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CONNORS CORNER By Chuck Connors BELMONT PARK Elmont L L N Y May 3 The fog rolled in during the night from somewhere maybe the Atlantic can and later in the morning the rains came and Belmont Park was turned into a dreary racing ground The members of the pad ¬ dock gang hopelessly tried to bore holes into the deep enveloping fog and pick out some horses that were tested on the strip but their eagle eyes reported no dice All they could see was a few phantoms looming up at the eighth pole flashing on to the finish line and then that was alL In the meantime the boys discussed the Derby and what effect it would have on the rodeos to be staged during the summer the mishaps to Correlation the gameness of Determine the failure of Fisherman the lack of luck for Arcaro and a few other mouthfuls of racing trivia gleaned from here and there The return of turf racing was discussed pro and con 4 A A ATaking Taking a long range viewpoint the boys were of the opinion th the grass sport would improve in the future Their reason ¬ ing was based on the tote handle which was 388414 which when analyzed and broken down was good The boys and girls had no real line on the abilities of the starters except those who performed at Hialeah over the grass and they conceded that taking everything into consideration the take was more than adequate The next race over the turf is slated for de ¬ cision on Monday May 10 This event under handicap conditions is ut seven fur ¬ longs and from a cursory survey a good field is in prospect Grass racing is in the experimental stage at Belmont Park and if Saturday can be used as a criterion the turf events will be counted among the highlights of a program in the future futureA A A A AThis This week Belmont offers some interest ¬ ing racing which will be climaxed on Sat ¬ urday by the Withers This event may riot attract the ones on whom the tub thump ¬ ers had banked to ballyhoo to the skies skiesTrainer Trainer Charlie Whittingham was not too sanguine that Llangollen Farms Por ¬ terhouse would face the starter while the grapevine had it that James Cox Bradys Belmont Turf Race Proves Popular Handle on Event Quite Adequate Porterhouse May Not Seek Withers WithersArtismo Artismo did not come out of his last race scot free Trainer Bobby Dotter reported reportedthat that he got jumped on in his last start but fortunately was lucky The injury was a glancing blow just missing the tendon but from present appearances he will be ready for his weekend engagement A A A AJockey Jockey Con Errico is a patient at the Muhlenberg Hospital Plainfield N J where he will undergo a back operation this week Trainer Bob Odom who is an absentee from his training chores since his arrival from Florida was admitted to a Long Island hospital for observation and treatment Leon Jake Swirbul of the State Racing Commission made his first appearance of the meeting following his arrival from Florida Charlie Mc Adam the syndicate man newspapers that is showed up and reported that he is convalescing from the virus Herbert Bayard Swope came out to witness the return of grass racing after an absence of many years The racing clans ex ¬ pressed sympathy over the passing of Royce G Martin in a Lexington Ky hos ¬ pital on Saturday from a heart attack He was a recent New York visitor and at that time said he would be back for the run ¬ ning of the Withers WithersA A A A AAshley Ashley T Cole chairman of the N Y Racing Commission passed up the Derby for the local scene as did W C Langley also a member of the commission Frank J Heller of the Lester Manor Stable was on hand for the big week end Jockey Charlie OBrien canceled his mounts for the afternoon He reported ill via phone Pat Farrell racing secretary at Arlington and Washington Parks showed up this morning on missionary work for those two meetings Trainer Eddie Neloy came on from Louisville the hard way He loaded Black Metal and Fas ¬ cinator on a plane Sunday bound for Idle wild and Belmont Park The trip started off in an auspicious manner but nearing New Jersey the fog moved in The airports at Newark Idlewild La Guardia and Phil ¬ adelphia were closed down The pilot fol ¬ lowing that old bromide that discretion is the better antidote shot back westward and landed near Harrisburg Pa Neloy came on by train and the horses will come on later by train Jockeys Eddie Ar ¬ caro Bill Boland and Conn McCreary re ¬ turned from their stints in the Derby DerbyA A A A AJockey Jockey Willie Shoemaker canceled his eastern trip and headed for Bay Meadows and that meeting to ride Jockey Eric Guerin who rode at Garden State on Sat ¬ urday returned to accept mounts today Trainer Johnny Theall returned to Aque ¬ duct and stated that Mel Leavitt was due in some time this afternoon James Cox Brady spent the week end at Garden State where he was represented by a couple of starters Joseph M Roebling the Tren ¬ ton N J owner and breeder was on hand for the afternoon Trainer Syl Veitch checked in from Louisville during the afternoon Fisherman and Small Favor are being returned east by train Jockey Hed ley Woodhouse 4 showed up and accepted mounts during the afternoon afternoonA A A A ATrainer Trainer Morris Dixon reported that Lord Willin Arthur Godfreys twoyearold is training along steadily He was named for the Juvenile to be decided next week No indication of the future of the horses owned by the late Royce G Martin and the Woodvale Farm was obtainable here during the morning A partnership in several of the horses was registered by Martin and Mrs Alton Jones of the Cities Service Oil Company Jockey Jess Higley who suffered minor injuries when thrown from Sergeant Black at Aqueduct on Saturday resumed riding this afternoon Eugene Constantin who has a pretentious menage here with Clyde Troutt plans to check in later from his Dallas Tex home for part of this meeting meetingA A A A AHarry Harry LaMontagne plans his usual European trip this summer At present he has no horses campaigning in France Mr and Mrs John A Morris showed up for the big week end Track superintendent Neil Boyle stated that the surveys for the location of escalators has not been com ¬ pleted Additional tally counts will be con ¬ ducted during the meeting The plans call for the installation of ten escalators six in the grandstand area and four in the club ¬ house Charles Cohen of the Charfran Stable reported that Cecil Howard who is coming on from California to take over the training chores is due here on Tuesday
