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Maryland By Charles Hatton Hyperion Legend in His Own Time Alibi Table Now Pimlico Institution Remembrances of Past Preakness Preps PIMLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 11.— The other day we were reading our confrere Nels, Dunstan, who was quoting our longtime friend Freddy Hopkins. Why Hopkins, who developed Equipoise, Pandera and Whiskery is not the trainer of a first class string we would not know, but he certainly is one of the greatest horsemen in contemporary racing. We agree completely with his summation of Nashua. This is a very good colt. It is not his fault if he has been up against better horses. But he and his rival Swaps always acquit themselves handily in any company. Nashua is sounder than is Swaps but actually the latter colt, a grandson of the marvelous Hyperion, has improved more from three to four, and we should hesitate to guess the result of another meeting between them. Not that we think there is likely to be one. This writer has seen a lot of great stallions come and go, among them Ballot, Broomstick, Star Shoot, Sir Gallahad HI. and Bull Dog, but there has never been another sire in our time to compare with Hyperion. If you break down the result of the Derby you will see his influence everywhere. It prevails also in the sire standings in the rest of the racing world. We were the first to say that Americans were the last to fully appreciate his influence on bloodstock. Lord Derbys stallion gets horses with closely knit, flat knees, short backs and straight "galloping" hind legs. Again they have the competitive instincts of a race horse without being rank. It is an unusual combination of factors. W,e fed an apple to Hyperion at Stanley House, where he is allowed -a lot of liberties. He is not more than 15.2 though he sires many larger animals. He has personality and a lovely dark chestnut color with four white pasterns. There is a remarkable length of pelvis, the sort of thing the breeders of all other types of livestock, particularly the cattle breeders, seek * endlessly. In our oft humbled opinion he is the greatest sire since Lexington and St. Simon, and we believe his influence will be as far reaching. Morning After Version of the Race One of the most convivial institutions in American racing is the attendance at the Alibi Table in the Ante Bellum culbhouse here at Pimlico. It is a daily version of the Kentucky Derby breakfast. And many of the countrys most prominent horsemen, ranging from marse Tom Healey, Charles Fleischman, Judge Church, Andrew Jackson Joyner, John Barry Ryan, E. Barry Ryan and yours truly have enjoyed this hospitality. It is called the Alibi Table for the obvious reason it is here that trainers and jockeys give their versions of why-they were beaten the previous afternoon. Some of these apologies are very specious and amusing. There really should be a tape recording for posterity. Attending the Alibi Table is Harry Mellon, who has been functioning in this capacity for Harry M. Stevens the last seven years, and who has come to know practically everybody in racing. He never permits the coffee to get cold, and he has fresh orange juice by the gallon. It is only here at Pimlico, and on the clubhouse porch mornings at Saratoga one can absorb the true essence of horse racing. Those who attend form quite a fraternity and in many ways the Stevens caterers have succeeded in interesting more people to patronize the turf sport through this medium. It is the most delightful part of the racing day. The Preakness Prep on Monday may further illumine the picture of the May 19 classic here on the Hilltop, even though Needles and Fabius will be absentees. It was in this event several years ago that Harry Guggenheims Dark Star telegraphed his blows, and many still believe he would have again beaten Native Dancer except for bowing a tendon while in the lead turning into the rather abrupt homestretch of three-sixteenths of a mile. This very good colt now is in stud at Claiborne Farm. The Preakness Prep is not a stakes event per se but is under allowance conditions and is decided at a mile and a sixteenth. All of the winners of the Prep, with the exception of Honeys Alibi last season, have finished in the money in -the Preakness itself although none of them have won the big one. They Usually Come Close in the Big One Dooly, winner of the first Prep, finished third behind Hill Prince and Middleground in 1950. A year later Alerted won the Prep and was third in the Preakness as Bold won and Counterpart was runner-up. Prep winners improved in 1952, Jampol getting second behind Blue Man after taking the Prep. Royal Bay Gem, the 1953 winner, reverted to the earlier pattern, winding up third in the Preakness as Native Dancer triumphed with Jamie K. second. Then in 1954 Correlation took the Prep and was beaten narrowly by Hasty Road in the Preakness. It may be that finishing second in the Prep is more of an omen of success. Bold took the runner-up spot in 1951 and then accounted for the Preakness and Hasty Road, after finishing second in the Prep in 1954, had his number hung up in the Preakness.
