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. ™ . » fvvit iv I* ii 1 1 » i J Delaware — By Charles Hatton Haus Delaware Cap Weights Acceptable Race Has Importance Though Not Classic Constructive Criticism on Chase Race DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 25.— -The story runs that the Swedes hewed Delaware out of the wilderness before the Indians hewed them and that . ™ . the the Dutch Dutch in in turn turn took took possession possession . the the Dutch Dutch in in turn turn took took possession possession » J from* the Swedes. Then came the French, according to our historian, Al Fahey, and the Dutch must have evacuated in a hurry. They apparently left their ovens turned on. Again today, the "verdant, pastoral" Delaware valley is baking. But there is some shade, and one is grateful to the DSRA for preserving the patriarchal trees of the paddock. They are arranged arranged like like sentinels sentinels around around fvvit iv I* ii 1 1 » i arranged arranged like like sentinels sentinels around around the building -which houses the offices of the racing secretariat. And there, behind an architectural barricade of doors and passages, one finds handicapper Gil Haus. "What did you think of the weights?" he asked, raising his voice above the wailing of the trainers outside on the porch. For answer we noted there are fully 17 "probables," including a couple from as far away as California. So Saturdays mile and a quarter will be a gold rush the reverse way of, the couise. The invaders are Pucker Up and Kings Mistake. Mayor Jimmy Jones will saddle the favorites, in all probability, in Amoret and Princess Turia, who will be ridden by Eddie Arcaro and Willie Hartack, though not necessarily in that order. Asked who among the Calumets rivals he feared, the Missourian said "All of them." A. B. "Bull" Hancock, represented by Bayou, says he fears H. P. Headleys Attica. What eligible Headley fears, deponent sayeth not, for the very good reason he knoweth not. But if this suggests to you that everybody is fearful you get the idea. The Lady, Appropriately, Proposes Title Over in the administrative offices, at the other end of the paddock, Freddie Hayden is sharpening a handful of pencils, anticipating "It will take two Philadelphia lawyers with slide rules to figure the values of this Delaware." s The club advertises it as the 50,000 Delaware. And" Bryan Field is briefing us on the origins of the "Distaff Big Three," the while saying "We would be dead the last three weeks of the meeting without it,", slyly implying we must, have just returned from Valhalla itself to think the Delaware should be WFA. It seems that assistant secretary Helen Stair-wait had the happy inspiration from which the "Big Three" evolved. But that it assumed -its present form only after summit conferences among Willie duPont, Walter Jeffords, Don Ross, George Widener and others, and conferences on technique attended bT Jimmy Kilroe, Webb Everett, Charley McLennan and several contemporaries among the turfs impressari. Cynics may reflect on the saying about "too many cooks." Nevertheless, whether it is because of the thought and experience that went into planning the "Big Three" or notwithstanding it, opinions were sifted and Delaware Park has come up with a tremendously important series. Since the Delaware is a handicap it does not qualify as a "classic," as some of the press abuse the term. But to be perfectly frank about it, the DSRA never said it proposed such a thing. In our view it corresponds rather more to .a Cesarewitch or Cambridgeshire for fillies. And in English racing and breeding circles,.high marks are sometimes given for winning one of those. The frequency coincides exactly with distinguished performances under high weights such as Sir Gallahad III., Double Life and Hafiz II. gave. Turfs Staunchest Devotee Will Be Missed We shall all miss "Shippy." And when it comes our turn, we shall leave the world, we feel sure, with more satisfaction for having known him. Evan Biddle Shipman was our colleague on the Daily Racing Form and the Morning Telegraph for about 20 years. Before that, he was a contributor to the Paris Herald. And like the late John "Salvator" Hervey, he was first of all a passionate devotee of the standardbred sport. At various times and places, Shipman covered the trots, wrote fiction about them, rubbed trotters, and sometimes played hookey from a thoroughbred meet to attend "the roaring grand." A tall, alarmingly thin figure, with pale blue eyes and a drooping, wispy mustache, he was a cultured, well spoken, thoughtful and altogether pleasant personality. He was a bit withdrawn, in the way so many people are who find the world a little big and dishevelled, and turned to racing as a smaller sphere, affording a more agreeable way of life. He wrote beautiful prose, in a style that had an old fashioned Dickens flavor. Shipman held strong convictions and on those rare occasions we crossed typewriters with him we could depend upon it he was a gentleman. He wore .his heart on his sleeve, and was at all times prepared to leap to the defense of a series of "gallant littles," beginning with Twenty Grand and ultimately including the entire progeny, past, present and as yet unborn, of Count Fleet. This takes character, when one has "tapped out," as "Shippy" frequently did. Once, he became incensed about the civil war in Spain, and joined Ernest Hemingways volunteers, who went over in a ship to join combatants in the cause. This CMtinueJ wi Page Farly-FiY* DELAWARE By CHARLES HATTON . — : , Continued from Page Five had a sequel in six months imprisonment on bread and wine in the south of France. But his spirit was indomitable. Whoever is with him now is having a good time. Frank Adams, who is centaur Dooley Adams father, has a suggestion in regard to the Spring Maiden that Jack Cooper might consider He thinks perhaps it should have a supplementary closing, if it is "for maidens over brush as of March 15" in future years. Steeplechase people with whom we discussed the recent, abortive renewal rather wish it had not been run at all, it placed the sport in such a bad light. Gil Haus observes that up to this year, the Spring Maiden stood up reasonably well. Perhaps the explanation for this one lies in the fact there was no steeplechasing at other major tracks before this meet, as in the past." If that is the answer, the situation should right itself in 1958, when Belmont, chasing resumes. And in later years there is the New Aqueduct. Meanwhile friends of this colorful phase of the sport hope for a peaceful coexistence with the other forms of racing. As Red Smith says: "So it costs Delaware money to have steeplechasing. So theys already got money." A few more like the Spring Maiden howevei% and the non-profit angle will take care of itself.
