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J U D G E S STAND cmms HATT0N DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 2. Greentrees lean, almost gaunt looking, bay gelding, Straight Face, has to be considered the pro tern leader of the decimated handicap division, with his flashy stablemate Tom Fool in retirement and the magnificent Native Dancer "temporarily" on the sidelines. Overcoming a knee as tricky as Leon Errors, he emerged this spring to make the shifty Pimlico surface appear firm and fast in the Dixie; to make "Dancer" do some suspenseful TV histrionics catching him in the Metropolitan, and to make winning a Suburban seem routine. The Count Fleet four-year-old now is in resplendent form and is maintaining it better than ever he has in the past, which encourages a hope he will come to Delaware Park for the 5,000 Sussex Handicap of a mile and a quarter on July 3. It would be possible for him to fill this engagement and still appear for the Brooklyn Handicap on July 10, though we cannot guess if the Greentree strategists will consider this a prudent course. A top handicapper can run under a lot of weight in a little time, so to speak, but one reflects that "Jock" Whitney never flinched at the imposts Jack Campbell assigned Tom Fool. AAA Already on the pastoral scene here is the Sussex eligible Royal Vale, who is no horse to take liberties with.even if he has yet this spring to reproduce his form of last years Metropolitan and Suburban. Parenthetically, we might add that while people were speculating on the Suburbans possible relevance to-local racing, the Epsom Derby result was joyously received, the outsider, Never Say Die, having won for the American sportsman, Robert Sterling Dehwarians May SeeStraight Face in Cap Never Say Die Flatters U.S. Bloodstock War of Roses Possibility for Kent Stakes Kerkeb Candidates for Rich New Castle Clark. This success also could eventually prove to be pertinent to the sport in this area. Though Clark has been racing in England in late years, Never Say Die would seem an extremely weU-qualfied invitee to the next International. The Derby winner is by Nasrullah, our of Singing Grass, a War Admiral mare bred in this country. She was sent to England to the court of Nasrullah and then returned to Kentucky, where Never Say Die was foaled. AAA The stakes book here contains a bright promise of other good things to come. On Saturday there is the 5,000 Kent, with a possibility it will attract the Jersey Stakes winner, War of Roses, the Chesapeake winner, Ring King, the Withers winner, Jet Action, and Dont Argue II., who was among the leading two-year-olds in Ireland last season. Porterhouse and Hasty Road are nominees, but they appear preoccupied with the sport at Belmont Park. Next Wednesday there is the 0,000 Polly Drummond of five furlongs for the "jeune filles" and the eligibles include the Rancocas second, Courtesy, and Mrs. Grahams lively Fantine Busher. The Leonard Richards on June 12 and the Delaware Oaks on June 26 this season have 2,500 added, in accordance with Don Ross plan of increasing these events ,500 each summer. Of course, if this goes on long enough they could ultimately rival The Garden State in value, and even now they are of sufficient importance to assure classy fields. The Leonard Richards conflicts with the Belmont Stakes, and in those seasons when there is a genuine standout, this comes to a larger field and sometimes a more contentious race in the local feature. The Coaching Club winner, Cherokee Rose, the Kentucky Oaks winner, Queen Hopeful, and Assaults sister, On Your Own, are most prominent of the nominees for the Delaware Oaks, and one would think, the Hasty House filly might be better suited by this nine furlongs than the 11 furlongs of the Coaching Club American Oaks. Apparently, she "stepped on her pedigree" in the Belmont version. AAA Delaware also xenews the Christiana, the Tom Roby, the Georgetown, the Dover, the Spring Maiden, the Indian River, the Sussex and the New Castle. Most particularly the New Castle, with 00,000 added, for fillies and mares at a mile and a quarter on Monday July 5. This could well bring together Cherokee Rose, Atalanta, Sunshine Nell, Blue Butterfly, Sixpence H. and no less a stayer than the English Kerkeb. As our readers know, this four-year-old last fall won the Park Hill Stakes over the desperate, deflating St. Leger course at Doncaster, despite the extraordinary fact that "Cheeky Charlie" Smirke found himself neatly, though not too seriously, pocketed a furlong out. Don Ross makes quite a point of encouraging route racing, and horses who run "long" here race for larger purses than are offered for those in the same classification running in sprints. It is explained this policy is pursued "because it is in the truest tradition of the sport, distance racing is embedded in The Jockey Club rules of racing, and because the racegoing public Continued on Page FortyrOne I JUDGES STAND By CHARLES HATTON Continued from Page Forty-Eight has demonstrated its devotion to races over a mile." AAA Turf ana: Alan Clarke plans to retire his striking-looking Jeannie C. at the end of this campaign, and hopes next spring to breed her to Native Dancer. . . . The new stainless Steele, concrete, air-conditioned track kitchen set back the club 25,000. . i . The old kitchen has been remodelled and serves as a dormitory for van drivers. ... Sleeping in stalls it strictly verboten. The fire hazards, you know. . . . Delaware Park offers valet parking at all entrances, not just for the carriage trade. . . . We suppose Willie duPont would consider it unthinkable, but the plant has two hedge courses, might easily convert one into a turf course. . . . Nances Lass seems several cuts less capable than was her dam, Nances Ace. . . . Cary Boshamer, who once owned nearly all of Pimlico, is racing a string here. . . . Delaware Park has approximately 700 acres, "perhaps the largest facing ground in the world." Newmarket certainly looks larger. . . . Seven miles of Arbor Vitae enhance the view at this course. . . . Unbeaten Royal Note, for whom 00,000 is said to have been casually rejected, is pointing for the Dover here on June 30 Alberta Ranches has made the Irish filly, Sixpence IT., eligible for the New Castle. Ballyogans are not supposed to stay well, but perhaps she will prove exceptional.
