The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-22

ford in the Rose
Bowl insist there is nothing unusual
about dull, drab, rainy days in this
vicinity. Or the contrary, they de-
clare it is very usual and very dis
agreeable.
Still, it seems there is nothing
that can be done about the weather,
even out here, where there is prac-
tically no limit to the ingenuity of
mankind, If you are to believe what
you read and hear, and the race,
the richest on the American turf,
will be decided on a track that is
fairly heavy.
According to form this should
make the race kick in the pants
for Discovery. or, as the boys say
the 5-year-old handicap king from
young A. G. Vanderbilts stable, un-
doubtedly will be the favorite in
the machines which are expected to
handle close to S1,000,000. The big
brown horse is the class of the field
and is known to like the heavy
going.
Some Say He's Tired
Just the same, a surprisingly large
number of smart horse players are
shying away from Discovery as the
horse to beat and some of them
predict he won't do better than
third. They tell you Discovery is a
tired horse, that this particular kind
Of track is not his kind of track, and
finally, that he never has run overly
well early in the year.
There may be much in what these
smart horse players say, but your
faith in their analyses would be
greater if their appearances and ac-
tivities bespoke evident prosperity.
Somehow your respect for the
mental knowledge of horse player
dwindles sharply when demon
stration is ended with request for
a small loan. You can't help but
wonder why all this rare knowledge
does not yield solid returns.
Nevertheless the play on Discov-
cry, easily the outstanding horse of
the 1885 season, will come from an
admiring public and not from the
bulk of the professionals. These
latter named gents appear to be
divided between Time Supply and
Top Row, both of which will enjoy
a substantial pull in the weights.
Vanderbilt Talks Weight
Time Supply beat Discovery by
nine lengths couple of weeks ago.
The big brown horse carried 1873
pounds that day. Today, he will be
carrying only 1870. Young Vanderbilt
tells me this difference in weight
will reverse the result You should
be informed, however, that he didn't
say positively, nor did he put it in
writing.
Before Whistling Bob Smith pulled
up stakes and shipped the limping
Cavalcade back to Columbia, S. c.,
thwarted for the second straight
year in his effort to get the Brook
meade champion in shape for the
Handicap, he picked the race this
way: Top Row, Time Supply and
Discovery II never figured Dis
covery was the horse to beat at any
stage" said Whistling Bob. Not at
this time of the year, or in his pres
ent condition"
Your correspondent has high
regard for Top Row, especially at
1l6 pounds, but me is puzzled by the
inactivity of the Baroni horse. Top
Row hasn't been to the races since
December and one guess is as good
as another as to why he hasn't. The
stables explanation that the horse
was kept in the barn because of fear
of possible injury may be the whole
story After all, there is large wad
of dough hanging in the balance for
the winner.
Theory on Time Supply
Your correspondent is inclined to
like Time Supply somewhat on the
theory that if he could do it once
he ought to be able to do it again.
Discovery spotted him % pounds the
last time and will spot him only Is
here today. All other things being
equal IN the running of the race
this shift in the weights isn't likely
to prove vital enough to decide it.
The rap against Time Supply in
the critical circles is that he can
not go a mile and quarter. But
as Mr.. Phocian Howard used to say.
why can't he? There's no fence
out there to stop him" The same
rap is in against Whopper, the 1850
pound horse, largest on the turf.
The rap may be justified.
Whopper has never gone farther
than a mile and an eighth. In
three such tests he finished second
once and third twice. Besides,
Whopper is rated as a fast track
horse and if this is an accurate rat
ing the Headley giant will scarcely
be in his element today.
The plain truth is. however. that
Discovery will have to be off form to
lose because he is plainly the class
horse of the race and normally fig
ures to beat such things. as Time
Supply. Top Row, Singing Wood.
Rosemont and Whopper going away
on any kind of track. The weight.
100 pounds. is comparatively light
for him and the drying track adds
to his chances.