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JUDGES STAND By CHARLES HATTON PIMLICO Baltimore Md May 6 As one who savors racing on idealistic levels the gracious charm of tracks mellowed by time and Maryland scenery in the spring it is a genuine pleasure to be back at Pim lico for the opening of the Preakness meeting We believe Oscar Otis who observed not long ago that each track has an atmosphere peculiarly its own Pimlicos is a quiet simply dignity and rusticity The pace is leisured as if everyone is deriving the maximum pleasure from every moment of the days sport The late Damon Run yon used to like going racing here and delighted Matt Daiger with a piece he wrote opposing an improvement program which never got completed that would have made Pimlico look like any other brassy new track As we understand the feeling of Marylanders they appreciate modern conveniences except they want them incorporated hi the architecture of the stands and clubs without sacrificing the old familiar lines of the exteriors This takes a bit of doing but general manager John Jackson achieved it in the Old Clubhouse which has become a landmark of the American turf not unlike the twin spires atop the stands at Church Downs Pimlico simply exudes tradition from every wooden staircase and gable It is something almost tangible enough to stumble over We can report that when the gates open for the f irst program patrons will find all these physical and sentimental attri ¬ butes of the Maryland Jockey Club course happily intact The racing itself at this meet will have the same good class of horses that performed at Bowie plus some big names from New York and Kentucky shipping here for Saturdays Dixie the BlackEyed Susan and the famed Preakness Pimlico Shines Traditions for Opener Fans Will Find Old Park Pleasant as Ever Withers Result Relates to Preakness Opinions Will Differ on Best 3YearOld The Dixie Handicap is antique as Pimlico itself both beginning in 1870 As this is written we cannot guess the cast but it will be representative It always has been from the days of Harry Basseit Tom Ochiltree and Han ¬ over to Royal Vale the winner last spring In years gone by it has been decided at distances ranging from a mile and threesixteenths to two miles The new management has foreshortened it to a mile and a furlong which should have the effect of enlarging the fields It may be that Royal Vale will attempt to emulate Sarazen and win a second consecutive Dixie on Saturday He has run some shocking bad races but it took a Tom Fool to down him going in his best form and he obviously is fond of the going here on the Hilltop This Saturday will contain something of interest for Baltimoreans up at Belmont Park and those on hand for the Dixie will be eager for news of the Withers result For some of the field in that mile will come on for the Preakness Due here momentari ¬ ly from Churchill Downs is Robert Sidney Lytles Cor ¬ relation who one feels sure can be much more formidable than he was in the Derby Unless some colt runs affully big in New York in the interim Correlation will have a great deal of support to repudiate the form of the Louis ¬ ville race should he perchance start here hereA A A A AIt It is wonderful how just when people despair of the contemporary performers racing develops one who com ¬ mands their respect and admiration When Turnto and Porterhouse were withdrawn from the Derby those of good critical taste were skeptical of the quality of the re ¬ maining probables Determine then proved in the Trial and the Derby a genuine smasher There was no need to strain ones sense of values to accept him as a classic horse for he could not have been more convincing Now that he has quit the eastern racing scene leaving the Preakness to other candidates we have no doubt another will emerge who richly deserves the crowds plaudits For last season developed a bumper crop of truly highclass colts Arid if misfortune likes a shining mark there still are in this area Artisino Porterhouse Correlation and perhaps one or two others who might in a more moder ¬ ate generation be outstanding Turf devotees all we think share Harry Guggenheims disappointment that Turnto the wonderful Irish colt could not fill more of his threeyearold engagement But that is racing luck and we may hope that in the stud he will give the sport performers comparable to himself This observer did not see his Florida races however friends whose opinions in these matters merit complete confidence assure us that in their sheer brilliance they were unsurpassed even by the performances Citation gave at Hialeah Park Had he stood he was no doubt going to be one of the ones and in a season graced by many good threeyearolds It is going to be interesting to mark what the experts make of him at the close of the year when time comes to vote on the leaders in the different divisions Some will contend he forfeited his candidacy as a consequence of his early retirement Others are always going to feel that he was incontestably the best horse and therefore entitiled to the laurels Still others will be more impressed by the form of Determine or some colt yet to assert himself It is an extraordinary almost unique situation And it lends an anContinued Continued on Page Twelve JUDGES STAND STANDBy By CHARLES HATTON Continued from Page FortyEight FortyEightextra extra fillip of interest to proceedings in the threeyearold division Turf ana In the Beargrass breeding sec ¬ tion there is a sire who has attained an unexpected value Billy Reynolds Desert Ration own brother to Koubis dam of De ¬ termine Has been represented by two win ¬ ners at the Downs meet John Hertz gained an able aide de camp in the market ¬ ing of his yearlings when employing Charles Kenney Llangollen has five Endeavour II fillies in the CCA Oaks Al Lavin now is a breeder with a sturdy Ky Colonel colt from a Discovery mare Daisies will be disguished with shoe polish as black eyes susans in the floral tribute to the Preakness winner Tom OReilly who was shocked when he discovered that Marylanders make mint juleps with rye might be more alarmed that in England they are made with ginv Many Douglas Parktrained horses are winning at the Downs Nick Shuk perennial riding fa ¬ vorite in Maryland is to be active at this meeting The race course here appears in splendid condition this spring Jack OKeeffe devotes his promotional talents to the Ohio Derby following the Preakness Finds form gave the ThistleDown revival some tone
