The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-05-05
MulUiZe Team Holds Duckpin Championship
Count Fleet Hits Preakness
Prohibitive Choice For Triple
BY HARRY GRAYSON
(NEA Shorts FditOrl


the wreath of Kentucky Derby roses
draped around his Sweaty withers,
Count Fleet will wear the blanket
of Black Eyed Susans that goes
with first money IN the 53rd rum
ming Of the $4,000 The Preakness
ut a mile and three -sixteenths over
the oblong course OF rustic, Civil
War. cream-c olored Pimlico on
Baltimore's hilltop come Saturday.
The long-legged son OF Reign
Count is then expected 10 get the
just plain pat on the neck and
extra portion OF oats that go with
the long end In the $4,000 The
Belmont, June g.
That should be even softer for
the Count than the Derby and
Preakness, for the route Is u mile
and half and II is a condition
race, which spells small field.
WEIGHT-FOR-A AGE HIS TEST
As of now, the Arlington Classic,
american Derby and all other
3-year-old fixtures he can get
around TO are at Count Fleets
mercy.
The Count doesn't even have TO
feel up 10 II TO beat this kind and
he's disguStingly healthy.
This Is especially true with the
Calumet Farms Ocean Wave out
Of everything up 10 the Classic
with strained ligaments above the
heel Of his left foreleg. And the
son of Blenheim II has yet TO dem
onStrate that he can get UP 10 look
the Count IN the eye, let alone do
anything about II once he got that
far.
Count Fleet Is a Suporcolt In II
rather mediocre lot and Is unlike
ly TO be given true champion"
ship test until he tackles an un-
usually fine handicap field IN the
Jockey Club Gold Cup at Two miles
during the fall meeting al Belmont
and either Weight-for-ag events.
BLUE SWORDS PAGES COUNT
Count Fleet bagged the $6l $50
first prize Of the strcetcar Derby
IN the Streetc0r time Of 2.04 and
should take the 8treetGar Freak
ness the same way. The field
will be even smaller and no stronger
and old Pimlico's long stretches are
made 10 order for Mrs, John y,
Hertz flyer once johnny Longdcn
nurses him around It's hairpin turns.
Count Fleet will run Just fast
enough TO trim Allen r. Simmons
Blue Swords again or TO keep IN
place whatever thoroughbred hap
pens TO be second,
Toss out Count Fleet and race
goers would now be talking Of Blue
Swords, which placed In The Wood
Memorial and Derby quite as easily
rs Trainer Don Cameron'S bundle
Of nervous energy COPIED the
plums.
Tvs too bad Blue Swords Isn't
q trifie swifter. A little more leg
and he would chase Count Fleet TO
records. and there's no telling how
fast this fellow can 'ramble.
One-to-four IN The Wood Memo
rial and sent away vt q generous
2-to-5 by gay Derby throng,
Count Fleet Is unlikely TO be better
than i-to-5 IN The PreakncsS, II
that, and then only because OF long
shot stnbbcrs and the initiated IN
q capacity crowd Of 10000.
FIELD Is REDUCED TO SIX
Following his first outing this
year, II was i-to.3 that Count Fleet
would take The Wood, Derby, Freak
ness and Belmont. He Is now pro-
hlbitive favorite 10 join Sir Barton,
Gallant Fox and his son, Omaha,
and War Admiral and Whiflaway
as a winner Of the celebrated Triple
Crown.
Not more than six are expected
TO 20 IN The FREDERICKSBURG
Swords, william II. Bocins's Slide
Rule and the Dixiana Stables AM
Der Light, which trailed Count
Fleet IN that order In the Derby.
TWoSes might be coupled with Slide
Rule IN the event that 1t comes up
mud.
william l.. Bran's Maryland-b bred
son OF Challenger II, incentive, Is
perhaps the more formidable Of
those which passed up the Derby
for The Preakness.
Others which did not go to
Churchill Downs and were listed
for the run for the robe OF Mary
lands official state flower are
CriSpin Oglebays True Blue and
the Foxcatcher Farms Supermont,
the latter fair,
True Blue, an expensive colt, Is
brother OF the Inflated Ocean
Survivor, The Preakness equivalent
OF the Derby Trial
But none can be put in the same
class with Count Fleet, that rarity
all horsemen everlastingly seek and
rarely find or sea Splinter which
can go route.