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White Skies React J Fo c Ocea n po r 1 7Ca p! Top Weight of 1 36 Pounds Appears to Be Main Rival Of Speedster This Saturday By FRED GALIANI MONMOUTH PARK, Oceanport, N. J., June 8. It was still fairly early in the morning and the sun had not yet started blowing off its full heat. In the grassy area between the barns, Tommy Root was walking William Wickhams White Skies, top-1 weight with 136 pounds for Saturdays Oceanport Handicap. The big stallion was radiant, his coat of glistening gold a picture of superb condition. The Sun Again horse, undefeated this year in four starts, had been galloped over the track by his regular exercise boy, Jimmy Cunningham of Wilmington, Del., who has been his morning pilot the last two years. White Skies had been paddocked after that and was now being given turns1 around the walking ring, with an occasional stop to nibble some grass. With Pet Bully decamping from these parts to take a shot at the 00,000 Cali-fornian Purse at Hollywood Park Saturday, White Skies main rival appears to be his weight. Root will definitely start White Skies Saturday if nothing unforeseen develops. Will Be Ready, Root Says A pleasant and obliging chap at all times, Root radiated confidence. "Only fate and that includes the weight can beat this horse, I think. He had a workout Sunday and Ill blow him out Thursday. Hell be ready for the Oceanport," Root said. White Skies has ripped through four races this year, his last three scores coming in the Paumonok. Toboggan and Roseben Handicaps, with increasing weight at all times. For none of these was he given a prep race, though it was necessary to train him to perfection and he got the big end of the purse all times. While the Oceanport is his goal at present, long-range plans include the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct. The entire Root-trained stable will race out this meeting then move to Atlantic City. A couple of White Skies potential rivals were on the track, this morning. Alfred Roberts veteran gelding, Eatontown, who turns in a powerful race on occasion, stepped a smart six furlongs in 1:13, handily. Fractions for the trial were :22, :34, :46 and :59. Darby Dan Farms Skipper Bill indicated he is nearing peak condition when he went five furlongs in 1:01, handily. In the meantime, horse vans have been streaming hourly into the stable area. Over 700 horses were" bedded down Monday morning and by noon today the number had increased to about 825, with more to come. By Saturday, stables are expected to be filled to their better than 1,000 capacity. The most prominent outfit to arrive this morning was the James Cox Brady unit in care of trainer Bobby Dotter. In the 15-horse shipment were the sensational juvenile, Commonwealth, the talk of New York, Artismo, candidate for sophomore stakes, and the Widener winner, Landlocked, who will be tried in handicaps.
