Native Dancer Against Field in 00,000 American Derby: Eight Face Champion and His Running Mate, Beachcomber, Daily Racing Form, 1953-08-22

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Native Dancer Against Field In 00,000 American Derby, Eight Face Champion and His Running Mate, Beachcomber Sensational Vanderbilt Colt, Striving for Eighteenth Score Of Illustrious Career, Carries 128 Pounds at Washington; Landlocked, Van Crosby, Sir Mango and Stan Go Postward y By J. J. MURPHY WASHINGTON PARK, Homewood, 111., Aug. 21. Native Dancer and his stable companion, Beachcomber, will be very short-priced favorites to win the American Derby here Saturday. Of course, The Dancer, who now has 77,420 in earnings to his credit, is the main dependence of the Vanderbilt stable, and should the entire field of 10 go postward, he will add 8,500 to that amount, should he win, and pull ever closer to Armed, the third horse on the list of money-winning thoroughbreds of all time. Armed earned 17,-475 during his career. Native Dancer will be ridden by a jockey other than Eric Guerin for the first time. With Guerin serving out a suspension inflicted at Saratoga, Eddie Arcaro, Americas premier rider, will have the mount. Arcaro, who has been suffering from a swollen ankle, took Friday off to rest up for the big event. Inasmuch as Native Dancer is adjudged the finest three-year-old to appear on the American turf in many years, his appearance alone is enough to insure at least several thousand patrons more than would ordinarily attend a Saturday of racing at this plant. It is believed that a crowd of about 35,000 will pass through the turnstiles. The Derby will gross 14,600 with 10 starters, and second money will be 5,-000, with 2,500 to third, and ,500 to fourth. Beachcomber has a good chance to earn some of that money. Beachcomber was unraced at two and has won five of his eight starts this year. He won a division of the Select Handicap at Monmouth and in his last start was fourth in the Choice Stakes, also at Monmouth. That race was taken by Landlocked, who will be a starter in the Derby. Highest Weight He Has Eyer Shouldered Native Dancer will be making his nineteenth start, and his tenth as a three-year-old. He was unbeaten in nine starts last year and his only defeat this season came when he finished second to Dark Star in the Kentucky Derby. His last success was in the Travers at Saratoga and prior to that he was an easy winner of the Classic at Arlington. The Polynesian colt, who will break from No. 4 stall in the one and one-eight miles race, will carry 128 pounds, heaviest he has ever been called upon to handle. The previous tops was 126 pounds. The Dancer arrived at this track last Tuesday and since that time his every Painting by Allen F. Brewer, Jr. NATIVE DANCER Magnet that will attract crowd of 35,000 or more to Washington Park today. move has been followed with great interest. He recently breezed a fine fix furlongs in -1:01 with Arcaro in the saddle for the first time, and the Italian reinsman was lavist in his praise of the colt after dismounting. Arcaro welcomed the chance to ride the Vanderbilt gray as the horse has beaten thoroughbreds ridden by Eddie eight times this season. Arcaro was booked to ride Jami K. but was free to accept the mount on Native Dancer when the Spring Hill Farm Stable racer was withdrawn. Opposing the Vanderbilt pair will be Continued on Page Three Native Dancer and Nine Others Entered For $ 7 00 ,000 American Derby Renewal Beachcomber to Accompany Gray Champion Postward in Washington Park Headliner Continued from Page One Precious Stone, owned by "Harvey Frue-hauf; Platan and Stan, from the Hasty House Farm string; Ace Destroyer, owned by Mr. and Mrs. T. M. Daniel; Van Crosby, owned by the Duntreath Farm Stable of Perne Grissom; Landlocked, ow ned by James Cox Brady; Mrs. Osmer S. Demings Thaxter; and Sir Mango, owned by Harry N. Eads. Landlocked, who will carry second high weight of 120 pounds, is a stranger to Chicago racegoers, but the son of Priam n. has compiled a creditable record in the East. He has stated 11 times this year and won three races, including the Lamplighter Handicap and Choice Stakes at Monmouth Park. He was second to Dictar, recent runner-up to Native Dancer in the Travers, in the Providence Stakes and second to Jamie K. in the Leonard Richards Stakes alTDelaware Park. Landlocked will be ridden by John Heckmann. Stans First Effort on Dirt Track Stan, an English colt, will be making his first start on a dirt track. He was a stakes winner in his native land, and on his first appearance in this country won a grass race at Arlington. Next time out at the same course he was rather unlucky to lose to Guy when the latter sneaked through next the inner hedge near the end, and last time out he won the Grassland Handicap here from a good field. His stable companion, Platan, has started 17 times I this season and taken two purses, both allowance races. He was second in the Peabody Prep and Peabody Memorial, third in the Warren Wright,, and third in the Sheridan Handicap. Last time out he was third here in a race won by Sir Mango. Stan, to be ridden by John Adams, will carry 117, and Platan, with Eldon Nelson up, will have 114. Sir Mango, with 114 pounds and Dave Erb up, is generally regarded as the second choice. The brown son of Gilded Knight seldom turns in a poor effort. Last year he took the Hyde Park Stakes, and this season was second to Van Crosby in the latters record-equaling effort in the Warren Wright; was third to Royal Bay Gem in the Peabody Memorial and second to Native Dancer in the Arlington Classic. Sir Mango was a clever winner over a good field here last Monday. He has started 19 times this year and had three wins and five seconds. "Sir Mango wont have any excuses if we hav.e a fast track, and there is a possibility that he wont need any. He is ready for the race of his life," said his owner. Ace Destroyer Likes Mud Ace Destroyer has shown more of a liking for mud than for a fast racing strip. He was badly beaten by Sir Mango on a fast track last time out, but prior to that administered a trouncing to the Eads colt on an "off" track in the Sheridan Handicap, which he won. Ace Destroyer will be ridden by Ken Church. Van Crosby, co-holder with Clang of the seven-furlong track record afr Arlington Park, will probably make the pace. This is one of the fastest colts in training, but the Derby distance may present quite a problem for him. "He was recently second to Cyclotron in the seven-furlong Clang Handicap here and finished in front of I Mark-Ye-Well and Crafty Admiral, two "name" horses who were having their first outings in some time. Van Crosby will be ridden by Steve Brooks and will carry 114 pounds. Precious Stone, with W. M. Cook up, and Thaxter, with Ronnie Baldwin up, are regarded as the outsiders in the field. The supporting feature on the big Sat- urday wiU be the 0,000-added Prairie Stake Stakes for two-year-olds, and 19 fine youngsters have been entered. There will be three couplings in the race. Hasty House Farm has named Hasty Road, the Arlington Futurity winner, and Sea O Erin; Green Acres Farms Mr. Prosecutor, second in the Futurity, will be coupled with R. Lancasters O Hogan, and Clifford Lusskys Tuosix goes as an entry with Jaie-Shers Pointing Star. Eddie Arcaro will ride Hasty Road. Tuosix has been second in the Primer, the Hyde Park and the George Woolf. Homestake, winner of the George Woolf; Rex Ellsworths Fast Calif ornian, El Drag, are others in the large field. The race will follow the American Derby on the bill. First post time for Saturday will be 1:45 p. m. BENJAMIN F. LINDHEIMER Washington Park executive director who has played a prominent role inthe building of the American Derby to its present preeminent position.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1953082201/drf1953082201_1_2
Local Identifier: drf1953082201_1_2
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800