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Reflections By NELSON DUNSTAN New Yorkers Eager to See Nashua Fabius New Definite Derby Threat Trial Winner Best Son of Citation CitationNEW NEW YORK N Y May 2 New York ¬ ers are keyed up over seeing Nashua in the Grey Lag Handicap on the week end Al ¬ though asked to give f eight pounds to his chief rivals Fisherman and Joe Jones there is no doubt in this writ ¬ ers mind that he can do so In his last start the Gulfstream Park Handicap he gave the worst exhibition of his entire career Whether he sulked or there was some other reason he finished unplaced At the weights it is difficult to say where his main opposition will come from The French importation Le Beau Prince has won his four starts in this country but he is definitely moving up in class in facing some of the best handicap performers now in training Impasse ran a powerful race at Jamaica on Monday carrying 117 pounds For the Grey Lag Jimmy Kilroe has assigned him 110 and this way weight ¬ ed the Valley Farm gelding could be dan ¬ gerous This event should draw one of the largest throngs of the New York season provided of course the weather is more summery than has been the case on week ends to date It will be an interestingday with Nashua attempting to climb closer to Citations moneywinning record and Fa ¬ bius representing that champion in the Kentucky Derby DerbyWith With the Derby Trial now in the rec ¬ ord books the field for the classics comes more clearly into focus In winning the Trial Fabius accounted for his third con ¬ secutive victory If the track is fast on the week end he must be regarded as a definite threat to Needles and the C V Whitney pair of Career Boy and Head Man Fabius is a son of Citation out of Shameen by Royal Minstrel and is un ¬ doubtedly the best of Citations first crop In a conversation with Joe Wil ¬ liams Ben Jones is credited with saying People say Citation isnt much sire Its too early to tell Fabius was one of his first crop and hes a Derby starter That isnt bad is it We will have to agree with the veteran Calumet trainer No horse can be judged completely by his first crop even though John E Madden once said If a sire does not get a good one in his first or second crop he is not likely to do so later on Fabius raced in Florida during the winter and then went to Keeneland to win from Reaping Bight and Toby B by six lengths He has been brought up to the Derby under the keen eye of Jimmy Jones son of Ben and he should justify the faith that father and son have in his daddy Citation CitationIn In the Derby Trial Countermand was second and Head Man third Countermand is a bay colt by Greek Song out of Everget by Snark He and Head Man have justi ¬ fied their starting in the Derby Counter ¬ mand is trained by Buddy Raines of the Brandywine Stable He thinks his colt has improved greatly since last winter when the horse was being given liver and iron shots lor anemia This year he has started but three times and in the Blue Grass Stakes ran evenly to finish fourth He is nominated for all three of the Triple Crown races so it must be that his con ¬ nections had faith that he would respond to treatment and improve as a threeyear old The Trial was the first defeat that Head Man has suffered this season al ¬ though it must be added that he was beaten by Golf Ace in the Wood Memorial The latter was disqualified and Head Man was given the long end of the purse He will be coupled with Career Boy on Satur ¬ day and they will probably be second choice to Needles at the mutuel windows windowsA A reader asks What could be the odds at this time that a threeyearold will not win the Triple Crown Frankly that one stumps us We would not make such a wager nor would we want to hold it Since 1853 only 14 have won the Triple Crown of England and the last of these was the Aga Khans Bah ¬ rain who won the Derby St Leger and 2000 Guineas back in 1935 In this country only eight have been able to accomplish the feat Sir Barton being the first in 1919 Citation was the last winner of all three races in 1948 Some sophomores have won the Derby and Preakness others the Derby and Bel ¬ mont and still oihers the Preakness and andContinued Continued on Page FortyThree REFLECTIONS REFLECTIONSBy By NELSON DUNSTAN Continued from Page Screw ScrewBelmont Belmont Man o War did not start in the Derby but was a brilliant winner of the Preakness and Belmont It takes A miffhty good horse to join the exclusive list and there is no telling what odds should be given on it being accomplished in any season Citation showed his class by winning the Derby in sloppy going took the Preakness on a track labeled heavy and then won the Belmont en a
