten and offered several days later. AAA . Irving Goshen, new head of J;he HBPA, was in the Midlands recently and we were interested to have his views on matters of racing in general, and distribution-wise in particular. They seemed to us sound, though perhaps that is because in most instances they concurred with our own. For example, Gushen personally does not believe a nationwide percentage of purses to play feasible, would like to see a sharper graduation of overnight purses, and feels that two-year-old are entitled to compete for purses that are above the minimum. Much is made in the present day of "better purses for better horses." This is as it should be, of course. But the graduation still does not differentiate sufficiently between ,500, 0,000 and allowance performers. Associations now are vying to offer 00,000 events, and it is perfectly understandable why those having the dates and locale of Santa Anita, Hialeah, Arlington and Washington should do so. At the same time we have a notion the shortest cut to presenting sport of high tone and quality throughout a meeting is to broaden distribution in the overnighters. The ques- Continued on Page TUirty-Nine JUDGES STAND By CHARLES HATTON Continued front Page Forty-Eight . tion in contemporary racing is not so much the total distribution as the way in which it is distributed. AAA The American Derby marks the beginning of a period of stakes racing here at Homewood that is a climax of the 1953 sea- - son. There are seven valuable features in the final 14 days of the meeting, and they will show Chicagoahs most of Americas outstanding performers. The nations number one TV star, Native Dancer, will be "the magnet that attracts" in the Derby, of course. And some of the better two-year-olds will be on view in the Prairie State Stakes, its companion feature. On next Wednesday, there is the 0,000 Princess Pat for two-year-old fillies. This six furlongs is followed on Saturday, August 29, by the Meadowland, of 0,000 added, and a mile and three -sixteenths on the turf, perhaps bringing out again Mark-Ye-Well. The best of the local fillies and mares meet for 5,000 in the Beverly on September 2. And on the Labor Day week end. there are Saturdays 5,000 added Washington Park Futurity and Mondays 00,000 Washington Park Handicap. This last-mentioned stake could have the classiest handicap field assembled anywhere this season, with Tom Fool, Mark-Ye-Well and Crafty Admiral among, the possibilities. Tom Fool is a brilliant, not to -say a great miler. He has made such a shambles of the New York handicap division one club has cheapened the prospective field for a stake to exclude him. But he is more than welcome here, and such as Mark-Ye-Well and Crafty Admiral will try to accommodate him. One might call these last two weeks at Homewood the "finals" of the summer season. AAA Turf ana: Fred Burton tells us Keeneland plans a ,000 feature daily, except for October 17 and 24, when the Alcibiades and Breeders Futurity will be decided. . . . The addition to the Keeneland stand necessitated a relocation of the finish line. The Beard course becomes a run of seven furlongs and 184 feet. There will be no mile and a sixteenth events. . . . Willie Pool rode a horse named First Mission 25 years ago, and another animal of the same name recently appeared at Randall Park. . . . Among the 60 eligibles for the Ohio Derby are Darby Dans expensive filly, Ladybreath; T. C. Melroses recent winner, Governor Van, and C. B. Fishbachs Fast Charger, runner-upper in the Youthful. . . . ThistleDown has rebuilt most of its stables, with concrete block firewalls and tack rooms. Some horses will be sta- bled at Randall. . . . Royal Bay Gem is an Ohio Derby prospect. . . . Owner-trainer Marzani, who ran Red Flush in Randalls recent Parma, rode his first winner through-the-field. on a horse called Parma. It would be nice if we could tell you Red Flush won. . . . There is a question in some quarters if Arcaros ankle is not larger than The Dancers. . . . The American Derby will not be on TV after all.
