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__ Delaware — ■ By Charles Hatton Steeplechasing Is Again Drawing Fire Spring Maiden Sad Glimpse of Future Need for More Racing Material Seen DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 21.— Steeplechasing is in a bad way — again. The ,500 added Spring. Maiden, which is a glimpse into the snorts sports future, future, fashioned fashioned as as it it is is __ snorts sports future, future, fashioned fashioned as as it it is is for non-winners over brush at time of closing, drew only four entrants in three interests. And its proponents assured the club such an abundance of material when the meeting opened! Through the soirees of the local landed gentry the sibilant whisper runs, rocking the sports pillars. "Steeplechasing is on the spot." It is heard in the morning ing shade shade of of the the paddock, paddock, where where ing shade shade of of the the paddock, paddock, where where trainers and jockeysengage in long, serious dialogues. It rang in the tack rooms of the stable area. It crept into the small talk over coffee in the turf club. And is reached the glittering precincts of the NSHA high above the traffic in New York. In the classical words of Richard HI.: "What strategems, how fell, how butcherly, erroneous, mutinous, and unnatural, this deadly quarrel hourly doth beget!" Everywhere: one turns there is a division of opinion, a schism in the ranks, and feeling runs high. This re-/ porter lias not interviewed his constituent, the average racegoer. Anyone can guess his reaction. It is the most material here. And it is aligned with the realists. One cannot blame the fans if they do not feel obliged, through attendance and support of the track, to assume the hunt-and-chase sets hereditary, sacred duty to abide steeplechasing come what may — even to shielding it from itself! Granted, this is a silk stocking meet. Some of its sponsors are George Apleyish in their devotion to the preservation of racing between-the-flags. But- it is perfectly understandable to us thafr . those who fill the stands and the betting rings should be unimpressed when it is recalled that some prominent turf figure entered racings portals through the steeplechase sport 30 years ago. Or when, the question of why its patrons do not develop more fencers is answered by -a remembrance of the long gone era of -Thomas Hitchcock. These worthy vignettes of memory are museum pieces. There is a place for them, in rac- -ings shrine on Saratogas storied Union Avenue. Three Major Tracks Offer Jumps Steeplechasing at major tracks now is confined to -this course, Saratoga and Belmont Park. This observer happens to be among those who enjoy a good steeplechase. We do not yield to anyone in respect for such idols of the chase as Elkridge, Golden Meadow and Jolly Roger. But when patrons of this colorful phase of the sport do not support it properly, it becomes insupportable to the public. It is not a matter of purse distribution. Only a few years ago, we analyzed the statistics and found that, pro-rated, there was approximately 0,000 for every jumper who started. Further it is understood that the GNYA plans this fall to compensate for the prize money lost by an abeyance of spring steeplechasing at Belmont Park. We quite appreciate that it is expensive "making" a hedge horse, often requiring a year of -schooling. The painful fact remains — there are not enough steeplechase horses. Turf ana: Eddie Arcaro and Don Ameche now are partners in backing some Broadway productions. Last time Arcaro assumed the benevolent mantle of Broad- -way angel it cost him 0,000. The show flopped in -two weeks. Perhaps prophetically, it was called the Swan Song . . . There are writers yho could not cover the Ascension without seeing a beezelbub lurking in, the clouds. But we must say one could have covered last Wednesdays hurdle race. with reasonable accuracy by reciting "the lay of the hospital race." Half the afield of eight pulled up lame. Kings Rule broke flat down. Jubilee Days rider, Ellingwprth, lost both irons. • Jockey Thompson, on the runner-up, Mycroft, was obviously in a coma. But the odds-on Galatian got home . . . They had the "filly frolics" here the other day, a gathering of visiting newspaperwomen. The writer has several times thought to enlist a feminine fan to do a sort of Girl Friday column. Trouble is they invariably insist their viewpoint is undistinguishable from that of the male racegoers. Even though at all other times we are [mere males" and naturally less bright. Value of Pimlico Futurity Soars Delaware Parks play is down about 4/i per cent, the attendance 3 per cent, thus the per capita is up. . . . The Pimlico Futurity this fall will gross about 70,000 and it will be the worlds second richest race. The running-date, November 23. . . . Scoop for breeders: Not only is Akbar Khan out of Hastra, grandam of Rose Royale heroine of this years 1,000 Guineas, Rasper II. is closely related to the sensational Crepello, winner of the 2,000 Guineas and Epsom Derby. Red Sunset is the dam of Rasper II., and the granddam of Crepello, also of the 56 1,000 Guineas winner Honeylight. Interesting, eh?
