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Focus Attention on Preakness Prep Big Test Monday For Staffordshire Marylander Will Meet Top Colts First Time; Correlation Goes Seven-Eighths in 1 :28 By CHARLES IIATTON PIMLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 14. This ancient course, so much travelled by turf history, will be the scene of a climactic new chapter during the festive Preakness week ahead. Appropriately enough this period, which annually highlights the Maryland spring seasons, will open on Monday with the Preakness Prep, final test for the 79 th running of the 00,000 added classic itself at the weeks end. There have been times in the past when the Preakness Prep suffered from the absence of any first flight contenders for Baltimores second of the American "Triple Crown" events. But the upcoming Prep promised today to show no less important colts than are Correlation, the beaten favorite for the Derby, and the runner-up Hasty Road, whose thrilling pace contributed so much to a memorable race. If both turn up in the entries, their presence will assure a Monday crowd of unusual size for the Maryland Jockey Club. Other prospective starters include the Blue Grass winner Goyamo, the Withers winner Jet Action, who is expected here Saturday, and the Maryland colt Staffordshire. On the whole it looks like a very auspicious opening of Preakness week, a montage of final workouts, social events, special races and a yearling show annually bringing to Baltimore thousands of turf devotees from other states. Triple Winner This Spring Of particular interest to loyal Maryland-; ers is. Staffordshires, showing in the Prep. ; This colt, bred in Virginia and foaled in . the Free State, is owned by the Annapolis ; sportswoman, Mrs. Henry A. Parr HI, and I he has quite an enthusiastic following here i in the heart of the crab cake and shad roe I country. A winner of three races at Laurel . and Bowie this spring, the Prep places Staffordshire versus colts of the top notch ; for the first time as a three-year-old. An- other who is expected to start in the Prep, r Mrs. Ada L. Rices Ring King, is a sort of adopted Marylander, having won the Chesapeake and otherwise distinguished himself locally. Correlation and Staffordshire were brought to the course for works this morning, enlivening proceedings for a score or so of the townsfolk. Correlation breezed seven furlongs in :23, :48, 1:14 and 1:28 in going described as fast but actually dull. Asked if Correlation seemed to fancy the Pimlico surface, a veteran clocker declared, "He loves it." Staffordshire went a handy five furlongs in :23, :48 and 1:02, suggesting that he has his speed. Turning to the Preakness itself, the Maryland Jockey Club management foresees a field of perhaps a dozen. And far from being dismayed by the departure for California of the Derby winner Deterrnine, Continued on Page Forty-Nine Focus Attention Next On Preakness Prep Marylander Staffordshire to Get Test Against Top Ones Monday Continued from Page Five the club is looking forward to an even better race than the recent scrimmage in Kentucky. This hope is fostered by the appearance of a number of non-Derby starters, along with the second, third and fourth to finish there, and the possibility that the Preakness winner will capture the Belmont as well, thus gaining two legs of the "Triple Crown." The Prep will naturally have a relevance to the eventual starting field in the Preakness. Not expected to appear in the Prep, but probable Preakness starters are Howard A. Jones For Free, a recent Pimlico winner; Fisherman, who finished seventh in the Derby; Walmacs Derby third, Has-seyampa; Artismo, from the stable of James Cox Brady; King Ranchs High Gun, and possibly T. A. Sears Nirgal Lad. With only 10 starters, the Weakness gross will reach an all time high of 39,150 and if a dozen go to the post that figure will increase to 41,150. One of the appeals of the Preakness to owners and trainers is the split of the 00,000 added, which provides 5,000 for the second horse, 5,000 for the third and ,500 to the fourth. Last spring 30,756 fans turned out for the 78th Preakness with Native Dancer, trying to redeem himself after his Derby defeat, as a definite lure. Wagering on that occasion totaled ,279,916, a record amount going through the machines on the Preakness itself. So much was bet on Native Dancer to show that the track wound up with a sizable minus pool, but in view of the success of the entire day there were no complaints. Seldom has there been a heavier demand for reservations for the Preakness, which would seem to point to another large gathering, for what shapes up as an open event, one in which half a dozen horses who finished just behind Determine in the Derby will face half a dozen fresh rivals. At any rate, the Maryland Jockey Club staff is making preparations for the usual gala day of racing. Preakness week provides many interesting sidelights on the sport. Starting with the Prep on ? Monday, there will be something of special interest, almost, every day of the week, and a couple of evening gatherings for good measure. The running of the Preakness Prep is followed next on the agenda by the annual meeting and dinner of the Maryland State Horse Breeders Association, scheduled for the old clubhouse on Tuesday evening. The next day, Wednesday, brings the annual yearling show of this organization, held on the clubhouse lawn in the morning. All of the states top breeders will be represented and the show "will be judged by George M. Humphrey, secretary of the treasury. Humphrey has been a breeder and owner for many years and is a member of The Jockey Club. Two special races on the Wednesday program will be the Back Again Purse, for two-year-olds that were shown in the .1953 yearling exhibit and the Virginia Horsemens Purse, with a large delegation of owners, trainers and breeders from the neighboring state on hand. Renewal of the Dinner Party Purse is scheduled for Thursday and following the racing program, subscribers and guests will be feted at dinner in the clubhouse, at which time trophies for the winners will be presented. The 78th running of the Preakness will be witnessed by a notable group of national, state and city officials as well as by the usual quota of prominent racing people from all sections. Governor McKeldin, of Maryland, will entertain half a dozen high officials from Washington, D. C. in his party and Mayor Robert Wagner of New York City will have a party of 20. Many smaller groups are listed among the reservations for the luncheon. Preakness preparations include having a blanket of black-eyed susans prepared for the shoulders of the winner and since the states flower never is in season when the race is run, black-eyed susans are created with paint and a selections of daisies. There will be the usual Preakness Day band, and Baltimores Police Department will furnish a detail of mounted patrolmen to lead the Preakness parade. With a bevy of engineers, contractors and construction crews eagerly tugging at the bit to get started on a Pimlico rebuilding program, immediately after the close of the meeting on May 27, this will really be the last Preakness at "old Pimlico."
