The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-01-17
BAND HAS OWN DRILL FIELD
TODAY'S SPORT PARADE
By HENRY McLEMORE United Press Staff Correspondent


 Los Angeles, Jan. 17-(UP)-Act- ing on the theory that the way to a horse owners mind is through his pocketbook, I've spent the past six days sitting at Santa Anita park with my binoculars fixed on Charles s. Towards wallet. Before a squad of Pinkertons grabbed me on sus- picion of pocket-picking I learned several intriguing things.
 One is that the San Franciscan has not yet been convinced that his South American speedster, Kayak II can regain the form which carried him to first place in the $100,o00 Santa Anita handicap in 1889 and to second money in 1940. Another is that Midland, not Kayak II, will carry the hopes of the Howard stable when tn same race is run for the seventh time on March l.
 From what I discovered myself and what I learned from my special agent, Howard has heavily played Midland in tn future book operated by the Baja California Turf club at Agua Calinte. He started playing him when the book opened and has been back with more sice. He even has plunged a few bob on his three year-old, Porter's Cap. But for Kayak II-not a dime.
 Kayak Through?
 This information has startled the turf fraternity in Southern Califor- mia. It has been interpreted two ways. Some people say Howard is so sure of whipping Challedon and the others with Midland that he plans to send Kayak II to Hialeah Park in Florida for try at the $50,- 900 Widener challenge cup to be run there the same day the handi- cap is run here. The others hold that Kayak II has lost his zip and that Howard knows it.
 Between peeks through my glasses I talked to a number of well in- formed racing men. Unanimously, they insisted that the Florida junket can safely be dismissed as 8 rumor. In the first place, silent Tom Smith would have to split his forces, as obviously he couldn't be present at both places at the same time. And in the second place, these men say Howard istoo much of a square-Shooter to ship south with one of his aces at this late date.
 If he did, trying for a double in the nations two premier winter stakes, all the people who have backed Kayak II in the books would automatically lose their money with out so much as run. Additionally; Howard would take the chance of gambling everything on a 100-1 proposition, while if he keeps the stable intact at Santa Anita his chances are even.
 Which brings us back to the steady reports that Kayak II is through. There is some basis of fact for these. Handicap champion of 1889, the rangy, dark-brokn Argentine won onl yone of seven starts last season and bowed out in the late summer with a quarter crack. The hoof has grown over; and the colt has been working in smashing fashion, yet only yesterday he failed again.
 Kayak was sent out in the Sierra Madre purse at six furlongs and was beaten of more than a length by the lilly Augury. He was of in good style, was guided to o1ever position by Jockey Buddy Haas and had every chance in the world in the stretch Yet when he was smacked with the whip for a run, he flattened out where most experts expected him to come on.
 Of course the horse could have been short. He was worked out two extra furlongs after the race and finished the mile ill 1:38 1-5, ac- cording to Towards own clock. Still & good stake horse can usually whir the best Sprinters. J. Y. Christmas Rough Pass only last week whipped tn every same contenders Kayak faced, and did it a full second faster.
 Midland 6 to 1
 Right now, Challedon is the win- ter book favorite for the Santa Anita handicap at 3ls to 1. Kayak II is held second at AZ to 1, and Mio- land is third choice at 6 to 1 after opening at 8 to 1. Back of this trip the odds are higher than 6 social register nose-indicating pretty &C., curately that the book-makeYS and the public consider the worlds rich- est race strictly a three-horSe race.