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■ * course" course" a a thorough thoroughly WEIGHING IN BY WW SHIPMAN DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 24. — While only a half dozen fencers have accepted handicapper Gil Haus weights for Fridays featured Georgetown, these six — barring the remarkable Extra Points— are the cream of the crop in their division, and they promise to make the two-mile mile stake stake over over the the difficult difficult "outside "outside ly enjoyable enjoyable affair. affair. Used Used only only for for the the ■ * course" course" a a thorough thoroughly mile stake stake over over the the difficult difficult "outside "outside ly enjoyable enjoyable affair. affair. Used Used only only for for the the running of the Georgetown and the subsequent Indian River, this course is the most exacting at any "regular" track in America. ,For that reason, it has never been too popular with trainers, but William duPont, who designed it, and who is an expert in this field, feels that jumping ability is at least as important a requirement for any top specialists as pure speed, and the obstacles here were built with jumping ability very much in mind. Experience counts heavily in favor of any candidate for honors in either the Georgetown or the longer Indian River. Extra Points, the chasing revelation of the current season, has never been tried over Delawares more serious fences, this explaining his trainer, Mrs. Adams reluctance to nominate the Grand Slam gelding, but for all that, his presence would certainly have been appreciated. There will be plenty of talent in Fridays field of starters, and we are confidently looking forward to a fast race and a close one. AAA Top weights for this Georgetown renewal are Mrs. Vernon Cardys fine, consistent Sun Shower heading the list with 156 pounds, and Mrs. J. R. H. Thourons brilliant black, The Mast, in here with three pounds less than the Canadian-owned chaser from Mickey Walshs barn. Following this pair at respectful distance, we find Sundowner, 140; Monkey Wrench, 135; Tourist List, 134, and Small But Choice Field in Chase Stake The Mast, Sun Shower Renew Old Rivalry Water Jump Question Mark for Choice Ziegler Router Breaks Down at Wire Banner Waves, 133. Right off the bat, it is well to remark that The Mast will be attempting to score in his third successive Georgetown, the big black rascal having shown one of his best efforts of last season in winning this stake for the second time. As indicated by his recent success in the Hitchcock Memorial at Aqueduct, The Mast, owned and trained locally, is in top form at present, and is likely to rule a slight choice in the wagering Friday. In the Aqueduct stake, The Mast, also in receipt of a few pounds, scored a front-running victory over Sun Shower, and, my own opinion is that this pair deserved equal treatment from the handicapper, but then Gil Haus did not actually see the Hitchcock and we did. Sun Shower is a more consistent horse than The Mast, and a safer fencer, but the good bay may lack just a trifle of the somewhat erratic blacks class. The usual Bob McDonald will ride The Mast, and this boy understands his charge to perfection. McDonald knows full well, as do we all, that The Masts weak point here is the water jump; if he clears that safely, Mrs. Thourons and Jim Ryans chaser will be well on his way to snatching a third Georgetown. AAA Another locally owned chaser who merits consideration Friday is James F. McHughs Annapolis gelding, Sundowner. At the close of the 1953 steeplechasing season, Sundowner would certainly not have been in receipt of 16" pounds from The Mast and 13 from Sun Shower, his form and quality at that period ranking him close to the: leaders of this division. Last year, Sundowner was undeniably brilliant, but his temperament and racing manners left much to be desired. In the interval, this gelding has calmed down, and he is_now a thoroughly clever race tool, but in acquiring manners all his former verve has jusct about disappeared. Also letter-perfect in his negotiation of Delawares tricky obstacles is old Monkey Wrench, The Masts runner-up in last years Georgetown and victor in the even more difficult Indian River of 53. If anybody makes mistakes Friday— always within the realm of possibility over this course— Monkey Wrench will be right there to profit by them. As for TouristList and Banner Waves, these veterans too are at home over big fences, but their best days would seem to be behind them. AAA As close to the wire as 50 yards out, William Ziegler, Jr.s, Requisition held yesterdays long distance Mont-chanin Purse at his mercy. This good chestnut router, already a winner of the nine-furlong and mile and a quarter events in Delawares annual series for distance horses of moderate class, had led the field Jor every step of the journey under skillful rating from young Willie Lester, and then, right at the end, Lester went to the. whip "to make assurance doubly sure," and Requisition faltered, stumbled and pulled up dead lame, losing the decision to Caboose by a half length. When Lester jumped off, Requisition could hardly put his near front foot to the ground; a sesamoid had been fractured, and a couple of hours later this honest, useful horse was mercifully destroyed. This was a perfect example of the strain placed on a thoroughbreds underpinning by extra effort. Requisition had been running smoothly, and apparently well within himself, until Lesters final appeal, but the Continued on Page Forty -Six WEIGHING IN By EVAN SHIPMAN Continued from Page Fifty-Six urge for an even better effort disrupted his action, throwing an impossible strain on a bone too fragile to withstand the shock. AAA Apart from our regret at this end to a reliable, stalwart campaigner, we hated to see such an accident mar the running of one of Delawares route races. Requisitions breakdown, we fear, will be used by trainers as a support for their reluctance to enter in this type of event, and for once they may have a little reason on their side of the old argument. This Montchanin was at 12 furlongs, and it is probably correct to say that the distance itself imposed a considerable strain, enough of a strain to search out any latent weakness; we have always claimed that it was pace, not distance, that broke down horses, but in this case it was sustained pace. Over and above* that phase of the question, however, is the purpose of breeding and racing, and that, we are perfectly certain, is not to produce and develop six-furlong sprinters. Under extreme pressure, an occasional accident is inevitable, and it is just unfortunate that the better the horse, the more likely he seems to be to prove a victim; the bad ones neither try hard enough nor run fast enough to hurt themselves.
