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Maryland By Charles Hatton Calumets on Hilltop for the Rich Preakness Derby Winners Attendants Discuss Charges Lucky Star Over Calumet Farm April 15, 54 PIMLICO. Baltimore. Md.. May 8.— It was with unfeigned enthusiasm a group of newsmen greeted "the Calumets" as they detrained from a Toonerville trolley at 11:20 here on the Pimlico siding this morning. Iron Liege. Gen. Duke. Amoret. Sharpsburg, Arzil-la and Boone Blaze were a welcome sight after the thousand years we had been waiting for them at this rococo, Mt. Washington, whistle stop station. The Missouri Joneses, pere et fils, were conspicuous by their absence, leaving the reception of the horses to foreman Al Falocono. who has been in their employ 10 years, and himself has a trainers license. Falocono reported that the Florida and Kentucky Derby winners and their traveling companions seemed to have shipped from Louisville in good order. He guessed that nothing startling in the way of training would be required of them for several days. He could not guess Gen. Dukes Preakness status. It is nor a quarter crack." he said, discussing Gen. Dukes Achilles heel. "It is a deep-seated bruise, or maybe a little stone. It it is a bruise, it will work down and out of the hoof that way. If it is a stone, it will work out through the coronary band. His feet have unusually thin soles, and he has been on some fast tracks. Why. we had five horses with broken bones in their feet last year." The Duke Is a Better Doer It will be time enough to speculate on "Dukes" chances of getting to the post in the Preakness when he has undergone a serious trial, which he will need after his enfoi-ced idleness, and has come out of it satisfactorily. But, of course. Mayor Jimmy, who will be here tomorrow did not send him to the Hilltop just for Baltimoreans amusement and the codfish cakes. He would eat them. too. we gather. For his groom says: "He is a better doer than Mike thats Iron Liege is." Wendell Griffin, a well-spoken, thorough horseman, who is the Kentucky Derby winners confidante, confirmed this last. "Iron Liege is not the biggest feeder in the world." he said. "We give him some night feeding. But he drinks a lot of water. Likes to play in it. He had a little kidney trouble, but we got him over it. Now he stands on his hind legs in a more natural position. This horse can build up a little tension at times. But there isnt a mean thought in his head. Puts me in mind of his uncle. Swaps, in a lot of ways." It is clear from our conversations with the Calumet colts attendants they prefer Gen. Duke to Iron Liege. He seems more amiable and amenable. It does not surprise us that jockey Hartack is partial to the little brown. In the Derby Trial, Erb attempted to take a good hold on Iron Liege and the colt did a Bold Ruler, making them both look bad. It was this trainer Jones had reference to when he said, before the Derby. that he had learned something about Iron Liege in the Again there is a good deal of daylight under Iron S.ial. ege. "Dukes" format suggests a more durable racing tool, for all the mishap to his foot, now the mcst famous since Pavlowas. Trainer John Nerud of Ralph Lowes Gallant Man named for an unbeaten thoroughbred hero of a movie the owner saw , tells us that "the colt was a little shook up on that long train ride and I will gallop him several days before deciding whether to start him in the Preakness. We should know about Tuesday. I would say the chances look good this morning, but, of course, the decision will be up to Mr. Lowe." Rumor had it Gallant Man experienced a "car fit." but Nerud said. "No. nothing of the kind. He has a good temperament. He could not do the things he does if he didnt. He is a champion in everything but size." Most Highly Bred Competitor Nerud added that Lowe originally purchased Gallant Man for his intrinsic value at stud. As we have previously noted, he is perhaps the most highly bred of the Triple Crown competitors, by Migoli, out of the Irish Oaks winner Majideh, by Mahmoud. He is a half brother to Masaka. who won the Epsom and Irish Oaks for the Aga Khan. Nerud observed that while his charge may be construed along economical lines, "he has a big heart." I think he will go a good mile and a half, and he has set a record at six furlongs." It was at the mile and one-half routes of the Arc de Triom-phe and English Oaks his nearest of kin made then-reputations. The coincidence of top three-year-olds that have come Mrs. Markeys way this season is the talk of the turf these days. Farm manager Paul Ebel-hardt notes that this is traceable to their very origin, telling us a romantic little anecdote to illustrate it. "It is a singular thing." he says, "it all began one eventful night in the foaling barn at the farm. April 15, 1954, as I recall. We were helping Good Blood deliver her foal, when Wistful got down and started foaling a couple of stalls away. The foals were Barbizon and Gen. Duke, and they came within an hour of one another. They shared the same fields and grew up playing together. Iron Liege was a little earlier foal. Iron Maiden had him on March 11, and we kept him with the older colts and fillies. There was something of Continued on Page Forty-On* I MARYLAND By CHARLES HATTON Continued from Page Five a premonition, you might say, about Iron Lieges birth, too. Sports Illustrated called and wanted to send photographers to get some shots of a foaling mare. We tried to pick a good one, and hit on Iron Maiden. That is how they happen to have a photographic record of his development,* like parents keep of their children. "As a breed, the Bull Leas are our smartest foals. They are usually the first to get to their feet and nurse. They are understanding. When time comes to break the yearlings, our exercise boys always want to get on one of old Bulls. Iron Liege always was rated one of our nicest colts. •B. A. liked him. Personally, I ranked Barbizon first. He is so big and smooth, a real he man of a horse. You may be right, he is cut out for the best of them." Turf ana: Vein Martin estimated there is less than a 50-50 chance Mister Jive will fill his Preakness engagement. . . . Mrs. Markey arranged for Derby accommodations for many of the Calumet staff. Ed Wells, who groomed Iron Liege as a yearling, almost suffered a heart attack when the colt won. Gave his companions in the Calumet cheering section quite a fright. . . . Iron Lieges dam. Iron Maiden, was re-. tired to produce her first foal. Iron Reward, who became the dam of Swaps. She was then returned to training and won while carrying her second born, the non-winner Iron Monocle. This renegade Hard Boot recalls seeing Iron Lieges granddam, Betty Derr. win the Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs. . . . Mrs. H. C. Phipps, in her 70s, amazes friends with her activity on the Phipps ranch in Florida. Bounces around in a jeep all day, fishing and "exploring," exhausting those who accompany her while she comes home daisy fresh. . . . "Did you call Yellow Cab yet?" Chick Lang asked one of Federal Hills camp before the Derby. "No. Should I?" the other replied. "You ought to have one waiting for that jock at the quarter pole with all four doors open, so he can jump in and say step on it." Two Lea and Wistful, the latter dam of Gen. Duke, were stablemates and occasionally running-mates. In the entrance hall to the colonial residence, in a grove of ancient trees at Calumet, Mrs. Markey has hung the mares portraits facing one another. They shared the same paddock on retirement,. P. S. — Two Lea" was the "boss." . . . Horsemen with whom we have discussed it here feel the Downs stewards action against Shoemaker will encourage de- ceitfulness on the riders part Press box workers are rooting for Eddie Mc-Canns speedy recovery from his recent heart attack. . . . The Derby winners two-year-cld sister will join other Calumets at Chicago. Her ankles have been a bit gouty. . . . Pimlicos Lou Pondfield takes a dim view of the ruling which makes a pedestrian of Shoemaker, observing dolorously the local officials have no alternative but to abide by it. . . . Play was up as the meeting here got under way, about 00,-000 in fact, attendance up 1,000. . . . The D and H Stable s Needles, who scored a near miss in the 1956 Triple Crown when he was narrowly beaten in the Preakness, will be shown under colors on the upcoming Preakness program, perhaps breezing six furlongs.
