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REFLECTIONS nelson dunstan SARATOGA, Saratoga Springs, N. Y., Aug. 21. There promises to be some brilliant racing at the major centers Saturday, but toward late afternoon everyone will be seeking news on the outcome of the American Derby at Chicago. Due to Guer-ins suspension Arcaro will ride the Vanderbilt champion and he is on the spot in more ways than one. While we believe the chances of his being beaten are remote, the famous race rider would probably be criticized if that came about. Here at Saratoga they will run the Saratoga Handicap at one and a quarter miles and with Tom Fool on the sidelines One Hitter, the little "giant killer" will substitute for him and will carry 124 pounds. From a competitive standpoint the Grand Union Hotel Stakes promises to be the days most interesting event and, even though there will be other youngsters in the race, the fans here are disappointed because it will not bring about another duel between Turn-to and Porterhouse. There has been no end of controversy since the latter was disqualified in the Saratoga Special. Despite the setback, Porterhouse appeared to be the better of the two colts, but it will take another meeting to definitely decide the issue. Porterhouse and Turn-to are two of the colts who were not knocked out of the picture due to the coughing epidemic which has raised havoc with the entire division here at Saratoga. However, it is abating and next weeks Hopeful, the most important race for juveniles here at the Spa, should see a good-sized field answering the bugle, but, as we said previously, the racing on Long Island may put an entirely different aspect on the two-year-old situation. AAA On Monday, Saratoga goes into the last week of the meeting with the Alabama to be run on Wednesday, the Racing Interest Centers on American Derby Native Dancer Will Return to Saratoga Porterhouse and Turn-to Meeting Awaited Need for Top Grass Horses This Autumn Saratoga Steeplechase Handicap on Thursday, and then on the week end the Saratoga Cup will be a secondary feature to the Hopeful. Alfred Vanderbilt told us a day or two back that it was his intention to return Native Dancer to Saratoga after the running of the American Derby. He did not say that the gray spn of Polynesian would be a starter in the Saratoga Cup next Saturday. It may be that they are waiting to see if Native Dancer has a hard race in Chicago. As the Saratoga Cup is at weight-f or-age and is at a mile and six furlongs, he would have none the worst of it even though he would likely be meeting Alerted, One Count and other members of the older ranks. Should he be a starter there is hardly a doubt that he will be given a "letup" until the running of the Sysonby or Lawrence Realization at Belmont Park. No official announcement has been made, but it is safe to say that, if the much-discussed meeting with Tom Fool comes about, it will be in the Sysonby at one mile. Not since the War Admiral-Seabiscuit match has there been such excitement over a coming race and with Tom Fool carrying 126 and Native Dancer 119 this event would draw one of the biggest throngs in the history of Belmont Park. In any event, Native Dancer has a busy schedule ahead of him in the fall and on the outcome of his meeting with Tom Fool depends Horse of the Year honors. AAA The announcement by president John D. Schapiro that the Washington, D. C, International had been boosted to 5,000, with the winner getting a flat 0,000 share, did not come as a great surprise. Last year, Laurel paid the expenses of the horse, trainer, jockey and groom that were flown here from overseas points and that naturally is a talking point in attracting these horses, as the 0,000 to the winner is clear as no expenses are involved. Wilwyn, last years winner, will not be returned here, as he is going to stud, but we doubt if they are going to have too much difficulty in obtaining two high-class horses as the English season has ended at the time this event takes place at the Maryland course. The committee of newspapermen to select the American horses that will oppose the invaders has had only one meeting -to date. They will probably meet again early in September and they are naturally hoping that the 0,000 Meadowland, to be run at Washington Park on August 29, will point out one or two who are worthy of going against the quality horses who will be sent over here from England, Ireland, France and, possibly, Germany. Then again, the American-Bred Stakes on September 16, and the 0,000 United Nations Handicap on September 26, at Atlantic City should also bring some of our good horses into the grass picture. AAA We advise anybody who is really interested in the present and future of horse racing to secure a copy, if possible, of the booklet on ;The First Roundtable Discussion on Matters Pertaining to Racing." This is an accurate report on everything that was said and we think it is a credit to The Jockey Club and other officials who did not make it a hush-hush affair, but have distributed copies to members of the press. It is probably the frankest roundtable discussion ever held in the sport and it was attended by men who have a thorough knowledge of their particular activity in racing. A few days back, we gave some review of the number one question and that was, "Is the scale of weights fair in the fall?" There Continued on Page Fifty-One ! REFLECTIONS By NELSON JDUNSTAN Continued from Poge Fifty-Six were 34 questions asked and many of them were dealt with at length. They make absorbing reading for they went far in an endeavor to get at the facts in many matters that have been controversial through the years. When Porterhouse, ridden by Eric Guerin, was disqualified in the Saratoga Special and the race awarded to Turn-to, considerable discussion followed and once again the disqualification rule came into the arguments. The disqualification rule was the last one discussed at the roundtable and there were two and a half pages of conversation regarding this very thing. AAA This disqualification rule holds good today only in New York State and Delaware. In every other state where a horse interferes with only one other horse it is left to the discretion of the stewards as to whether the offending horse should be placed second, third, or even last. Marshall Cassidy, a veteran of many years in the . stewards stand, and also one of the most noted stewards in this country, is dead set against anything other than placing the horse last. It must be that other members of The Jockey Club agree with him and we know that the New York State Racing Commission is in accord. We doubt, however, that one in ten who attend the races would be in agreement with their thoughts on this matter. There is a rule in this state which we believe is even worse than the disqualification rule, and that is where an entry, one a fine hr-se and the other a bum, to put it politely, go to the post as an odds-on choice. It actually happened right 1 here at Saratoga some four or five years ago, with the Ziegler entry, although we have forgotten the names of the horses in-, volved. The good horse of the pair and the one who caused the odds-on had to be scratched due to an injury. So the other one, who should have been 100 to one or better, went off at three to five or four to five, whatever the price may have been. Some people called it "racing luck," but we call it the nearest thing to sticking, your hand in a mans pocket. Racing officials throughout the United States wrote us in agreement and right here in New York, other officials came to say that they agreed with what we said. Nelson Dunstan is on vacation. His column will be resumed September 1.
