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REFLECTIONS by nelson dunstan BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., June 12. Racing is in one of those transition periods. Monmouth Park opened on Saturday for 50 days. Aqueduct throws open its gates for a 24-day meeting Monday and out in Illinois the Arlington Park meeting gets under way on Thursday. There will be some physical changes notice able to racing fans at Aqueduct, for the Queens County Jockey Club officials, who are no longer waiting for the "dream track," decided to go ahead and improve their plant. At Arlington Park extensive improvements include the most complete escalator system to be found in the entire world of sport. All three tracks have fine stakes schedules, but with racing what it is today there is no telling where horses will be campaigned. Aqueduct has carded 11 stakes on the flat, four over the jumps and, as in former years, it is fairly certain that New Yorkers will see many of the seasons stars. Mondays feature is the 5,000 Queens County Handicap at" a mile and a sixteenth, and that is actually a preliminary for the 0,000 Brooklyn Handicap, which will be run at a mile and a quarter on closing day, July 10. Native Dancer was assigned 137 pounds for the Queens County but is a non-starters, and whether he will be ready even for the Brooklyn is a question at this time. A A A Two-year-olds play quite a part in the Aqueduct schedule and the Astoria, for fillies, next Wednesday is followed by the Tremont for colts and geldings on June 23, and that leads up to the Great American, the first juvenile event at six furlongs. It is much too early to appraise the two-year-olds, but to date this writer has Racing Switches Tracks in Many States Aqueduct Takes Over in New York Monday Top Fillies in Astoria Stakes Wednesday Distaff HandicapWill Attract Sunshine Nell been more impressed with the fillies than the colts. At Delaware last Wednesday, the Polly Drummond was split into two divisions, with Fantine Busher winning the first and Sorceress taking the longr end of the purse in the second. Fantine Busher had her job cut out for her winning from the Claiborne Farms Courtesy, with Menolene third and behind them the Belair Studs Natasha, a beautifully-bred miss by Nasrullah out of the great mare Vagrancy. The fillies impress us as being a high class lot, but, of course, there is no telling how the division will look when we get around to the longer events in late summer and fall. In the second division of the Polly Drummond, Delta was very much favored, but the best this Claiborne miss could do was finish sixth. She had early-speed, but tired badly after some three furlongs. AAA Aqueduct has added one new stake to the schedule this year and that is the Distaff Handicap at seven iurlongs for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and upward. This type of race has been a boon to the yearling market, and in recent years fillies have held their own with the colts in price. In fact, there have been some years when fillies have topped the colts, and this is only because race track officials needed the urge of breeders and built up races for fillies and mares. On July 5 Delaware Park will stage the New Castle Handicap and we daresay that some of those who start in the Distaff will go down to Wilmington for the richer event. The Distaff has 5,000 added and serves as a prep for the New Castle. This race probably will give New Yorkers another opportunity to see Sunshine Nell, winner of the Top Flight Handicap, and one of the most popular mares to race on Long Island in many a year. In the Top Flight, she defeated Spinning Top and La Corredora, and there could be a repeat in the Distaff. The New Castle has an. added value of 00,000, the richest race of its kind in the world, and naturally victory enhances the reputation of the winner. A A A The three richest events at the Aqueduct meeting, all with 0,000 added, are the Dwyer on July 3, for three-year-olds; the Carter Handicap, threeyear-olds and older horses, seven furlongs, on July 5, and finally the time-honored Brooklyn Handicap, also for older horses. With three different horses winning the "Triple Crown" events, the division is in a confused state and there is no telling at present just what will be the outcome in the months ahead. Determine was not nominated for the Dwyer and it is safe to say that Hasty Road and Goyamo will not start. Hasty Road is now being given a rest in Chicago and Goyamo suffered an injury which caused him to be withdrawn from the Woddvale Farm sale at Belmont Park. Still, there are many top three-year-olds eligible for the race that was named for the Brooklyn butcher boys. And, as we have said on previous occasions, this is the year when mid-June finds us all speculating on who will emerge the. three-year-old champion when voting days roll around. There are many big races for members of the division in the offing, notably the classic and the American Derby at Chicago, the Travers at Saratoga and the Lawrence Realization at Belmont.
