view raw text
.Reflections ■ By Nelson Dunstan Derby Focuses Eyes and Ears on Louisville Summer Tan Apt to Improve on Saturday Swaps and Racing Fool Gain Supporters NEW YORK, N. Y„ April 30.— One of racings biggest weeks of the year is at hand. Opt Saturday possibly 100,000 specators will converge on Churchill Downs for the 81st running of the Kentucky Derby and there is no telling how many millions will watch the race on television or listen to the radio accounts. It was thought in many quarters that the Wood Memorial meeting of Nashua and Summer Han would take the edge from the Derby interest and that might have been the case had the Belair colt won with plenty of daylight between him and Mrs. John Gal- breaths son of Heliopolis. But the crucial test as they turned into the stretch only whetted the appetite of those who will see this pair hook-up for the sixth time, come Saturday. The Wood developed into one of the bitterest struggles ever staged by three-year-olds in this untry and the result caused many to think that the Derby renewal will be a two-horse race. That remains to be seen but anyone who reviews past Derby runnings will note that what looked like two-horse races before the runnings seldom resulted in that way. . Upset Not Beyond Realm of Probability On the surface it does appear that the Derby will be another duel between Nashua and Summer Tan but we cannot agree with those who insist it is all over but for the shouting for the Belair colt. To date this son of Nasrullah has compiled a remarkable record and the fact that he has won four out of the five clashes with Summer Tan makes it appear that he is the cream of our three-year-old crop. He will, undoubtedly be post-time favorite but there has. been many upsets and we believe it could happen again this year. Lets look at a few of the facts. After The Garden State last fall, the Galbreath colt became seriously ill and there was a question, even if he recovered, Whether he would ever race again if he did, would be but a shell of his former self. This year, he was out for the first time at Jamaica and won by 14 lengths in the race that was little more than a work out. In the Wood Memorial, as everyone now knows, he was beaten by Nashua by a1 neck. -. Nashua is at his peak but there is plenty of room for improvement on the part of Summer Tan and we look for him to give the Belair colt the fight of his life at Louisville. Sherrill Ward is well satisfied with his condition and, although he has not publicly said so, we feel sure the trainer expects improvement in this first leg of the Triple Crown. It is possible that 10 will go to the post in the Derby and while the field has no out-and-out dark horses, there are some who must be given an outside chance -against the pair that is so outstanding. Only the Derby *~ Trial on Tuesday remains to be contested and, in -all probability, Flying Fury from the Cain Hoy Stable will be a starter. This colt, by Nasrullah, is expected to be a Derby runningmate of Racing Fool, who won the Blues Grass Stakes at Keeneland last Thursday. In that Derby prep, Racing Fool defeated Jeans Joe by three-quarters of a length and this pair could be factors to be reckoned with. Another sophomore who Will have supporters is Swaps, who was sent from California to Louisville and has been training steadily since his arrival. This sturdy son of Khaled won the 00,000 Santa Anita Derby. Of his eight starts, he won five. He took the San Vincente Stakes on a rainy afternoon in muddy going. Should the track be off at Louisville, he is a horse to watch. He defeated Blue Ruler in the Santa Anita Derby, but it was a two-horse race between Swaps and Jeans Joe in the stretch run, with the former getting home first by a length and a half. Blue Ruler had to be content with third money. Like many others ranked high on the Experimental list, Blue Ruler has been declared out of the Derby. Delaware Valley at Garden State Saturday Next week end, seven stake events will be staged at tracks throughout the country, but the only one besides the Derby featuring three-year-olds is at Garden State, which will offer the 5,000 Delaware Valley Stakes at six furlongs. Here in New York, the Roseben Handicap for three-year-olds and older horses at seven furlongs will top the card. Immediately after the running, Long Island fans will hurry home, or wherever television and radio sets will give them the Derby at Louisville. The Roseben should draw a splendid field. Besides White Skies, those nominated include Due De Fer, Golden Gloves, Bobby Brocato, Sailor, Mark-Ye-Well, Joe Jones and. others. The Roseben, with 5,000 added,, will be a forerunner to the 0,000 Metropolitan Handicap at one mile on May 14. The Metropolitan is the first race in New Yorks handicap Triple Crown, the others being the Suburban and Brooklyn. Only two horses have been able to win this coveted triple, Whisk Broom H. in 1913 and Tom Fool in 1953.
