Judges Stand: High Gun Gains Friends as Belmont Nears Chevation Appears One Who Will like Route Stake, Daily Racing Form, 1954-06-12

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JUDGES STAND By CHARLES HATT0N BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y.,.June 11. Paradoxically enough, this week ends Belmont becomes the richest of them all because it seems some people entertain a vague, idea it may be rather cheaply won, and a field of no fewer than 14 has been named. The group even includes a filly, filly, in in the the shapely shapely form form of of King King filly, filly, in in the the shapely shapely form form of of King King Ranchs Riverina, who dead-heated for the Acorn and was third in the CCA Oaks. Of course, the first winner, Ruthless, was a filly, and another called Tanya won the race in 1905, but it is 22 years since any of the sex has inspired enough .confidence to be started. There can be no doubt that the lapses of Porterhouse, last seasons Futurity winner, and the Florida Derby winner, Correlation, were a bracing turn of affairs for the connections of rival candidates for this coveted mile and a half. Additionally, High Gun, War of Roses and Chevation have appeared to improve these last few weeks, and there is no knowing to what degree until the race is run; Experts in such matters foresee that High Gun will have the anxious honor of being the post favorite, despite the artful Eddie Ar-caros presence on Correlation and Porterhouses recent satisfactory work. " AAA High Guns chances were prejudiced at the outset of the Jersey Stakes, and he must be excused that one, but Chevation strikes us as pretty much the same sort of colt and he was going to win the Kent at the weights, were they running still. We expect the duPont homebred will be indeed troublesome if he can handle the classic weight of 126 pounds. And if any of those we have not men-tioned is the winner, it will be surprising, at least to this f observer. Though the absence of Determine and Hasty High Gun Gains Friends as Belmont Nears Chevation Appears One Who Will Like Route Stake of Special Significance to the Stud Last Years Renewal Among Most Dramatic Road, and the vagaries of form have given this renewal a peculiar aspect to many, it still is the Belmont. Nor is there any need to insist that it is conceivable it will show the eventual champion of the seasons three-year-olds. AAA The Belmont long since assumed a special significance to the world of bloodstock breeding. Decided at what is described as the "true" Derby distance, in deference to the original European concept, our breeders consider it an indisputable test of class and stamina, and its winners accrue a certain prestige as potential sires. Until late years, it produced more successful stallions than did the Kentucky Derby. Now the fields in the "Triple Crown" events have more similarity, however, and Citation, Count Fleet, Whirlaway and others have captured all three. For several horse generations of Belmont history there was a recurrence of successes by scions of the vicious Hastings and temperamental Fair Play, the stoutest of our domesticated male lines. But in the past decade or so this line has perforce shared its dominion with representatives of those developed across the Atlantic, where a mile and a half still is considered, Tiappily for the stud in America, a middle distance. It is illuminating that Chevation and High Gun, are grandsons of Englands unrivalled Hyperion, and that Chevation is by his son Alibhai, who sired the Derby winner, Determine. Parenthetically it is amusing to reflect that when Alibhai was in California, where he sired On Trust and Your Host, subtle doubts were entertained elsewhere what he would do east of the Rockies. It would be farfetched to say that a horse may assure himself stud patronage on the basis of any individual race. If their subsequent performances are an anticlimax, they tend to fade into the mists and be forgotten. But the Belmont is distinguishing. AAA Across the years we have seen some Belmonts which, for one reason or another, we vividly recall. Not to fatigue you with a lot of dreary reminiscence, but it was funny to see Hurryoff win that of 33 with arrogant leisureliness, after having run to be claimed for ,000, or perhaps it was ,000, earlier in the week. And it did stir ones admiration to see War Admiral get up off his knees at the start and romp home in the 37 renewal. There was something unexpected about Johnstowns success in 39, for een though he had won the Derby, many wanted convincing he would stay a mile and a half. He skipped over the distance with an esprit which must have shaken the skeptics faith in the doctrines of Bruce Lowe. For that matter, the last Belmont was by no means the least memorable, climaxed as it was with the stretch-long, head-to-head duel between Native Dancer and Jamie K. Though there are no Native Dancers in this field, the race still may be dramatic as some of the others we have mentioned. AAA Turf ana: Porterhouse and his sire, Endeavour H., may alternate between Kentucky and Viriginia, when finally the Futurity winner is retired .to stud. . . . There are places where the gate staffs seem to glorify in their small prerogatives, but New Yorks couldnt be more courteous Continued on Page Forty-Five JUDGES STAND By CHARLES HATTON Continued from Page Sixty-Four As we recall Belairs Natasha, whos by Nasrullah, out of Vagrancy, originally was earmarked for racing in England. . . . Horsemen could wish other tracks would follow Belmonts example and install sprinkler systems throughout the barns En Rapport makes Natchez death seem untimely. . . . The paddock here is adapted from Ascots, nearly everything else from Longchamp. . . . Reddy Ro is perhaps the only gray Sun Again. ... Summa Cum has a calf knee, and, as a yearling, some were dubious he would race at all. . . . Work on Pimlico improvements is progressing, though the place looks to have been blitzed at the moment. . . . Phone conversations I at some tracks have been monitored to be sure everything is pour le sport. . . . The filly Tosca is a sister to Tuscany and half-sister to Princess Lygia, though it would seem nobody has told her this. . . . As. the story goes, jockey Joe Regalbutos papers were traded for the plater Burts Reward in 52. A few days later Regalbuto beat him a nose. . . . Louis Haggins string returns to Chicago, -r J


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