Weighing In: Porterhouse in Test Today for Belmont Meets Fisherman in Peter Pan Handicap, Daily Racing Form, 1954-06-05

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we, for our part, ar all questions in the a year ago at this Porterhouse was a: venile campaign lea tion at the head of departure of Turn-such a rating can r us believe that the could they both ha would have been , a memorable year, following several w won a sprint from z no doubt as to his concede weight to C Diving Board, King Privacy all of thei Persons colt is wha winner of this Peter Last and most s the chasers, yesterc out to be a corkini spring sensation, C Mrs. Vernon Cardyi public, carried his WEIGHING IN Ry EVAN shipman BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., June 4. Porterhouse will receive his final tune-up for next weeks Belmont Stakes Saturday in the nine-furlong Peter Pan Handicap. This race should tell us a lot we want to know concerning Mrs. Elizabeth Persons fine little son of the imported South American, Endeavour n., and e confident that he is going to answer affirmative. Ever since his debut over track we have been convinced that n outstanding thoroughbred, his ju-iding us to place him without reserva-his generation. With the unfortunate to from competition, the accuracy of low never be determined, but many of presence of this pair in our classics ve reached the post in peak condition sufficient in itself to assure this being Porterhouse, for his return to action eeks on the shelf with a stone bruise, iged competition in a style that leaves present condition. Saturday, he must !. V. Whitneys Fisherman, Greentrees Ranchs High Gun and Odgen Phipps m actually in excellent form. If Mrs. t we think he is, he will prove an easy Pan Handicap. AAA evere of Belmonts series of stakes for lays Meadow Brook Handicap, turned g contest despite the absence of the olonel Lafayette Nelles Extra Points, s Sun Shower, strongly favored by the topweight of 155 pounds to a well- Porterhouse in Test Today for Belmont Meets Fisherman in Peter Pan Handicap Meadow Brook Steeplechase Fine Contest Sun Shower Finds Footing He Fancies earned victory over Beaupre and Sundowner after The Mast, the winners most redoubtable antagonist during most of the two and a half miles trip, had tumbled at the. final obstacle, the big black, voted "Steeplechaser of the Year" in 1953, still very much in the hunt at the time of his mishap. Before the start of this exciting feature, Ver-rfon Cardy, with his wife down from Montreal for the race, told us that this was the first time all season that Sun Shower had "caught his track," the Eastori gelding relishing the relatively hard going, and he also said that this good-looking bay seemed to be extra sharp for the occasion. His opinion was amply borne out by what took place over the infield course shortly thereafter, Sun Shower completing the dififcult course in time that was only a fifth of a second off Sydneys long-standing track record, a mark that good four-year-old had set back in 31 with a mere 130 pounds in the saddle, in contrast to Sun Showers steadying burden yesterday. A A A For his Meadow Brook engagement, Mrs. J. R. H. Thourons The Mast was obviously better than at any time previously this year. The big fellow had shown signs of sulking in the recent Corinthian, but yesterday The Mast was a running horse, jockey Bob McDonald electing to make the most of his speed in spite of his weight, only one pound less than that assigned the favorite by handi-capper Jack Cooper. Almost from the start, The Mast forced Palajas pace, out-jumping the imported French veteran, who made a bad mistake at the obstacle follow ing the water jump, eliminating herself completely a little while later on the backstretch. Pat Smithwick, on Sun Shower, saw clearly enough the tactics chosen by McDonald, and it was evident as the field passed the stands on its initial tour that he would not allow The Mast to make a runaway of the race. As Palaja fumbled, Sun Shower took his place directly off the leader, moving to him gradually in the run down the backstretch and reaching The Mast for a crucial challenge after rounding the far turn. AAA Between the turns and into the straightaway, The Mast and Sun Shower ran "as a team, The Mast appearing to gain slightly at each fence, but then immediately losing this trifling advantage on the flat between obstacles. At the top of the homestretch, McDonald and The Mast momentarily had the best of this .stiff argument. Approaching the final hedge, Smithwick mustered the choices resources, and new he, in his turn, looked to be the eventual winner. And that is how it all turned out. McDonald, well aware that it was an "all or nothing gamble," tossed caution to the winds, pressing The Mast into the last fence and relinquishing the support that would aid a tired horse, but that might interfere with The Masts giving the extra burst that still might win. So McDonald gambled, and lost. The Mast, after jumping faultlessly all the way, fell at this last jump, Sun Shower going on to win, but under a hard drive to withstand the closing bid of the lightly weighted Beaupre, with whom Albert Foot had ridden a nicely calculated waiting race. Before leaving the Meadow Brook, may we say that Sun Shower and Smithwick, The Mast and McDonald, and Beaupre and Foot, all deserve credit for sparkling per- Continued on Page Forty-Four WEIGHING IN I By EVAN SHIPMAN Continued from Page FHty-Two formances, chaser and their riders alike providing the midweek crowd with a magnificent spectacle. AAA As a preparation for next weeks important Top Flight Handicap, a choice band of mares met in the mile Water Blossom, secondary feature of yesterdays program. The winner here was La Corredora, Mrs. Marion W. OCononrs brilliant five-year-old daughter of Little Beans, very probably , the handsomest of her sex in training. For j the first time this season, La Corredora showed the form that placed her at or near the top of her division last season, she out-gaming Alfred Vanderbilts Home-Made in a furious drive despite conceding the runner-up five pounds. This was a significant performance, indicating that Mrs. OCon-ners colorbearer will very likely be much in view for the remainder of the season. On the basis of class. La Corredora is almost


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800