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REFLECTIONS nelson dunstan BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. L N. Y., May 11. John B. Campbell was eminently fair in assigning Native Dancer 130 pounds for the Metropolitan Handicap, on the week end. There were all sorts of guesses on this and some were as high as 135 pounds, but Campbell elected to appraise the gray champion at the same weight he gave Tom Fool in the same race last year. The Metropolitan was inaugurated in 1891, but it was not until 1923 that Grey Lag was asked to carry 133 pounds, he being the first winner to tote over 130 and in that race he gave Dinna Care a 26-pound pull in the weights. Many more years passed before Eight Thirty was assigned 132 pounds in 1941 and that Widener champion gave 30 pounds to Bold -and Bad. Then came Devil Diver with 134 in 1944, and a year ago Tom Fool carried 130 pounds with Royal Vale at 127. On the week end Royal Vale and White Skies have been assigned 126; Fine, 122; Level Lea, 119, and Straight Face, who won the Dixie last Saturday, 117. This is the first of the series of races in which Native Dancer will endeavor to duplicate the feat of Whisk Broom H. and Tom Fool in winning the Metropolitan, Suburban and Brooklyn. There is a question of how much weight Campbell will assign the "Vanderbilt champion in the two late events. Last year, Tom Fool carried 128 to defeat Royal Vale in the Suburban and 136 to win the Brooklyn. AAA The three horses who won the Metropolitan carrying more than 130 pounds were champions in every sense of the word. Grey Lag was bred by JohnE. Madden and he was not only one of the best of his years, but is said to have been one of the best horses ever bred in this country. Native Dancer Faces Task in Metropolitan FourWinners Carried 130 Pounds or More Preakness Should Attract Large Field Juvenile Division Slowly Taking Shape He was not an attractive horse to the casual observer, but to the racing man he had much to recommend him. He was a great weight carrier. From the heights he fell low. There was a great furore when it was discovered he was racing in claiming events in Canada. Eight Thirty, who is now a successful stallion, was one of the best horses of his years and, like Grey Lag, he was not stopped by the handicappers. Devil Diver carried 134 as a five-year-old in 1943 and now is making good on the farm. Tom Fool undoubtedly was one of the best horses of recent years and his races against Royal Vale last year were outstanding events of the season. Native Dancer will join an illustrious quartet if he wins the Metropolitan and, like Tom Fool, he has Royal Vale to defeat. The latter appears to have regained his form of last year and in his present condition is a worthy rival for even Native Dancer. Tom Fool ran the Metropolitan mile in 1:35 and then went on to take the Suburban and the Brooklyn. AAA Supplementary nominations for the Preakness closed at midnight last night, but even so it is difficult to visualize the field that will go to the post. Artismo was something of a disappointment in finishing fifth to Jet Action in the Withers, but the Brady coltshould benefit as a result of that race and will probably be a starter. Correlation is the question mark of the race at the moment. And should he go we believe he is the one they will all have to beat. Man o War, Sysonby and other cham pions ran a bad race only to come back, to be their old selves later. Correlation, who was bumped immediately after the break, was not impressive in finishing sixth in the Kentucky Derby, but he could make his presence felt in the Pimlico event. It was said he did not like the track at Louisville, but he was very much at home in the heavy going at Gulfstream and also when he spread-eagled the field in the Wood Memorial at Jamaica. We cannot account for his bad showing in the Derby; but any horse who can win the Wood as he did could be tough in the Preakness. -Porterhouse might be a starter in the Preakness, but it is our impression he will be held over for the Peter Pan Handicap at Belmont Park on June 5. AAA It is fair to say that all owners and trainers appreciate the spread of. three weeks between the Derby and the Preakness and then three weeks between the Preakness and the Belmont. There are several horses recovering from injuries who may start in the Pimlico race or, failing that, in the Belmont. It is known that Mrs. "Liz" Person and her trainer, Charles Whittingham, have their minds set on winning the Belmont with the horse who was voted the two-year-old champion. Well do we remember the days when the Wood Memorial was run on one week end, the Kentucky Derby the next Saturday. Then everyone rushed to Baltimore for the Preakness two weeks later. In England there is a spread of three months between the Two Thousand Guineas, Derby and the St. Leger, the trio of races which comprise the English Triple Crown. We have many rich events for three-year.-olds following the Belmont in this-country. It is now impossible for a horse to win the "Triple Crown" this year, but that does Continued on Page Forty-Three I REFLECTIONS By NELSON DUNSTAN Continued from Page Forty-Eight not seem to have taken any interest from the sophomore competition. AAA Starting Wednesday with the Juvenile Stakes, the midweek features for the next three weeks will be for two-year-olds. When the series is completed the juvenile division should come into much clearer focus than it is today. It is much too early to appraise the division as a whole and only time will tell whether the present crop is to be ranked with that of a year ago. It may be said that on what has been seen of the two-year-olds to date there are some promising youngsters among them, and one that impressed us is the Belair Studs Nashua, a son of Nasrullah, out of Segula. Last Saturday Maine Chance Farm of Mrs. Elizabeth Graham had "a likely prospect in the filly Fantine Busher and this miss is eligible for the National Stallion Stakes, filly division, which will be run next week. Calumet Farm was a liberal nominator to both divisions of the National Stallion and it is unfortunate for easterners that it was decided to keep the entire stable in the West this year. It is our understanding that Calumet has some very promising colts and fillies in training. The majority are by such stallions as Bull Lea, Faultless and there is one named Bards-town, by Alibhai, out of Twilight Tear, Maine Chance nominated many of its colts and fillies for the National Stallion. Although Fantine Busher has already given a demonstration of her class, we are told there are others in the barn who are of just as much promise.
