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of of Saturday Saturday and and th the ■"■i-™ Reflections ■ Nelson Dunstah By • — — i Nashuas Time Subject of Discussion Belair Colt to Start in The Belmont Woodward Hopes for Race With Swaps NEW YORK, N. Y., May 31.— Seldom have easterners seen two more exciting races than the Preakness of of Saturday Saturday and and th the e Suburban Suburban on on Monday. Monday. At At a a re- e Suburban Suburban on on Monday. Monday. At At a a re- reception given by the Pimlico officials following the Preakness, and then at Larry MacPhails yearling preview on Sunday, the talk all centered around the surprising showing of Saratoga. On the morning of the race it appeared as if it was just a question of how far Nashua would win, but Saratoga gave him a tussle that made it a real horse . race for the 26,000 fans present. At At the the reception, reception, we we asked asked Bill Bill ■"■i-™ At At the the reception, reception, we we asked asked Bill Bill Woodward, Jr., his plans for Nashua and he said: "His next start will be in the Belmont, and on his showing in that race depends our future plans. We would like to have him meet Swaps, but unfortunately we did not nominate him for the American Derby in Chicago, so it is doubtful now when they will meet again." Track heads realize that a meeting between these two horses would be one of the best naturals since it was announced that Native Dancer and Tom Fool would fight it out two years ago, but that race was never run. We believe Rex Ellsworth is just as agreeable to the settling of what could be the three-year-old championship among colts as Woodward. We have an idea that sometime and somewhere during the the season these outstanding three -year-olds will get together, although present indications are that it would have to be a match race unless, of course, they were to meet in the Pimlico Special, or some other stake that has not closed. Record Run No Basis for Comparison Eddie Arcaro came to the Preakness party with Ronnie Nash and Eric Guerih and he listened to the conversation that focused on Nashua lowering Tom Fools track record of 1:55% made in the Pimlico Special two years ago. It seemed to us that the only man who was not over-enthusiastic about Nashuas time of 1:54% was the great little jockey who rode the Belair horse. With a shrug, Arcaro said: "Nashua is always a problem horse, but lowering the record is no basis for comparing Nashua and Tom Fool. Saratoga was a surprise and he is a grand colt. Whether he measures up to Swaps is a question. It take a whale of a horse to beat Nashua and he has demonstrated that all year. I call Swaps a whale of a horse." At the mile pole, the pace was terrific and Nashuas time of 1:33% is sufficient indication of that, but Saratoga stayed with him and was stretching his nose on Nashuas neck. It was noticeable that Arcaro was hand riding his horse and waving his stick only as a "shaker" through the last three-sixteenths. It had narrowed to a two-horse race as Saratoga was seven lengths In front of Traffic Judge, with the latter a neck ahead of Nances Lad.* "Rabbit" Dabson, trainer of Nances Lad, told this writer: "We did not win, but we were not disgraced." Getting back to Nashuas time record, we noticed -that the Pimlico racing strip had been scraped in the morning, and when we asked one of the officials why, he answered: "Im blessed if I know. This track is plenty fast." Time was an important factor, but not a lone factor in handicapping. It" has been charged in recent years, like the "rabbit ball" in baseball, that our racing organizations are seeking the sensational in time records. Garden States racing strip has been very fast and you probably read that our own Joe Hirsch quoted Walter Donovan, general manager at the Camden track, as saying: "Despite several recent record-breaking performances we are not time-conscious here. What we seek is a safe track. We expect it will come up to our complete satisfaction for the fall session." Garden State is one of the best managed tracks in the country today and we are somewhat surprised that management did not have their track superintendent make the changes to have the track as safe for the spring meeting as it is expected to be in the fall. The Pimlico turf course is a Very fine one, but the trainers down there tell us that the main track is entirely too fast. Safety of the horses should always be the first consideration and not time records. Hirsch to Make Decision on High Gun Long Island fans witnessed a thrilling Suburban with the William Helis horse, Helioscope, in receipt of five pounds, scoring by a heacT over King Ranchs High Gun, who carried top weight of 133 pounds. It is now up to Max Hirsch to determine whether High Gun * shall be sent to England for the King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on July 17. If he goes to the other side he will be in the capable hands of Capt. Cecil Boyd-Rochfort, one of Englands foremost trainers. To Americans he is known as the British, conditioner of the Belair Stud colorbearers abroad. * He saddled Omaha when that colt ran second to Quashed in the Ascot Gold Cup of 1936. He was also trainer of the Queens horse Aureole, the British Horse of the Year in 1954. Of a noted Irish family, Boyd-Rochfort suceeded to the post of royal trainer in 1942. His assistant is Bruce Hobbs, the American lad, who, at 17, won the Grand National Steeplechase at Aintree with the American jumper, Battleship. * Referring to the auction at the Belmont Ball of a season to Spy Song in this column on Monday, we stated that the stud fee for the Dixiana sire was ,000. We hasten to correct out error, for Spy Sons stands at ,500. *
