view raw text
■ r ■■■ I, m ■ ■■!■■— — — ■— — — i ii i I— — — Probable Preakness field appears on back page. 4 Field for Preakness Stabilized At Seven as Stars Take to TV LOUIS LEE HAGGIN II— His homebred three-year-old, Manteau, was a popular winner of the Bunting Purse at Washington Park yesterday. Iron Liege, Bold Ruler and Trainers Appear on Today Show Set Up in Stable Area By JOE IIIRSCII PIMLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 16.— Preakness candidates and their interests were all "actors" here this morning as television completely took over activtites pertaining to Saturdays 81st running of the middle jewel of racings Triple Crown. Other than this, significant developments were at a minimum on the local scene, the probable starting field now appearing set at seven horses. They are Calumets likely favorite Iron Liege. Wheatleys Bold Ruler, Clifford Lusskys Federal Hill, Roslyn Farms Inswept, Mrs. Ethel D. Jacobs Promised Land, Mrs. Jules Schwartz" Nah Hiss and the D and M Stables Inside Tract, who is due here from New York Friday night at 6 p. m. Shortly after 3 a. m., NBCs •Today show began rolling into the stable area off Belvedere Avenue with huge truckloads of equipment, setting up alongside barn J where most of the Preakness horses are stabled and just off the gap at the half-mile pole. With "Todays" sports editor, Cliff Evans, doing the interviewing and the commentary, Americas leading three-year-olds and some of the turfs most noted personalities paraded before the cameras on cue in an appealing "spectacular" that was seen from coast-to-coast. At 7:35 a. m. Federal Hill stepped "on Continued on Page Four ► __ **• . , . PRINCE ERIC, winner of yesterdays seventh race at the Balmoral meeting at Washington Pork, shown with owner Emil Denemark left and trainer George Alexandra. Preakness Field Stabilized at Seven Most of Probables Seen on Television Iron Liege, Bold Ruler and Trainers Appear on Today Show Set Up in Stable Area Continued from Page One stager and galloped once around, followed by an interview with trainer Stanley Rieser, who lounged against the outer rail in complete nonchalance with a microphone hung around his neck. Calumet trainer Jimmy Jones, who was to follow the "Rieser act," dryly remarked that conditioners of the future would have to be prepared with song-and-dance routines and, perhaps, "an old soft shoe." The first segment lasted some seven minutes and was followed an hour later by a cast consisting of Iron Liege, Bold Ruler, Iron Lieges rider, Willie Hartack, and Bold Rulers trainer, Jim Fitzsimmons. "Mr. Jones," said the "Today" director before this 10-minute bit went on, "Id like you to bring Iron Liege out first and then Mr. Fitz can follow with Bold Ruler." "I hope you can keep them that way on Saturday afternoon," the affable Jimmy observed. . m Iron Liege Circles Track Iron Liege, with exercise boy Freddie Randolph up, circled the track in a light gallop, then departed for his "dressing 1 room." Bold Ruler had his regular boy, Tommy Quinn, in the saddle and was sent i somewhat more briskly along the back-stretch by Fitzsimmons. Hartack, in a i striking striped sports shirt and slacks, told of his early days on the race track and l added some comments about Iron Liege, followed by the charming Mr. Fitz in a more somber navy blue jacket. At 9:35 starter Eddie Blind took over t with appropriate remarks about his duties at the barrier, after which the cameras 3 trained on the starting gate for a good shot t of a breaking field. Mr. Fitz was next for r an encore, while Bold Ruler looked on in i the background, and then Promised Land 1 got into the act as he, too, grazed for a i nationwide audience. The only Preakness probables who failed 1 to put in an appearance were Nah Hiss 3 and Inswept, both of whom galloped in l comparative privacy and who are scheduled 1 to blow out through the stretch, either tomorrow • or an Saturday morning. Aside from remarks of questionable ; humor on television and the theatrical 1 abilities of the parties involved, much of f the talk along the backstretch this morning - involved the fine work that Promised 1 Land turned in between races yesterday j afternoon. The gray son of Palestinian i went seven furlongs in 1:24% and galloped 1 out the full mile in 1:39%, only a fifth of a i second off Federal Hills move earlier this s week. Trainer Hirsch Jacobs, caught on the I dead run back to New York where he is s conditioning his large string, seemed well 1 pleased with the way Promised Land 1 handled himself, and indicated that he » wouldnt be surprised to get at least part t of the money on Saturday. Jacobs, one of [ the countrys outstanding horsemen, rarely j ships his stock where he doesnt figure to j rate a good chance. Between "performances," Mr. Fitz camped j in a comfortable chair at the end of his s shedrow and observed that Bold Ruler r "looks all right to me." The grand old man x said he had conferred with Eddie Arcaro -, following Mondays Preakness Prep and 1 that Arcaro told him that he didnt think c that blinkers helped the colt a bit. "However," . said Mr. Fitz, "he won with them j . and hell wear them again on Saturday. Ill widen the slot at the back of each cup j to give him a chance to see a little more." • Federal Hills connections also seem well ■ satisfied with the way their colt is coming y up to the race, but the general opinion here g seems to be that Iron Liege may go off as s low as 4-to-5 and has the ability to make - these odds stand up. In other Preakness news — Federal Hills s trainer Milton Rieser and owner Clifford j Lusskys son are due by plane from Louisville " on Friday night. . . . Inswepts owner, • Gough Thompson, was out at the barn this morning to confer with trainer Frank K Bonsai. . . . Julie Schwartz, the clean-up P man whose wife owns Nah Miss, arrived * from New York. . . . Hirsch Jacobs is due back Saturday morning to saddle Promised i Land. . . . Eddie Arcaro comes down from a Gotham on Saturday, accompanied by his s close friend Don Ameche. . . . Eldon Nelson l has been assigned the mount on Inside e Tract.
