view raw text
Bf CHARlIS HATT0N JUDGES STAND PIMLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 11. One finds it difficult to recall when casting for the Preakness, Maryland racings biggest spring show, has been marked by quite such indecision. The starting field for this classical mile and three-sixteenths does not depend merely on horses continued good health and condition. There are all manner of complications and contingencies, such as the decisions of estates, and candidates whimsies regarding sand; whether it is as nice to run in as to roll in. Rather remarkably, three colts who were not considered worthwhile nominating at a fee of 0 last February 15, have since -convinced their connections they deserve a chance at ,590. As you may know, these are Ring King, who won the Chesapeake, the Derby third Hasseyampa, and the Swift winner, Gigantic. Their entry adds a tidy 2,-500 to the purse of 00,000 added and with just 10 starters this will be the most rewarding Preakness ever, grossing 39,150, though it will not have the largest net to the winner. The minor prizes are more attractive than in the Derby, with 5,000 second, 5,000 third and ,500 fourth. It is estimated that out of all the confusion there will emerge a starting field of at least 10. Fairly probable at the moment are Hasty Road, Correlation, Homestake, Staffordshire, Admiral Porter, Ring King, Gigantic, Has-sepampa, Jet Action and Goyamo. There are a number of possibilities as well, including Black Metal, High Gun, Fisherman, Coastal Traffic and Catspaw, this last named a winner of three "little" races in New York this spring. The resolute little Admiral Porter has joined Correlation on the Hilltop, and Hasty Road is en route from Churchill Downs. Correlation allayed vague doubts concerning his Preakness intentions when Harold Simmons breezed him Preakness Field of at Least Ten Probable Dancers English Invasion Poses Problems May Enhance His Public Relations Value Treat in Store for Arlington Park Fans over the Pimlico surface this morning. He really revelled in the going, jockey Layton snugging him a quarter in :23 and a half in :48, galloping on to the five iur-longs in 1:02. The leggy son of Free America seemed to climb much of the way in the Derby and very possibly he will redeem that performance over this track. It is understood, from trainer Simmons, that the imperturbable Willie Shoemaker will plane in to have the mount. Several of the prospective starters are hopefully expected to appear in the Preakness Prep here next Monday. This mile and a sixteenth may afford some notion of whether such as Staffordshire, Ring King, Gigantic and Home-stake should be taken seriously. AAA It is only too true, as Alfred Vanderbilt has observed, that there are a rare few "wfa" events on the contemporary American turf scene. And this circumstance, plus a spirit of high adventure may impel him to fly Native Dancer to Royal Ascot for the mile and a half of the 0,000 King George "VT. and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on July 17. If so, American racing generally would be deprived, for a time, of one of he most popular turf idols of the ages. But is would be appropriate, as a gesture of reciprocity for the many fine European performers flown here to compete, though none of these forfeited engagements abroad to do so, nor were they of quite "The Dancers" stature. And if Americas winningest horse goes to Ascot he will, one may hope, reflect credit on the quality of our thoroughbreds. A good showing there would increase his box office appeal to stupendous proportions and his reappearance under colors here. He already has done, and still is doing, more to stimulate public interest in thoroughbred racing than all the chorus of tomtoms. For the sake of realism, "Dancer," as the Aga Khan calls him, would be confronted with a strange, new kind of game, and one could wish he were better acquainted with it. He would be racing on turf, gently swelling and with long, staring, devastating straights, lined on either side by mute hundreds of thousands, and finally meet that steady incline of nearly a half mile, which makes horses strain every muscle and has defeated some of the most powerful of them. But we have confidence in the grays wonderful adaptability and in his unfailing courage. Also in his ability to accelerate, pulling out that little extra always at his command. From what , we have seen of him, Premonition is a "dead stayer" and cannot match it. The French filly, La Sorrelina, however, can really pour it on at the end of a mile and a half, and she is not out of her depth in any conceivable field anywhere. There is also the question of plating. Across the Atlantic horses race slick shot whatever the weather and course conditions. It now is the policy of some clubs having turf surfaces in this country to require that entrants in grass events . race with toeless shoes. This tends to protect the going, but many trainers take a dim view. They question its safety where the grass is long, and in any case dislike changing horses plates, because sometimes their form is altered by a new and unfamiliar type of shoe. Incongruously enough an occasional trainer was charged years ago with causing his horse to be beaten by filing down the toe of his plates. But "When in Rome" . . . and if Native Dancer is going to England it might be well to Continued on Page Forty-Three JUDGES STAND t L By CHARLES HATTON Continued from Page Forty-Eight accustom him to getting a stride without, the traction afforded by toes and caulks. ... il Chicagoans have a treat in store for-them: J " when Determine and Hasty Road, the two most exciting rivals among the 1954 three- : year-olds, converge on Arlington andi j Washington this summer. Andy Crevclin : was quoted, several days ago, to the effect! that Determine will be pointed for Ber Lindheimers stakes, with special referenc to the Classic and American Derby. -Anu" Harry Trotsek is our authority for it .that the Roman colt will campaign at these : meetings again this summer. Thus it ap- i pears that Arlington will be the first to J bring together again the two who fought ; it out so desperately in the Derby Trial and the Kentucky Derby. Trotsek is by no ! means convinced Determine can beat Hasty ! Road over those Chicago surfaces and at s the distances of the Arlington and Wash- ington features. He observes: "My horse was pricking his ears, looking at the gray uniformed guards along the inner rail of the j stretch in the Derby when Determine shot past him on the outside. When he could ; see Determine, he ran at him." The Mid- western horseman, incidentally, agrees the " Derby was Hasty Roads most distinguishing performance up to now, and considers him the stoutest of Romans issue that has come to the races. The colts foibles can only be ascribed to his female family. ."It is necessary to con and humor him," the trainer said. "And Nick Burger tells me his dam, Traffic Court, was the same way." It is the family of The Chief and The Bull, two others who could be as difficult and obstinate as Missouri mules when something displeased them. But Trotsek and Johnny Adams get on well with Hasty Road, who could not have been more generous in his last two races. AAA Turf ana: Joe W. Brown, rather ironically, made five nominations to this Preakness with the original closing, but none of them was Gigantic, whom he has made a supplementary candidate. Gigantic was "nothing" at two, so it is not extraordinary the veteran turfman could not select him as his best three-year-old in five guesses. This spring he won the Louisiana Derby-and The Swift. . . . Hasseyampas unexpected surge into third in the Derby-earned a place in the Preakness field at a premium of ,500.-. . . Hyperion, a legend in his own time, is represented among Marylands stallions by his son Radiate IT., the property of Bobanet Farm. . . . Homestakes sire raced in South America, his granddam in Germany. . . . Pimlico plans a turf course event Preakness day, which does not suggest the innerfield will be opened to the public, at ieast not for the entire program. . . . This may amuse you. In placing the footings for the new club and section of stand here, John Jackson is making arche-ological discoveries unique as the seven Roman cities built one on top of the other. At one point a well was unearthed. At another, a section of aqueduct. At another, cobblestones. In the recesses of the clubhouse there are locked doors with drawn, blackened blinds, and nobody knows what is beyond. The ghost of Hindoo most likely.
