Delaware: With Regards to Turfs Younger Generation the Bells First Impressions of Delaware, Daily Racing Form, 1957-06-24

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, , i FT"»Wffirai Delaware By Charles Hatton With Regards to Turfs Younger Generation The Bells First Impressions of Delaware Park An Old Racing Family Has Some New Ideas DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 22.— In a few hours now, we shall see the New Castle. This event, and the CCA Oaks, up the road at Belmont, are , , i the the final final qualifying quaniymg rounds rounad ioi for the tuu i the the final final qualifying quaniymg rounds rounad ioi for the tuu worlds richest f illy-and-mare race here next Saturday. The morning sun is slanting through the stately old oaks in the paddock, dappling the grassy lawn and benches. The crowd has not started gathering. But seated on a bench are a handsome young couple, both blond, resting in the shade and all sicklied oer with the pale cast of thought. They are Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds Reynolds Bell. Bell. And And one one can can guess guess FT"»Wffirai Reynolds Reynolds Bell. Bell. And And one one can can guess guess what they are, thinking about. They have come from the heat of the city of Houston, to see Attica, who carries the colors of Mrs. Bells father, Hal Price Head-ley, run in the New Castle. At Belmont, a few minutes before the New Castle, Pillow Talk carries the famous navy colors, slashed with a white sash, in the Oaks. So there is much soliloquizing to be. done, and much of it is subjective We hesitated to interrupt, but had not seen them for a long time. If you have not seen them for 15 minutes it is a long time. "Chicken," we said to Bell, "you should be up there rooting for Pillow Talk." Smiling, Bell agreed. "But we never saw Delaware Park before," he said. -»Isnt it lovely," Mrs. Bell enthused. "Reminds one of Keeneland, or Saratoga. It really is one of the most beautiful tracks I have seen, so restful and green." Then, "you must find it interesting to be here. All these filly-and-mare races." Inherant Preference to Matrons-while we were admitting the soft impeachment, she hastened to say: "I think you are right, you know. They are important. I am- selling my colts to help keep the fillies." Clearly, the former Alice Headley-is her fathers daughter. Reared among the mares and foals, with Alcibiades, Sparta, Salaminia and the others at famed Beaumont, she early learned to appreciate that a good mare is a pearl beyond price. . Attica is Alcibiades granddaughter, you know and so is Pillow Talk. It is not just a coincidence. Nor does it end there, for both are by Mr. Trouble. Trainer "Red" Dudley came along as we were chatting and said: "I like the Mr. Troubles. They at least try. They want to be race horses." Indeed, it might be questioned if Pillow Talk is not too competitive for her own good. "I am afraid she is a little like old Ruler," Mrs. Bell said. "She simply hates to see another horse in front of her. It is not easy to rate her." But Pillow Talk still is learning. A late foal, and rather a puny one, * she was wisely given time to develop, and was only raced once at two. She has grown into one of the huskiest of her age and sex. And one of the best. We have no idea if Pillow Talk and Attica will concern themselves seriously with the purses this afternoon. The Bells are philosophical. One cannot win them all. The important thing is this young couples « inherent interest. The future of the turf and stud J depends on people like the Bells, their cousins the Duvie Headleys and Louie Lee Haggins, the Melville Churches, . the Don Ross Jrs., little Arthur Hancock in. Nice to have them around. i Point Needles for Saratoga Turf ana: Hugh Fontaine observes: "I hope, to have Needles ready for Saratoga. That cough was a setback. He had it two weeks. I may point him for that Washington Park race Labor Day at Chicago later on." Fontaine could not be certain about Needles situation at stud., But Dudley and Heath bought and remodelled a „ place for him at Ocala. "We have Pardala and some other fillies for broodmares. You can raise good horses down there. They grow wonderful feet, ind I have never had one that bucked." . . . Tommy Carr has found the secret of longevity at Waterford Park. He notes that Al Finley, who is 86 years young, still is galloping horses there. His diet consists exclusively of goats milk, bread and ice cream. - Carries his own goat with him." . . Here is an illuminating instance of the lengths to which solicitous clubs go to revive the moribund sport of steeplechasing: The total earnings of the four in the Spring Maiden came to 35. The race had ,500 added. The whole thing is a raison d.etre for making the race an overnighter, in which case it could be called off if it failed to fill reasonably. With loving care and no little artistry, the Delaware club is compiling a voluminous file of photos of the renewal of the "Distaff Big Three," in various phases of decision, and studies of the principals. Comes to a valuable pictorial record of the nations choicest brood-mares-of-the-future. . . . The*press box phone is monitored. Impetuous chap had to be dissuaded from picking it up and saying: "That you commissioner? I saw you last night. Ha, ha, ha!" . . . Impulsiveness can be expensive on a race track. Cost an incensed fan 5 to jump the fence and strike a rider after the last race the other night. . . . Romantic Rio hopesNto attract a prominent North American turf course specialist, as yet uninvited, for a mile and a half event in August having 0,000 to the winner. Expenses paid. . . . The final edition of the condition book, a short history of racing mens frustrations, shows the Montchanin Handicap distance series will be climaxed with a test of a mile and six furlongs July 3. . . .Akbar Khans new lustre will heighten interest in the 5,000 added Sussex on the Fourth, which is getaway day. The race closes this Monday p. m. A decrease of some 2 per cent in attendance, despite the removal of conflict with Pimlico, is ascribed to the hostile weather of the first three weeks, with the mercury ranging from 45 to 104.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1957062401/drf1957062401_5_2
Local Identifier: drf1957062401_5_2
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800