Thirteen Seek International Chase; Native Dancer Wins With Authority: Champion Chalks Up Tally No. 19; Vanderbilt Gray Never Feels Whip as He Defeats Laffango Over Length in Seasons Bow, Daily Racing Form, 1954-05-08

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Thirteen Seek International Chase Native Dancer Wins With Authority Champion Chalks Up Tally No 19 19Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Gray Never Feels Whip as He Defeats Laffango Over Length in Seasons Bow BowBELMONT BELMONT PARK Elmont L I N Y May 7 Picking up where he left off last August Alfred G Vanderbilts Native Dancer had to put in only one brisk move approaching the stretch in the Commando Purse today to dispose of six rivals with the authority expected of a champion With Eric Guerin sitting still as the crowd burst into a spontaneous ripple of applause Native Dancer coasted to the finish of the six furlongs a length and a quarter before Trio Stables Laffango who led Valley Farms Impasse by a neck It was another neck back to Silver Gale Stables Combat Boots BootsAn An overwhelming choice with the crowd of 21792 Native Dancer paid 230 as he breezed to his nineteenth victory in a career of 20 starts His time was a moder ¬ ate 111 over a fast track but there is no way of telling how fast the son of Polynesian might have gone had he been urged Guerin never touched him with his stick and had only to move his hands to take command then scrubbed intermit ¬ tently through the final furlongs as his rivals struggled desperately under whip hand and heel behind him himHas Has Grown Considerably Since Last Year YearNative Native Dancer drew a gallery of atten ¬ tive owners trainers and turf writers while he was being saddled and responded to the attention by rearing as though deter ¬ mined to kick the electric light bulb hang ¬ ing at the front of the stall The big gray has evidently grown bodily since last year as the girth that trainer Bill Winfrey first tried proved to be too small and he had to be saddled a second time The throng in the walking ring was as large and as dis ¬ tinguished as turns out for a Belmont Stakes StakesDespite Despite Native Dancers immense popu ¬ larity the crowd was only 704 persons larger than turned out for last Fridays card which was staged in similar clear slightly chilly weather weatherAfter After the race Guerin said that The Dancer was a little nervous and anxious at atContinued Continued on Page FiftyTwo Victory No 19 For The Dancer DancerVanderbilt Vanderbilt Gray Never Feels Whip as He Defeats Laffahgo Over Length in Seasons Bow BowContinued Continued from Page One Onethe the gate but added the race should quiet him down I didnt hit him merely tapped him on the shoulder to kep him going in the last few strides stridesHedley Hedley Woodhouse who finished last on Eternal Will said They went thataway thatawayBefore Before the race Vanderbilt told an Eng ¬ lish visitor that if Native Dancer continues to race well he will probably be sent to England to race at Ascot Vanderbilt has pointed out that several American races which until this year were weightforage events such as the Whitney Stakes and Wilson Mile are now handicaps The 9750 Native Dancer earned today brought his total to 753670 His only defeat as every ¬ one knows was in last years Kentucky Derby in which he was headed by Dark Star who bowed in the Preakness a few weeks later laterCombat Combat Boots was first out of the gate h the Commando but was quickly passed by Count Cain and Laffango while Native Dancer was close at hand in fourth place Eternal Will who broke slowly along with Impasse was in fifth place followed by Alerted in the run to the far turn turnComing Coming to the threefurlong pole Laf ¬ fango racing on the rail took a slight lead over Count Cain while Native Dancer moved past Combat Boots into third place on the outside Alerted Impasse and Eternal Will were strung out behind them Count Cain began to falter nearing the final bend and Guerin askecl Native Dancer to move The big gray surged to Laffango in three powerful grounddevouring bounds and was already in the van as they straightened away for the long run to the wire At the furlong pole the gray was two lengths clear of Laffango who was be ¬ ing desperately urged by Gene Rodriguez while Count Cain was another couple of lengths behind and fading fast while Com ¬ bat Boots was fourth and going nowhere while Impasse was beginning a late charge on the outside outsideAs As Native Dancer sped to the finish without serious urging Laffango was forced to the utmost to save second money from Impasse who was more than eight lengths in arrears at tht eighth pole and was beaten about a length and a half for all tne money Combat Boots ran an even race while Alerted turned in a useful prep for longer races Count Cain stopped badly and Eternal Will appeared to have grabbed himself at the start startNative Native Dancer whose last start was a victory in the American Derby at Washing ¬ ton Park last August is next expected to appear in the Metropolitan Handicap at one mile a week from Saturday after which he will point for the Suburban and Brooklyn His popularity today caused a minus show pool of 66785 66785Native Native Dancers workmate Crash Dive made a successful return to the races afttr being on the sidelines since August 1952 in the fourth race taking command at the far turn in this six furlongs and scoring by a length and a half o er C T Chen erys Prince Hill who dropped back to a distant last a jump or so after the start and jumped up and down Prince Hill then lopped the field with a tremendous run but began to climb again in the stretch while the Alfred G Vanderbilt fourye old who was backed into favoritism went or about his business Jockey Eric Guerin who needs a rearview mirror piloted Crash Dive who paid 460 and was tele timed a moderate 112


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