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;j,i ..JJ...I Canada Admirals Ace Like King Maple? By FRANK ARMSTRONG TORONTO. Canado.— Two years ago when McMacken Stables King Maple was voted Canadas Horse of the Year this department, after chatting with the owners trainer John Hornsby, jockey Herb Lindberg and some of the stable help, considered that no phase of his career had been overlooked. Now we know that it is never too late to learn something old but still new. We were chatting with owner Gorden McMacken and trainer Hornsby and during the course of conversation we inquired for King Maple, asking their opinion on the colts chances of remaining on top ranks as a four-year-old. They admitted it was going to be a little tougher on the score that there are fewer stakes opportunities fashioned exclusively for Cana-dian-breds. Hell step out of the division for his richest opportunity with the best on the circuit and it is unlikely in view of his record that he will be leniently weighted by the handicapper. Similarly his record will probably restrict his opportunities in the allowance races, but King Maple is apparently as good as ever and is confidentally expected to meet any test with favorable results. Thus far in the young season King Maple has trained impressively. At this point, Jack Stafford joined the discussion and the untold phase of King Maples career was uncovered. Stafford lamented the fact that his two-year-old half brother to King Maple, which had been purchased at private terms as a yearling, has shown no inclination to run. There is no better-looking youngster in the local colony than this son of Wee Admiral — Noon Maid, by Soleil du Midi. Stafford said that he had several two -year -olds, acquired at the sales at a fraction of the price for the costly good-looker. McMacken, who bought most of the produce of Noon Maid and raced them with varying degrees of success, informed Stafford that the champion King Maple was the counterpart of Admirals Ace at the same age. "Just a lazy country style horse who couldnt get out of his own way. Nothing bothered him, the big loafer; he just didnt care. So help me, you could have led him down Main Street in the Orange Parade and guide him with your little finger. Sure he was a nice horse, but he was a race horse too. The boys around the barn hated him, but I had some faith in him. McMacken went on to relate incidents about his early training. Exercise riders were instructed to push and scrub in workouts before his debut. He responded slightly, and there was hope for improvement. Said McMacken: "We engaged veteran Charlie McTague to ride him in his first start; explained that he was a lazy colt, and told him to use the stick from the time the stalls opened. King Maple beat two horses in a 10-horse field. The stable boys looked at me with a knowing, T-told-you-so glint in their eyes, but I wasnt convinced that he was a no-account. "King Maple was sidelined for a month from competition. He had reached the stage where he was showing a little speed in workouts. His second start was at Fort Erie, and still McMacken was alone in the thought that he could run. McMacken recalled the race. We engaged jockey Harold Allgaier and issued the same instructions: push hard and stick him. The lazy lug beat two horses again and finished tenth in a 12-horse field. The jock gave me a little encouragement when he said the colt got to running, but too late. Comes his third race and were looking for a rider. Allgaier has an engagement. Another top boy took the mount, then took himself off in favor of another in the same race. An agent is listening and offered Herb Lindberg. We ride him. "As usual, King Maple walks out of the stalls. Lindy is forced to take up, and when they hit the stretch he swings wider as he starts to run over horses. He wins. The lads around the barn think its a fluke, and they laugh before he goes back five days later for another win under Lindy. You know the rest. He went on to sweep the stakes for two-year-olds. He was beaten at three, but, since he graduated, never turned in a really poor race." Lind- Contimied on Page Forty-Eight KING MAPLE — Canadas Horse of the Year in 1953 is reported as good as ever, s training in impressive style for his seasonal bow. » Canadian Topics By FRANK ARMSTRONG Continued from Page Nine berg has been his regular rider since that first mount at Fort Erie. There is sort of a moral to the story. McMacken, in some measure, spotted latent talent in King Maple and persisted in his faith until he was proved right. Others would have sold him down the river as a useless horse. McMacken admonished Stafford not to give up easily on his colt, with the suggestion that he may wake up in the same manner. Said he: "Wait on him now, crowd him later when he needs crowding." We imagine Stafford returned to his own barn encouraged in the thought that many a good horse is characteristically slow and buy in "infancy" and that somewhere in the stages of progress the latent talent will come to the surface. Hell have hope renewed that Admirals Ace is as good as he is good looking.
