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~ ~ ■,,,,,,„,,,,!,,,,,,.,. ■ ■■ ,„;,,„.;,. ""™ OReilly on Racing By Tom OReilly Derby Pick Iron Liege Also Preakness Choice Recalls Arcaros Mistake With Devil Diver Many Interesting Things to See in Baltimore PREAKNESS BOUND. May 14— These deathless words are being typed out in the club car of the "Con-540." Know what the "Congo" is? Well, if you associated ■,,,,,,„,,,,!,,,,,,.,. ■ ■■ ~ ,„;,,„.;,. ~ with with Pullman Pullman porters porters and and honest honest with with Pullman Pullman porters porters and and honest honest brakemen they never stole boxcars » , as long as I did, youd know that the "Congo" is the railroaders name for the famed Congressional Limited, running daily between New York and Washington. This crack flyer hesitates for a minute in Baltimore, where I get off and anyone who cracks, "He who hesitates fs lost." may leave the room. They run the 00,000 Preakness Preakness Stakes Stakes in in Baltimore Baltimore on on ""™ Preakness Preakness Stakes Stakes in in Baltimore Baltimore on on Saturday and, as you know, this is the second stop in any race horses journey toward the Triple Crown. The first is the Kentucky Derby and the last is the Belmont Stakes. The only horse with a chance of winning the Triple Crown this year is Iron Liege, the Derby victor. I picked him in the Derby. So the least I can do is stick with him. Bring on Bold Ruler or anyone else! Willie Hartack, the diminutive genius who rode Iron Liege in the Derby, says Gen. Duke is the best Calumet horse. This does not alter my opinion of Iron Liege a fraction. You see. I was in Kentucky the day Eddie Arcaro, the best money rider in the world, decided that Devil Diver had a better chance in the Derby than Shut Out. John Gaver, who trained both of them for Greentree, begged Eddie to ride Shut Out, but Arcaro wouldnt listen and so young Wayne Wright had his picture taken with the blanket of roses over the horse. Ever since I have been somewhat suspicious of a jockeys ability to pick winners. I know what the man meant when he said, "Id get rich if theyd give me a bookmakin concession in the jocks room." Visit to the Monument City One of the nicest things about the Preakness does not concern the race itself. It is merely the fact that this race gives more people an excuse to visit Baltimore. The Monument City is one of my favorite towns. It has plenty of tradition and character, both delightfully good and bad. In addition to being a great seaport it has one of the worlds most renowned hospitals —Johns Hopkins — a magnificent library, some first-class newspapers, which produced one of the greatest newspapermen of all time — Henry L. Mencken — the great Peabody Music Institute, some fine art galleries, and the worlds finest seafood and southern cooking, and is within easy distance of the race tracks — Laurel, Pimlico, Bowie, Timonium. etc. What more do you need? The town is both sophisticated and insular. It is inordinately proud of its "Baltimore Belles." and who can blame it? Didnt the King of England give up his throne for one of them — Wally Simpson? I remember when that yarn broke and the New York papers telephoned Mencken to ask him what he thought of it. Happily, the great man gave off from pounding away at his typewriter about kind hearts and coronets to roar in the phone: "Its the greatest story to hit Baltimore since the Resurrection! Baltimores social insularity is famous and good for a thousand silly tales. Ladies set great store by attendance to its ancient "bachelors cotillion," and the manner in which wealthy fox-hunting squires, living it up in the absolutely beautiful valleys surrounding the city, look at the world outside is downright touching. One time, at the Maryland Hunt Cuprace, which is run every spring, over natural country in beautiful Worthingtqn Valley, the Cockeysville fire department band was tootling away at the National Anthem as the horses prepared to go to the post. Everyone removed his hat and stood up, naturally, when a beautiful feminine voice was heard singing the words. This voice was positively gorgeous and obviously trained as it rang out clear and sweet across the green valley. Inquiries were made about the singer. Who was she? Past is Past Among the Hunt Set An old Green Spring Valley fox hunter, with a pheasant feather in his hat. said, helpfully, "Why, thats Mayor Jacksons daughter-in-law. Nice voice she has. I believe she used to sing on the stage. . Then he turned to a friend and said: "Didnt Mayor Jacksons daughter-in-law used to sing professionally? What was her stage name? His companion wasnt sure, but between them they found out. It was only Rosa Ponselle, of the Metropolitan Opera Company, in New York. She had studied and sung her way to fame in all the capitals in Europe. But in Baltimore she was strictly Mayor Jacksons daughter-in-law. She has since been divorced. In addition to good food, music and other attractions, Baltimore is not remiss in entertaining the tired sailor. It has a nightclub called The Oasis, which, for real, down-to-earth rowdiness, cannot be surpassed from here to Suez and back, and Ive made that voyage. So, no matter what you are looking for after the races, Baltimore has it. Everything but the Broadway theatre. Well, they had to leave something for New York. All a-board!
