Evening star., 1940-03-18
Records Don't Justify
Argentine Spotting.
Big Rival 4Pounds
PimIieo Event Impost
Greatest Ever Given
c. S. Howard Horse
BY ROBERT HENRY.

In its announcement of weights
for the $4,000 Dixie Handicap, the
Pimlico management seems 70 have
taken its first backward step since
young Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt
became connected with the famous
old Baltimore track.
Handicapped Charles j. McLennan
apparently has gone far toward pre-
venting racing fans from seeing an
other meeting of Challedon and
Kayak II. How he arrived at the
conclusion that the Charles S. How
ard horse should spot the Maryland
champion 4 pounds probably will re-
main mystery Qhalledon was
given 130 pounds, Kayak 1874.
Even more of a mystery is the
manner in which McLennan decided
that Kayak is 2-pound better horse
than his much more famous stable
mate, Seabiscuit. racing's greatest
money winner. who closed his ca
reer with a brilliant victory in the
100000 Santa Anita Handicap Sea-
biscuit was assigned 1872 pounds for
the May 8 running of the Dixie. al
though, of course. he won't start,
having been retired to the stud.
Records Against Imposts.
In three meetings this winter
Seabiscuit beat Kayak every time.
In workouts the result always was
the same, Seabiscuit by a length or
two. Furthermore, Tom Smith.
taciturn trainer of the Howard
horses, has said often that Kayak
never saw the day he could beat
Seabiscuit.
After the Santa Anita Handicap,
in which the Biscuit spotted Kayak
l pound and beat him by more than
a length, Jockey Buddy Haas,
Kayaks rider, said that Seabiscuit
was the best horse he ever had seen
except Challedon
Yet Kayak is called upon to give
Seabiscuit 2 pounds and Challedon
4. It's a bit puzzling, for track han
dicappers are supposed to go by
results only.
Scale Calls for 126 Pounds.
Last fall in the Pimlico Special
Kayak carried 126 pounds and Chal-
ledon 120-weight for age on the
scale. Challedon won by half
length in great race that had
many fans wondering what the re-
suit would be if they met again.
Now, however, instead of the winner
OF that race moving up and conced-
ing the loser weight, it's just the op-
posite. Kayak has to concede mis-
conqueror 4 pounds. The scale calls
for 126 pot IDS each.
Another uzzling angle is fur
nished by -.ayak's record since last
fall when he broke the Pimlico track
record at a mile and five-sixteenths
in the Bowie Handicap. He carried
l26 pounds that afternoon, defeating
Heelfly and Challephan among
others. In four starts at Santa
Anita this winter Kayak didn't win
a race, yet now he is asked to carry
eight more pounds than he carried
in his two races at Pimlico last fall.
Howard Likely to Balk.
Furthermore, at no time in Kayaks
career has he carried more than 100
pounds, and that time-in the San
Carlos Handicap on February IL
he finished eighth.
Just how Owner Howard will react
to this weight allotment for Kayak
is not known now. but it is quite
likely he will do considerable de-
batting before letting his horse run
under such an arrangement. Should
he allow Kayak to run, he will be
letting himself in for much grief
thereafter. for it is likely that
handicappers throughout the land
will pile high weight on his horse
and weight stops them all.