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Painting by Allen F Brewer Jr JrNATIVE NATIVE DANCER The gray son of PolynesianGeisha winner of 18 out of 19 starts takes up 126 pounds in his seasonal bow this afternoon in the Com ¬ mando Purse at Belmont Park Native Dancer Returns to Turf M Wars Roman Warbler Gains Another Win Marks Champions First Start Since American Derby Tally Vanderbilt Gray to Engage Laffango Seven Others in SixFurlong Commando Purse PurseBy By BOB HORWOOD HORWOODStaff Staff Correspondent BELMONT PARK Elmont L I N Y May 6 Fridays Belmont Park feature might well be titled The Gray Ghost Re ¬ turns Actually it is the sixfurlong Com ¬ mand Purse an overnight allowance event with a 15000 purse This event however signals the return to racing of Alfred G Vanderbilts champion gray colt Native Dancer who has been on the sidelines since he won the American Derby at Wash ¬ ington Park last August for his eighteenth victory in 19 starts Stone bruises of the sort which this year kept Porterhouse out of the Kentucky Derby and other spring stakes sent Native Dancer into retirement almost on the eve of what would have been an epic encounter with Tom Fool in the Sysonby Mile MileLittle Little Left to 1953 Sophomore Class ClassWhen When announcing Native Dancers tem ¬ porary retirement last September Vander ¬ bilt said that he hoped to race the son of Polynesian this season as he had left some questions unanswered Because of Continued on Page Five NATIVE DANCERS FINAL APPEARANCE OF 1953 The Vanderbilt gray champion with Eddie Arcaro up is shown crossing the wire in the American Derby at Washington Park two lengths ahead of James Cox Bradys Landlocked who in turn was a length and a quarter before H C Fruehaufs Precious Stone on August 22 Native Dancer won 66500 in this outing and ran the mile and oneeighth in 148 only a fiftfi of a second off the track record Shortly after this effort the Polynesian colt suffered stone bruises and was retired for the season Native Dancer Back ToTurfWarsToday ToTurfWarsTodayVanderbilt Vanderbilt Gray to Engage Laffango Seven Others in SixFurlong Commando Purse PurseContinued Continued from Page One Onethe the weakness of the sophomore crop of 1953 after injuries had eliminated Dark Star Straight Face and Laffango early in the season there was little left to test Native Dancers class and many of his victories were what is known as hollow hollowThe The Commando is not expected to answer many questions beyond offering proof that Native Dancer retains his health soundness and a degree of speed His chief rival Friday appears to be Trio Stables Laffango who was beaten inches by White Skies the reigning eastern sprint champion in the Paumonok Handicap but followed that promising effort by finishing third to Marcador and Golden Gloves in an overnight mile and a sixteenth then could finish no better than tenth in the Jamaica Handicap at a mile and a fur ¬ long Even assuming that he has regained his form it is not easy to drop back from distance races to a sixfurlong dash though sprinting appears to be Laffangos forte forteSlightly Slightly more than a year ago Native Dancer and Laffango were to have met at level weights in the Gotham Stakes but that event was split and each colt won a division with Laffagos end being a fifth faster Friday Native Dancer is required to carry 126 pounds to 121 on the Errard colt who will break from the inside post position Eric Guerin of course will pilot Native Dancer who starts from number 5 while Eugene Rodriguez will be on Laf ¬ fango fangoAll All seven of the others opposing Native Dancer and Laffango Friday are stakes winners and a couple might be dangerous on their best form and at Fridays weights The richest of the group is Hampton Stables Alerted who gets in with 113 pounds but this son of Bull Lea is not suited by the distance and appears tired of racing racingValley Valley Farms Impasse who also carries 113 pounds could be considerably more dangerous though he has not started since finishing unplaced in the Widener at Hia leah The Contradiction gelding was also unplaced after a rough trip in the McLen ¬ nan but before that won the sevenfurlong Royal Palm Handicap impressively Im ¬ passe has been training cleverly at Aque ¬ duct recently going threequarters in 1 15 with Jimmy Nichols his regular rider in the saddle saddleEternal Eternal Will Also Away Long Time TimeAnother Another who has been away a long time but is training very well is Mrs Wallace Gilroys Eternal Will This son of Eternal Bull is at his best when fresh winning his only start as a twoyearold then winning the Hibiscus Stake in his first start last year Eternal Will who will be ridden by Hedley Woodhouse was taken sick at Sara ¬ toga last summer but has looked fitter and faster than ever in recent mornings morningsThe The only recent winner in the Com ¬ mando field is Mrs Charles Silvers Ruth red 113 who will be coupled with Silver Gale Stables Combat Boots who has the same burden Ruthred scored a surprise victory here last week under 108 pounds beating such useful sprinters as Hyphasis Game Chance and FlyLo while Alerted and the highly regarded threeyearold Artismo were also in that field Combat Boots finished a tiring ninth in the Eight Thirty Handicap at one mile on April 27 but had turned in a series of good middle distance races at Gulfstream Park before shipping North He had abundant early speed in all of those races racesThe The Commando field in completed by Phantom Farms Nullify 113 and J W Nizleks Count Cain 108 including the ap ¬ prentice allowance claimed for Bob Stovall Nullifys best race this year was a lucky second behind Trick Pilot in a race in which the favored Bold Man was left at the post Count Cain who turned in many fine races in Florida after being claimed for 10000 at Jamaica last fall finished fourth in the Alpha Purse over seven fur ¬ longs of grass last out The Count Fleet fouryearold had speed enough to lead a quarter mile from home in that event eventNative Native Dancer looms a shortpriced choice Friday perhaps as short as 1 to 4 Any doubts as to his condition were set ¬ tled this morning when the big gray sped a half in 46 in handy style drawing away easily from the pacemaking Crash Dive Fridays race is a prep for the 30000 Metropolitan Mile Handicap on May 15 in which The Dancer may be opposed by Royal Vale who last forced Tom Fool to a photo in the same stake stakeFollowing Following his retirement last September Native Dancer was sent to Vanderbilts Continued on Page FortyOne Native Dancer Back in Action In Belmont Sprint Test Today TodayContinued Continued from Page Five FiveSagamore Sagamore Farm at Glyndon Md where he was under the care of Ralph Kercheval After a good winter in Maryland the big fellow returned to barn 80 at Belmont Park at the same time that the active Vanderbilt string returned from Santa Anita He has been training as though ready for a good race for several weeks Native Dancers tentative schedule calls for him to follow the Metropolitan with appearances in the Suburban and Brooklyn Last year Tom Fool became the first horse since Whisk Broom IE 40 years earlier to win this triple and the Green tree fouryearold sandwiched a record performance in the sevenfurlong Carter Handicap between the Suburban and Brooklyn If Native Dancer follows the same pattern he will probably meet White Skies in the Carter Last year he won the Gotham without the benefit of a prep race then captured the Wood and suffered his only defeat in the Kentucky Derby when beaten inches by Dark Star That lone blot on his record was followed by victories in the Withers Preakness Belmont Stakes Dwyer Arlington Classic Travers and American Derby
