view raw text
■ , ««iwf i ■ y i Delaware By Charles Hatton ■ • Fahey Publicizes Distaff Big Three French Owner Interested in Events High Gun Will Find Ascot Demanding DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 4.— The "Distaff Big Three" of approximately a quarter million dollars is Delaware Parks proudest boast, and we ■ , have have no no doubt doubt it it will will bring bring here here have have no no doubt doubt it it will will bring bring here here all of the pretenders to the filly and mare title, including last season two-year-old. filly leader, High Voltage, who won the recent Coaching Club American Oaks, and the 1954 three-year-old filly champion, Parlo. Since Delawares management is fundamentally interested in racing as it pertains to bloodstock breeding, the "Distaff Big Three" is au natural natural as as the the French French say. say. Re- ««iwf i ■ y i natural natural as as the the French French say. say. Re- Responsible for publicizing these events — the 5,000 added Delaware Oaks on June 18, the "new" New Castle of 5,000 added on June 25, and the at least 10,000 added Delaware Handicap on July 2 — is a graying, energetic, middle aged chap, widely known in turf circles as Al Fahey. Unlike some of his slightly proselyting craft, Fahey is fully as interesting as the races he promotes. For one thing his cryptic remarks terrify all but the most inured newsmen and have been known to send Delawares executives scurrying for cover. For another he is "a self made man" of the sort who commands respect. A Well-Rounded Newspaper Background A native of Wilmington, Del., Fahey was born on April 15, 1912, the same day the Titanic sank. He incidentally has no qualms this particular natal day somehow invoked the wrath of some unlucky star. As a lad he attended Wilmington schools and, after leaving Wilmington high school, started in newspaper work on the International News Services Philadelphia bureau. After a year or so he resigned and came back to the local Journal, where he survived the consolidation of the Evening Journal with the -Every Evening. He had made the usual climb from newsboy, to copy boy, then to a regular staff member. For the next 15 years,1 Fahey covered the police beat, which often kept j him up nights, and did racing stories occasionally ! during the early years of Delaware Park. In the season of 1947, he joined the staff of the Stanton course as its publicist, and he has been talking over two tele- ! phones simultaneously ever since. He tells us that in his considered opinion "racing is the greatest sport in the world," and he is confident that "it will continue to grow in attendance as it has been doing for the past several years." The fame of the "Distaff Big Three" evidently has extended now to foreign lands. For one, it intrigues Pennsylvanias Ralph Beaver Strassburger, now a resident of the chandeliered Ritz in Paris, and the owner of one of Frances major stud farms and racing establishments. This soigne sportsman, with his impeccable pearl gray topper, pencil striped morning clothes, and the inevitable boutonierre straight from the Rue de la Paix, has written to Fahey to inquire into the three fabulously rich filly and mare stakes. The "gentleman of pesage," with a skin of that authentic parchment which is only to be acquired through years in the sun of the paddocks, writes Willie duPont: "I would be most interested in this meeting for next season and I should therefore greatly appreciate it if you will please send me the entry blanks showing the conditions of these races and the nomination fees required. I only hope that the cost of shipment may be reduced: We have grown some very good fillies here, one of them Vamarie by Clarion and Winona, who in 1953 broke the record for 1,000 metres in 57 54.100 in the Prix dArenberg at Longchamp, where there is electrical timing." Strassburger adds that "we had a most successful racing season last year, winning 42 races in all. Our two-year-olds were especially good. Out of the 22 that came up from my stud farm, the Haras Des Monceaux, 16 were trained and the .rest held over for development, but out of them 14 won 17 two-year-old racs out of the 42 mentioned above, and were placed in 22 other two-year-old races. We are holding five of these two-year-olds for the Prix Juigne, which is a very important three-year-old race for maidens and . is held at Longchamp in the spring over 2,000 metres a mile and a quarter." Colt Well Suited to English Course It is not at all surprising that Bob Kleberg, who " now has extensive business interests in England, should be seriously considering going abroad with High Gun for the King George VI. and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. Especially since this son of Heliopolis appears — like some others of our handicappers — to have been subjected to high weights unusually early in the season here. We should think that this colt, whom we saw win The Jockey Club Gold Cup last autumn, would be well suited by the mile and a half of the undulating course at Ascot station. Even though he will find that distance more searching, actually, than two miles at Belmont Park, with its billiard table surface. The final four furlongs are up a 10 degrees incline, nicely calculated to throw any horse deficient in stamina flat on his face. Naturally, the two miles of the Ascot Gold Cup would be more demanding in one sense. But this race has lost some lustre in late years, having been won ,by too many plodders of no particular use in stud. The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth now lends more prestige.
