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fc— REFLECTIONS by nelson dunstan « BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., "May 28. — The unfortunate withdrawal of Native Dancer from the Suburban on Monday places an entirely different aspect on the Memorial Day race at Belmont Park. Alfred G. Vanderbilts gray champion had been asked to tote 133 pounds ani and this Writer writer is is of of the the opinion opinion he he fc— ani and this Writer writer is is of of the the opinion opinion he he would have done so succesfully. With 125 pounds, Royal Vale, who ran second .to Tom Fool in the event a year ago, will be the highweiefct of the field, but Rejected is in at 124, Find at 122 and Straight Face at 118. Landlocked, 114, who ran so well in Florida this past winter, could be a distinct threat to those assigned more poundage. There has been some question of whether Royal Vale is quite the horse he was a year ago and we are going to await the Suburban before making our final decision. From the standpoint of competition, the Suburban should be an in-. teresting horse race. Golden Gloves, who was second to Tom Fool in the Brooklyn Handicap a year ago, is in the Suburban with a comparative feather of 109 pounds. This could be one of those years when the Suburban will be won by a lightly weighted horse, and there are some who cannot be ignored at the weights assigned to them. AAA With the Jersey Stakes on the week end, the three-year-olds are closing the first phase of their yearly competition which naturally ends with the Belmont Stakes on June 12. Determine won the Kentucky Derby, Hasty Road the Preakness, and it could be that some other horse will take the Belmont. There have been occasions when the Derby winner went to Baltimore to be defeated in the Preakness, but this is a year when Porterhouse, the two- Suburban Now Shapes Up as an Open Race Royal Vale Faces Big Task on Holiday Porterhouse Awaits Three-Year-Olds Here Godfreys Youngster Loses First Outing year-old champion of 1953, will be awaiting all of them at Belmont Park. He is slated to start in the Peter Pan Handicap on June 5, and it is too early to guess who his opponents will be on that date. Despite the injuries to so many top three-year-olds, the division is still a good one, and interest is added to the Belmont in that it is at one and one-half miles, the most rugged test the sophomores will be asked to face this year, although in the fall some of them will undoubtedly make their appearance in The Jockey Club Gold Cup and other weight-for-age distance events. But in their division the three-year-olds still have a.long. way to go. The Peter Pan and the Belmont should do much to clarjfy the situation before the middle of June. AAA Arthur Godfreys Lord Willin made his first start at Belmont on Thursday and finished eighth, beaten about eight lengths. The man who entertains all America should not be discouraged as many a champion of the past was slow to get under way in his first start. Alsab "finished fourteenth, Assault twelfth and Stymie seventh, while Porterhouse, the two-year-old champion of 1953, finished seventh in his initial outing and then went on to win his next six faces. The Godfrey colt, a chestnut son of Case Ace, cost 8,500 as a yearling and he was meeting some pretty good youngsters. In the four and one-half furlongs1* event Lord Willin happened to run into Free Stride, a colt by Depth Charge, the King Ranch sire who led thek list of juvenile sires last year. Dignitary, who ran second, | was taken from the ring for 2,700, and Indicative, whoj ran third, was bought by E. Constantin, Jr., for 1,00G?B The price for a yearling has little bearing on his racingj ability and the first race can often be misleading as tcB the future of the colt. Lord Willin naturally had hadj considerably publicity due to the popularity and the famJ of his owner, but only time will tell how far he will go a: a race horse. AAA m Although members of the family wanted to continue the racing stable of Royce Martin, the executors of his -4 estate have decided to sell all the horses in training. TheytJ will go under the hammer of the Fasig-Tipton Co., at Bel- -moht Park, on the morning of June 10, and we under -1 stand Goyamo, who finished fourth in the Preakness, wi 3 be in the sale. The sales company will sell at Belmont c June 9 and 10 and, in all, some 125 head will be offerer M including horses from many of the foremost stables. F X announcement has been made as to whether the Woodva Farm of the late Royce Martin and the stock he mail lm tained will be sold, but in breeding circles it is thougl S that the yearlings will be offered, as usual, at the Keen A land sales and that later the stallions, mares and wean-3 lings will be disposed of. Woodvale is considered one of B the finest thoroughbred farms in the Blue Grass, and tk«J3 late owner spared no expense in making it a show pla jj of the country side. It is just across the road from th Dixiana Farm of Charles T. Fisher. -M
