Evening star., 1947-05-06
'phalanx s Expected
To Rule as fayoriie
II Strip Swift
By John Chandler
Assoxiafsd Prsss spcr,s Wrjtes


BALTIMORE, May 6.When the
band strikes up Maryland. Ny
Maryland" at Pimhco Saturday and
the PTeakness field parades postward,
d lot OF people will be praying for
sunshine and q ligitning-fast track.
You get that impression around
Old Hilltop today--tte idea being
that some different tactics than
were employed in the Kentucky
Derby will be necessary to keep
Maine Chance EARNS Jet Pilot ont
Iof the winners circle for the second
straight Saturday.
The crowd, naturally, would pre-
fer sunshine to rain, and the own
Eers a1d trainers whose 3-year -olds
tried to catch Jet Pilot on. Church
i'll Downs slow track last week OBJ
viously think fast Pimlico oval
will aid their chances.
Doesn't Matter, Says Smith.
Tom Smith, the veteran Maine
Chance trainer, says it makes no
difference to Jet Pilot whether it
rains or not"
But 1t seemed certain that with
the largest Preakness field in a
score Of years shaping up for this
500 900 added gallop for the black
eyed Susans, that Jet Pilot will have
lplenty of speed to run with him.
The fact that of 'the II Ken
lucky Derby contenders who are
Preakness eligibles are expected to
go in Saturdays mile and three
sixteenths classic indicates their
bosses aren't quite convinced that
Jet Pilot can do it again.
Now the general idea around
here is that some of the speed
horses, such as Secnav from the
Mill River Stable of Mrs. Barclay
K. Douglas, Cedar Farms Mityme,
E. p Taylor's Cornish Knight and
Bernard j. Bax's King Bay, will
change the Preakness picture pro-
vided the track Is fast. Secnav will
go only with a fast track.
PhalaEx May Be Favorite.
Several will be expected to 20
along with Jet Pilot If Jockey Eric
Guerin sends him away in front
again as he did at Louisville, for
the Preakness is a sixteenth shorter
than the Derby,
G. v. Whitney's Phalanx, a no.
toriously slow starter, already Is
conceded the favorite role again
provided the track is fast, and Calu-
met FARMS Faulbless also will have
plenty Of hackers. Phalanx and
Faultless both closed fast at Louis
vile to cop second and third in
the blanket, finish.
Jet Pilot, PhaIanx, King Bay, Mrs.
M. E. Whitney's Bullet Proof, and
William G. Helis' Cosmic Bomb ar
rived together yesterday from
Louisville. Only King Bay didn't
run in the Derby, but the railbirds
took long look at this black son
Of King Cole-Tacky Sue.
He wasn't ready for the Derby
distance" White said. But this
half brother of Round View can
really roll, and he'll give them all
q run for their money. Track con-
ditions won't make any difference
to him"
On Trust Arriving Today.
King Bay has won his two 1947
starts, including decision over e.
o. Stiee's Californian, On Trust,
and Ridgewood Stables Double Jay
and w. L. Ranch.sM. L. Sickle ip
the Fairplay a week before the
Derby. 'ge
1. On Trust was due in today via
plane, with Faultless, Circle M.
Farms Riskolater and Double Jay,
also of the Derby field, slated to
arrive by train Greentree Stables
Blue Border, who skipped the Ken
lucky classic. came along from New
York.
The Maryland Jockey Club ex-
poets around Is to 60 in the 57th
running of the Preakness, with the
others coming from the Survivor
Stakes to be run at Pimlico this af-
ternoon.
Six of the Survivor field of IL are
Preakness eligibles. They are
Mityme, the Greentree entry of
Tailspin and wide wing, Walter M.
Jeffords' Uncle Remus, Mrs. Samuel
Pistorio's Golden Bull and S. w.
Labrot jr's Repand.