Evening star., 1942-05-04
Route al PimIico
Ideal for
Va|dina Orphan
Shut Out Might Find
AIsub Much Better
Than at Downs
BY ORLO ROBERTSON,

NEW YORK, May A.-Because
several unexpected things happened
in the Kentucky Derby, the SD
running of the Preakness at ancient
Pimlico Saturday shapes up as a
pretty fair race.
First Of the unexpecteds in the
Churchill Downs mile and a quarter
classic was the victory of Shut Out.
The last son of the great Equipoise
from Mrs. Payne Whitney's Green
tree Stable was just going out for
the exercise. leaving the task of WIN
ming the $64,225 purse to his more
famous stablemate, Devil Diver.
At least, that was the way most
Of the experts and laymen figured
it. Hadn't Eddie Arcaro, the coun-
try's No. / rider, had his choice of
the two horses and selected Devil
Diver?
The second Of the unexpecteds
was Alsab. Remember him-the
winner of 10 straight races as q
year-old, winter book Derby favorite
and then a complete flop?
Alsab Best as Race Was Run.
He had not shown enough to
indicate he even would be in the
money. But Al Sabath's bargain
colt was pounds the best as the
race was run. He was hit as he
came out of the gate, ran into
couple of blind switches going
around the first turn and then,
with Basil James plotting him in
and out Of the pack, he really turned
on the steam from the half-mile
post on.
He picked up horse after horse,
caught Pinkie Grimes With Re-
CARDS, the early pace setter, at the
sixteenth pole, collared Emerson
Woodward's Valdina Orphan in the
last strides, but had to be content
with second money.
The bid left him az lengths back
Of Shut Out, who stayed close to
the early pace and then pulled into
command in the stretch.
Then there was Requested, Ben
Whitakers Texas-owned chestnut,
who was the biggest disappointment
OF the. Derby after being backed,into,
second choice by a crowd estimated
all the way from $4,000 to Col.
Matt Winn,s figure Of 100000.
Fine Lot Goes to Preakness.
Requested outran only one horse
in the field Of Is, but Blackie Nc
Coole, his trainer, said he had
rough trip and refused to extend
himself.
The Greentree pair, Alsab and
Requested, along with Mrs. Barclay
Douglas Fair Call. William Wood
wards Apache, Valdina Orphan and
Hollywood and possibly william
du Pont, jr.'s Fairy Manah, are
headed for Pimlico.
The mile and three sixteenths Of
the Preakness should be right down
Valdina Orphans alley, but 1t also
suits Warren Wright's Sun Again.
Sun Again originally was entered
IN the Derby. although Wright and
his trainer, Ben Jones, never were
quite sure that the colt would parade
to the post. Jones said Sun Again
was a week or two from peak form
so he was scratched
The stablemate of Whirlaway, last
years triple crown winner, was
shipped to Baltimore yesterday, but
Jones still was undecided whether
his charge would 60 after the $50 900
purse.
Sun Again Still on Form.
1t all depends on Sun Again's
workouts this week. There were
many who believed that the Wright
colt could have won the Derby since
the time of 2:042s was comparatively
slow and Sun Again had finished a
close second In a 1856 mile earlier
in the week
Meanwhile, Arcaro said he wasn't
going to change his mino and
select Shut Out in the Preakness.
but there were hints that maybe he
would try to win at Pimlico with
the Derby victor, after all. He
lost nothing at the Downs except
the chance to tie Isaac Murphy and
Earl Sande in number of winners
with three. He and Wayne Wright,
Shut Outs jockey, agreed before the
race to split whatever either won.
The jockey usually gets 10 per cent
OF the purse.