Reflections: March Race Speculation Continues High Voltage Bids for Championship Shoemaker, Hartack in Saddle Duel, Daily Racing Form, 1955-06-21

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iiimii , ii ;.un mLmmMmAmmJlm Reflections - By Nelson Dunstan Match Race Speculation Continues High Voltage Bids for Championship Shoemaker, Hartack in Saddle Duel NEW YORK, N. Y., June 20. Racing passed another big week end, and, despite the attraction of the beaches, the open road and other sports, goodly crowds iiimii , ii ;.un attended attended at at all all tracks. tracks. There There attended attended at at all all tracks. tracks. There There were a number of outstanding happenings, among them, the largest Daily -Double pay-off of the New York season, 89.20, for those fortunate enough to hold tickets on Standee in the first and New Venture in the second. Ted Atkinson rode Standee and finished the day with five winners. Ted was atop Gold Box, winner of the Shevlln, but we doubt that this this Greentree Greentree colt colt is is going going to to be be mLmmMmAmmJlm this this Greentree Greentree colt colt is is going going to to be be a threat to Nashua in the Dwyer at Aqueduct on July 2. Although there has been no indication of whether Nashua will meet Swaps at Hollywood Park, Washington Park or Monmouth, their proposed duel is uppermost in the minds of New, York racing fans. Nashua is attaining the status of Man o War, Gallant Fox and Count Fleet as three-year-olds here in the East. There is a different twist this year, however, as the West Coast has the one colt who stands in his way to being the sophomore champion of the season. There is no possibility of a match race between this pair until September at the earliest. We will have more to say on this later. Wheatley Filly Holds Decided Edge Awarding championships in the middle of June is risky business, but we are going to hazard the prediction that the Wheatley Stables High Voltage will be voted the three-year-old filly crown when the ballots are counted in the fall. Voted the best two-year-old filly of 1954, this daughter of Ambiorix won the 1955 Acorn, Black-Eyed Susan and Coaching Club American Oaks in succession and, on the past week end, scored a victory over Hen Party in the Delaware Oaks. The Wheatley filly won by a neck, but as this was the third time she defeated the Haggin miss, she is clearly her superior. In the Top Flight Handicap at Belmont Park" against older members of her sex, she finished seventh with no apparent excuse. Meeting those of her own age, she has defeated the best fillies now campaigning in the East. She is an eligible for the New Castle this Saturday and then the 10,000 Delaware Handicap on July 2. In both races, she will meet older fillies and mares. It is a foregone conclusion, barring accidents, that she will he in the line-up for the Alabama at Sara-" toga on August 24, and a victory in that event would be about all that is needed for her to be voted the champion of her sex and age. . Ted Atkinson was not the only jockey to score five victories on the week end, for Willie Shoemaker came back at Hollywood Park to accomplish the same feat. During the five days on the ground, Willie Hartack passed Shoemaker in the national jockey standings, but "Shoe" has given notice that he is back in the race for honors. At the end of May, Shoemaker led the list with 161 victories, Hartack was second with 151 and Ted Atkinson third with 104. In the igood old days" it was quite a feat for a jockey to pass the 300 mark, but that has been accomplished in the last four years and it now seems possible for both Shoemaker and Hartack to join the list this season. In 1953, Shoemaker scored with 485 of his 1,683 mounts. Although "records are made to be broken," we wonder if the day will come when a jockey will top that and also his total of 865 for two consecutive years. Chicago Fans Getting Finest Sport-As these lines are being written, the field is going to the post for the Primer Stakes, featuring the. opening of the 36-day summer meeting at Arlington Park in Chicago. Actually, the Arlington meeting is a continuation of that at Balmoral, which closed on Saturday, and will be followed by 31 days at Washington Park. Chicago fans are now getting abdut the finest in horse racing. At the combined meetings of Arlington and Washington, there will be four stakes at 00,000, two of 5,000, five at 0,000, six at 5,000 and many others of lesser value. Ben Lindheimer, executive director of the two Chicago tracks, was the pioneer of grass racing in this country and this year the 00,000 Arlington Handicap for three-year-olds and older horses, and the 00,000 American Derby, for three-year-olds, will be run on the turf course. There are many other stake events on grass, and this type of racing has made a decided hit with the Windy City fans. There are rich events for every division and it is possible that Nashua will go to Chicago for the 00,-000 Arlington Classic on July 16 and Swaps will be a starter in the 00,000 American Derby on August 20.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1955062101/drf1955062101_4_3
Local Identifier: drf1955062101_4_3
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800