Weighing In: Rich New Castle to Have Dress Rehearsal Conditions Toss Evening Out in with Feather Grecian Queen at Last, Daily Racing Form, 1954-06-28

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W E I G H I N G I N By EVAN SHIPMAN DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 26. Secretary and handicapper Gil Haus is giving the prospective New Castle field a fine chance to get the "feel" of the local strip with Mondays attractive "Get Ready" Purse, while this mile and a sixteenth test for the fillies and mares also has the inducement of 0,000 in added money. Most of the serious candidates for the imminent July 3 feature have, of course, taken adavntage of this opportunity, and we expect to see George D. Wideners filly champion, Evening Out, whose escutcheon is only faintly tarnished by a recent narrow defeat in the Gazelle, at grips with such distinguished older members of the division as La Corredora, Grecian Queen, Nothird-chance, Sunny Dale, Kerkeb and Ming Yellow. Unlike the New Castle, which is a handicap, this preliminary encounter has allowance conditions, these enabling Evening Out to get in with the feather of 104 pounds as compared with the 124 that must be carried by both La Corredora and Grecian Queen, the latter winner of a brilliant New Castle last July. Because the disparity in weight bears small relation to the difference in class or ability, Mondays race can have a bearing on the New Castle only in the sense that it will reveal actual form or condition. If you have the luck to be present, take our tip and follow proceedings with close attention, but if you are forced to pass up this interesting dress rehearsal for the big stake, Palmer Heagerty and this columnist will do our best to lend you our own eyes. AAA Ordinarily ignored by the public, the scale of weights is of extreme importance when colts or fillies meet their elders, particularly at this season of the year. In Mondays Get Ready, Evening Out will benefit from a 20- Rich New Castle to Have Dress Rehearsal Conditions Toss Evening Out in With Feather Grecian Queen at Last Shows Return to Form The Masts Early Spill Spoils Sport in Chase pound concession in actual weight from both La Corredora and Grecian Gueen, while according to the scale for June at a mile, the nearest thing to the Get Readys distance, the two fine mares will be conceding the filly eight pounds, and Nothirdchance concedes her two pounds. Evening Out on the other hand must concede a single pound to Sunny Dale, Ming Yellow, Kerkeb, Ros Clag, Rica Rosie and Bless America. As you can plainly see, this presents La Corredora and Grecian Queen with an almost impossible task, while Evening Out, Sunny Dale and Nothirdchance, on the basis of their best form, are all three favorably placed. For last years 10-furlong New Castle, Grecian Queen, then a three-year-old, carried scale weight of 114 pounds, conceding six to Devilkin and nine to My Celeste, second and third to Mrs. Whitakers daughter of Heliopolis in the rich feature. AAA La Corredora is her usual brilliant self this season, but little Grecian Queen, given many opportunities, has proved a sad disappointment both to her connections and to those racegoers whose hearts she had won by what seemed last year never-failing consistency and courage. No more than her skillful trainer, Jim Conway, can we give a reason for her peculiar lapse from grace, but we were encouraged early this week at Aqueduct by what did appear to be a recovery of form. Racing against Alfred Vanderbilts sensational four-year-old, Crash Dive, Grecian Queen forced the issue for about seven furlongs, setting to her task with an enthusiasm that previously had been totally lacking. She wound up back in the pack in the Long Island race, but that effort was nevertheless a good omen for the immediate future, so much so that we look forward to her being a factor here on Monday. At least the Get Ready will show pretty plainly whether or not Grecian Queen belongs in the New Castle line-up. AAA What a pity that The Mast had to take a tumble at the very first fence in yesterdays Georgetown! We had been looking forward eagerly to the erratic but brilliant black rascals encounter with Mrs. Vernon Cardys Sun Shower, this pair appearing to dominate the interesting test over the big obstacles, but with his spill the race became a rather routine affair, Sun Shower winning much as he pleased. We had assumed that The Mast would go to the post for the two-mile Georgetown a very slight choice in the wagering, but we certainly did not expect Mrs. J. R. H. Thourons gelding to close at 3-to-5 as against nearly 4-to-l obtainable on Sun Showers chances. The only explanation of this irrational partiality is that The Mast is locally owned and trained, the public here being remarkably loyal to any horse that Jim Ryan may saddle. Fortunately for our own peace of mind, we had called your attention to the carelessness with which The Mast confronts his fences on occasion, but this mistake was more flagrant than could possibly have been-anticipated. AAA Another casualty of this Georgetown running, although he did manage to finish second to the accomplished Sun Shower strictly on his courage, was James P. Continued on Page Forty-Nine MRS. JAN BURKE Owner of the seiv sational Martyr who won Saturdays Greenfield Purse at Aqueduct by nine lengths. WEIGHING IN By EVAN SHIP MAN Continued from Page Sixty McHughs Sundowner. Sundowner, looking better than he has all season, made a bad mistake at the eighth fence, the same obstacle that had proved fatal to The Masts chances at the start of the race. For nearly all the distance, it was Kent Millers Tourist List, who ran in closest proximity to Sun Shower, but Sundowner, once recovered from his near spill, persisted with admirable resolution, getting up to snatch the place from old Tourist List in the final strides as Pat Smithwick cantered past the post "with Sun Shower. When the" field was checked, it was plain that Sundowner had hurt himself, and he was limping painfully on his return to the scales. This mishap will eliminate McHughs gelding from next weeks Indian River, while there is also a possibility that The Mast too will not be in shape to start in the last and most important of the associations steeplechase fixtures. If these dismal forebodings prove correct, it will be a great shame because this division has sore need of every good horse that it can muster.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1954062801/drf1954062801_61_3
Local Identifier: drf1954062801_61_3
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800