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WEIGHING IN By EVAN shipman BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., May 29. — Native Dancers enforced absence from Mondays Suburban Handicap field robs that traditional feature of much of its interest this season. We will make no attempt to disguise our disappointment; with Native Dancer, this Suburban renewal promised to be one of the outstanding contests of the year, while without Alfred Vanderbilts gray colt, it will be just another good race. At the Suburban distance of a mile and a quarter, and leaving Native Dancer out of it, the best American horses now in training, or conceivably available, may be: Calumets Mark-Ye-Well; King Ranchs Rejected and Level Lea; Mrs. Thourons Royal Vale; Greentrees Straight Face and Alberta Ranchs Thirteen of Diamonds. We are not including Andy Crevolins brilliant Imbros because 10 furlongs seems to be just a little farther than he wants to travel, but the others can all be described as leaders of the division without inviting any argument. Of this choice half dozen, only two will start in Belmont Parks Memorial Day feature, but if that pair — Royal Vale and Straight Face — is at peak form, the race certainly retains something of its original appeal. Concerning that form, our opinion is that Royal Vale may not be within five or six pounds of what he showed at this time last year, his second to Tom Fool in this same fixture being, of course, the high spot in his distinctly honorable career. Greentrees racy-looking Count Fleet gelding, Straight Face, on the other hand, has never been better than at present, his recent spond to Native Dancer in the mile Metropolitan providing eloquent evidence of his class and condition. V Suburban Handicap Provides Fine Holiday Sport Can Royal Vale Catch Speedy Straight Face? Mare Nothird chance Real Threat at Weights Delaware, Garden State Have Excellent Cards Straight Face, who resembles an old English print of the typical "stayer," has always been a "hard luck horse," a variety of injuries having, so far, prevented him from giving his true measure. Although John Gaver is the official trainer for the large and important Greentree string, George Poole has always had this interesting Count Fleet gelding in his charge, much as Fred Hopkins trained Equipoise for the C. V. Whitney Stable although T. J. "Big Jim" Healey was the combinations first trainer. When Straight Face, early in his three-year-old form, captured the Flamingo at Hialeah, he definitely looked to be one of the leaders of the generation, many suspecting that he would turn out to be the chief threat to Native Dancer in the spring classics. Shipped north to Kentucky however, the gelding lost all trace of his Florida form, little or nothing being heard from him for the remainder of the season. AAA In his nearly successful bid for the Metropolitan, Straight Face, superbly rated by that master of pace, Ted Atkinson, revealed both a high turn of speed and dogged determination in his effort to stave off the great gray champions irresistible closing rush. Having set all the pace, the Count Fleet gelding stepped his final quarter, separately timed, in 25 seconds flat, quick enough to win almost any race. If Ted Atkinson employs the same tactics with Straight Face on Monday, this Suburban may bear more than a superficial resemblance to last Mays sensational contest, for, once again, Royal Vale will be attempting to catch a Greentree frontrunner through the long Belmont homestretch. In Royal Vales last start — the Massachusetts Handicap for which we made the trip to East Boston — the imported horse was perfectly placed at the end of a mile to deliver a decisive attack, only Find being in front of him at that point. While he did indeed close willingly under Jack Westropes unusually severe punishment, Royal Vale hung somewhat, proving unable either to overtake Find or to resist the ultimate charge of the winner, Wise Margin. A year ago, Mrs. Thourons horse would never have hung in that drive; he is a year older now, and that makes all the difference. AAA Concentration on highweights to the exclusion of the other entries is always a mistake in a handicap arranged by the old master, John Blanks Campbell. We have been talking about the Suburban as if it were a match between Royal Vale and Straight Face, but it could prove a grave mistake to ignore other factors here. Cain Hoys Armageddon, once a Withers winner, will carry the feather of 109 in the holiday feature, a single pound more than has heen assigned Alerted, long one of this columns favorites and now gradually rounding to his old good form. Then there is Nothirdchance, a mare who relishes a distance and who has met high class males before, always giving a good account of herself. Any one of these lightweights could win on Monday without surprising those who remember their best efforts. On Santa Anita form, and thatls not too ancient, Nothirdchance would appear to have a "pull in the weights" here. In California at the Continued ?on Page Fifteen . WEIGHING IN By EVAN SHIPMAN Continued from Page Fifty-Six end of the winter, she would probably have been assigned 112 or 113 against this grade of competition. A A A Belmont enjoys no monopoly of fine sport for the holiday. Delaware Parks Brandywine Handicap and Garden States six-furlong Colonial for fillies and mares are both highly interesting features, the kind that make us seriously regret an inability to be in three places at once. At the mile and a sixteenth distance of the Brandywine, it would be a lot of fun to watch the speedy Pet Bully attempting to concede chunks of weight to other specialists, while the prospect of cheering a victory on the part of Sunshine Nell in the Colonial is also enticing. Pet Bully used to be considered strictly a sprinter, but recent good races give evidence that his talents are by no means restricted to six or seven furlongs. As for "Nellie," the game chestnut daughter of Sun Again is equally at home over sprinting and middle distances, her versatility being not the "least of her numerous assets.
