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j , Connors Corner By "CHUCK" CONNORS Important Question After Sysonby Selecting Horse of Year in Offing Mile Event Will Draw Many Stars SARATOGA, Saratoga Springs, N. Y., Aug. 28. In a matter of weeks, the boys conversant with racing will be called upon for their respective choices of the out- standing performers on the turf and the Horse of the Year. This all important question will not be tossed at the boys until the running of the Sysonby Mile at Belmont Park the latter part of next month. That race, barring accidents to the most talked of pair in rac ing, Native Dancer and Tom Fool, will have a direct bearing on the ultimate result. The Sysonby, heretofore something of a stepchild on the Belmont Park agenda, has this year scaled the heights of imagination and is the most talked of event when racing clans gather. The history of the Sysonby is brief, first run in 1946 as an overnight purse with Lucky Draw as the winner at set weights and again in 1950 when Arise was the winner. Armed, Citation and Capot were returned winners under weight-forage conditions and last year when Tom Fool was the winner the event was under handicap conditions.-This year it is weight-for-age plus the richest endowment in its history. Those who witnessed the 1948 running of the Sysonby, when Eddie Arcaro handled the Calumet three-year-old, Citation, pronounced the effort of the colt as the greatest of his career. Citation was well back of the leaders going: to the far turn, moved-up with a rush on the outside and at the stretch turn was well in the lead to finish with speed in reserve. That effort will be one of the yardsticks that some of the boys will apply to Native Dancer as a matter of comparison. Whether the application will be worthwhile is something else again. There was no such standout in that race as Tom Fool is today. Coaltown set a sizzling early pace for his stablemate, Citation, , and the tactics jpaid off in handsome dividends. What the strategy of Winfrey and Gaver for the running this fall will be, providing that both colts come up to the race in perfect condition, is something that is a deep stable secret. One other matter must be taken into consideration, the Sysonby -will not be a two-horse race by any stretch of imagination. A 50 grand pot for a mile sprint is an attractive lure and from comments heard here and there about the paddock, the boys are willing to take their chances racing against the two big ones. They say they have nothing to lose and all to gain, which has been the creed of horse players from the beginning of time. Anyway, the race is attracting interest and one of the most tangible is the number of requests from out-6f-towners to the Westchester Racing Association and Frank Stevens making reservations for that week-end, at this early date. Starter George Cassidy reported that one of the two starting gates that were-here for this meeting had been shipped to Aqueduct. The remaining one will be forwarded to Belmont Park some time next week. . . . Mrs., Dodge Sloane, of the Brookmeade Stable, was an early morning visitor yesterday. . . . Harry Palmer, of George Cassidys ground, forces, declined an invitation to serve as starter for the final, days of the Scarborough Downs meeting. . . . Jockey Ovie Scur-lock celebrated his fourteenth wedding anniversary on Thursday. He, in commenting on the fact, remarked that 14 years ago this day I was a single man. Jack Walker, the tobacconist from Miami Beach, showed up f or his annual Saratoga Springs vacation. He reported that the new clubhouse at Hialeah is nearing completion. . . . Tom Sullivan arrived from Buffalo, N. Y., in quest of racing material for a fall and winter campaign. . . . Dr. J. G. Catlett, of the veterinarian staff, left for New York to consult Dr. Kaye. The vet showed up with a bad case of virus. . . . Joe Blume, one of the veterans of the old days - in bookmakers row, died at a home for the blind in New York, according to advices received here. Blume was in his seventy-eighth year and had been associated with Continued m Page Fttiy-On ! Connors Corner By C. J. CONNORS Continued from Page Four racing for more than a half century until his retirement. . . . Roger McDermott, the last of the faro bank players and turf advisor to Dr. J. P. Jones from Virginia, celebrates his seventy-fifth natal day today. Well, according to the figures, he has a shot at the Daily Double. . . . McKenzie Miller, of Lexington, Ky., arrived today and took over the training chores of the Saxon Stable. He succeeds Yorky McLeod, who tendered his resignation some time back. The Jamaica stake nomination blanks are available here. The offerings close on September 15. . . . Dan Chappell left for his Miami, Fla., home, but promised to be back for the running of the Syson-by at Belmont Park next month. . . . The final draft of the Rokeby Stable tind Mrs. Esther duPont Weir horses were shipped to Belmont Park today. Royal Vale, who bucked in California, is training for the Sysonby Mile as his major objective of that meeting. . . . Ed Donohue, of Saratoga Springs, was named track superintendent for the winter months at Columbia, S. C. He will take over his duties on October 1. Hedley Woodhouse will ride Combat Boots, owned by the Putnam Stable, in the Aqueduct Handicap on Monday. . . . Johnny Theall received word from Joe W. Brown of New Orleans, La., that he will be in New York for the Sysonby Mile and a week or so of racing. . . . Pipette, owned by John Barry Ryan, will be mated to Counterpoint next spring. Owner Ryan is at Newport, R. I., but will be back in the regular ranks with the opening of the New York season. . . .Harry LaMontagne, whose horses were shipped to Belmont Park by trainer Bill Post, deserted the local scene for the year. . . . Fred Parks, of the official family, hied himself to Aqueduct to be on hand for the anticipated flood of entries for the opening day. Trainer Ed Holtoh has taken second call on the services of jockey C. OBrien for the Aqueduct meeting. . . . Royce Martin, master of Woodvale Farm, has branched out as an author; He has some interesting items in a national magazine on the news stands for September. . . . Trainer Syl Veitch will ship the final draft of the C. V. Whitney horses to Belmont Park tomorrow. Owner Whitney planed over today for the running of the Saratoga Cup from his Adirondack lodge. The annual dinner of the New York Racing Association girls was held at the Excelsior Springs Hotel last night. Previous to the devouring of the goodies, a cocktail party was tossed by Mrs. Marjorie James at her local home. The girls present for the fourth annual affair were: Mary Denham, telephone operator; Patricia Pfeiffer, secretary, Saratoga Association; Martha Mis-cho, Mr. Cassidys secretary; Peggy Keilus, Mr. OGradys secretary; Edna Dwyer, nurse, Saratoga Association; Marjorie James, nurse, Saratoga Association; Eleanor Farrell, nurse, Saratoga Association; Helen Ryan, nurse, New York Racing Associations.
