High Gun Works Full Distance of Belmont Stakes in 2:36 2/5: Peter Pan Winner Expected to be Choice; Filly Riverina Will Accompany Him to Post, Daily Racing Form, 1954-06-10

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, : . . High Gun Works Full Distance Of Belmont Stakes in 2:362s Peter Pan Winner Expected To Be Choice; Filly Riverina Will Accompany Him to Post By BOB HORWOOD Staff Correspondent BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., June 9. King Ranchs High Gun, who may go postward in the role of favorite for Saturdays classic 00,000 Belmont Stakes, lost none of his standing when he worked the full mile and a half of the fixture in 2:36. The big son of Heliopolis, who bounded into the spotlight in the final sixteenth of last Saturdays Peter Pan Handicap, broke some 10 lengths behind Lychnus and went along very handily throughout the long prep. After stepping the first mile in 1:42, he got the next quarter in :27 and the final quarter in :27 without much urging. Trainer Max Hirsch added considerable interest to this Belmont this morning when he announced that the filly Riverina-would go postward as an entry with High Gun. Riverina earned a dead heat with Happy Mood in the Acorn Stakes at a flat mile, then finished strongly to be third to Cherokee Rose and Open Sesame in the Coaching Club American Oaks at a mile and three furlongs. In the latter stake, the daughter of Princequillo made a powerful bid on the inside at the head of the stretch, then hung a trifle in the final yards as though paying the penalty for. making her move in the deep going along the rail. Few Fillies Haye Started While the first winner of the Belmont, back in 1867 was the filly Ruthless, comparatively few distaff runners have appeared in the classic test of speed and stamina in recent years. Riverina will be the fifth of her sex to appear in the Belmont since Harry Payne Whitneys Tanya won the first running of the stake here at Belmont Park in 1905. Since then Walter M. Jeffords Miss Smith was unplaced in 1923, Belair Studs Flambino finished third in 1927 and W. R. Coes Laughing Queen was unplaced in 1932. Laughing Queen ran as an entry with Osculator, who finished second to Faireno. Robert S. Lytles Correlation, who is to be ridden by Eddie Arcaro, grazed handily this morning. The Free America colt, who won the Florida Derby and Wood Memorial, Continued on Page Forty-Four High Gun Goes Mile And Half in 2:36f Works Full Belmont Route Handily; Filly Riverina to Accompany Him Postward Continued from Page One was a badly beaten favorite in the Kentucky Derby and narrowly beaten choice in the Preakness, then lugged in badly throughout the Jersey Stakes, has done little since that Garden State event, while receiving X-ray treatments for a blind splint which was lightly fired after the Derby. C. V. Whitneys Fisherman, who may have been in need of a race when finishing three -lengths behind High Gun in second place in the Peter Pan, his first outing since the Derby, breezed a speedy five furlongs in 1:00 this morning. The valiant little son of Phalanx was under light restraint as he went the first half in :48. C. T. Chenerys Prince Hill, who finished fourth in the Peter Pan and is a definite Belmont Stakes candidate, went a handy five furlongs in 1:02 this morning. This colts only recommendation is that he is a full brother to Hill Prince, beaten favorite in the 1950 Belmont, but Horse of the Year. Mrs. J. R. H. Thourons War of Roses, who beat High Gun in the Jersey Stakes and finished third to Foxcatcher Farms Chevatiori and Wheatley Stables Full Flight while conceding much" weight in the Kent Stakes, was due in from Delaware Park today. The imported son of Tudor Minstrel has a chance to become the fourth English winner of the Belmont. Pierre Lorillards Saxon 1874, August Belmonts Hourless 1917 and Harry Payne Whitneys Johren 1918 were the earlier English winners. There would be an element of poetic justice in a victory for War of Roses in this particular year, as Never Say Die became the first American-bred colt to win the Epsom Derby since Iroquoiss feat in 1881 when he won in Robert Sterling Clarks silks this spring. Sea 0 Erin Possibility Allie Reuben was encountered in the paddock during the afternoon, having just flown in from the midwest and said that he would confer with trainer Harry Trotsek during the day concerning the possibility of shipping Hasty House Farms Sea O Erin in for the stake. Trotsek had not yet arrived. Reuben said that the Preakness winner, Hasty Road, was never better than at present, but had not done enough since his Pimlico triumph to go a mile and a half. Other late Belmont Stakes developments include a hardening of trainer Charley Whittinghams decision to start Llangollen Farms Porterhouse in the Classic. Yesterday, Whittingham had been toying with the idea of sending the Endeavor n. colt to Delaware Park for the Leonard Richards Stakes, feeling that the faster track would impose less strain on the colts sore back. Whittingham has now decided to concentrate his efforts on getting the 1953 juvenile champion to the post in the local fixture, which has been his main objective ever since he won the Futurity last fall. Two colts seen under silks yesterday may be added to the list of Belmont candidates. Limelight, who has been pur1 chased from Arthur B. Hancocks Claiborne Farm by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hoffman, of California, will carry the Rancho Casitas silks in this mile and a half. The Nasrullah colt, who has won several minor tests this year, finished very fast on the extreme outside in yesterdays feature sprint. There is also a possibility that Wheatley Stables Quick Lunch, who finished a close second to Card Trick in that race, will also start in the Belmont. j The other Belmont probables are Fox-catcher Farms Chevation, clever winner of the Kent Stakes and an overnight mile in his last two starts; John Barry Ryans Butte vant, who was fourth in that stake; Howard A. Jones For Free and Greentree Stables Palm Tree.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1954061001/drf1954061001_1_3
Local Identifier: drf1954061001_1_3
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800