Evening star., 1950-04-11
Mddeground Due to Shed Light Derby Status in Race To-day
Makes First Start
Of Year al Jamaica;
Hill Prince Shines
BY the Assoeioted Press

NEW YORK, April 11.-Middle-
ground, the only high-rankins
Kentucky Derby candidate which
hasn't raced this year, gets a
chance at Jamaica today to shed
some light on his status.
Oil Capitol won Hialeah's Fla
mingo Stakes. Hill Prince cap
tured Jamdicas Experimental
Handicap No. l, Your Host won
the Santa Anita Derby, while
Theory was a winner at Hialeah
and Guillotine at Jamaica.
But Middleground's last start
was the Hopeful Stakes at Sara
toga in August when he won like
champion. That was his fourth
victory in five juvenile outings.
Many considered him the fastest
OF his age and John B. Campbell,
the Jockey Clubs Handicapped,
placed him at the top of his Ex-
perimental weights with 1876
pounds-two above Hill Prince
and Oil Capitol.
Has Weight Advantage.
Middleground, Robert j. Kle-
berg's TeXas-bred speedster, was
entered today against four other
sophomores in the Count Fleet
Purse, a $4,000. 6-furlong dash.
The big -barreled colt got in at
lit pounds, thanks to the 5-pound
apprentice allowance for his rider,
Willie Boland.
Pitted against him were Ferd
and Lights Up, each at 118 pounds,
and Erosion and Miss Degree, each
at 108. Lights Up and Erosion are
Derby eligibles.
Presumably, this is a warmup
for next Saturdays Experimental
Handicap No. 2 at a mile and
sixteenth. Trainer Max Hirsch
has been in no hurry to have
Middleground make his 1850 debut.
Today's race is. of course. a much
softer spot for his bow than the
first division of the Experimental
would have been, with no 1875
pounds up and no Hill Prince to
tackle.
Hill Prince and battle-ground
never have met. The Virginia.
bred Prince had sizzling work.
out yesterday at Belmont Park,
stepping mile and furlong in
1878 after turning the first mile
in 1875, the half in O:46 fiat and
the first 3 furlongs in 34H5. Mid
dleground last Saturday worked
mile in 1895.
Bad Ankles Suspected.
When Middleground closed out
his juvenile campaign. there were
reports that his ankles were
suspect. The report cropped up
again while he was wintering in
Columbia, S. c., but Hirsch cold
fwatered those stories. Yesterday,
the canny Max said of his charge:
I've never seen a colt like this
one for disposition. He's the
incest, sweetest horse I've ever put
bride on, but exactly how far
he'll so I don't honestly know. I
hope the experts are wrong-the
ones who didn't think much of the
colt when I ran him in half mile
trials at Columbia.
II believe Hill Prince is a
rougher, tougher colt, but Middle
ground has more speed and he
may be able to carry it over
piece of ground"
Bold Venture. Middlegrounds S
sire. won the 1886 Derby and his
son Assault was a Triple Crown
victor 10 years later.
LEXINGTON, KY, April II (P.
Theory, Calumet Farms Derby
hopeful, worked three -fourths of
a mile at Keeneland yesterday in
1:1135. He was handled by Jockey
OWE Scurlock. Theory also is
eligible for the $4,000 Blue Grass
Stakes April q and the $4,000
added Phoenix Handicap at
keeeland's opening Thursday.
LOUISVILLE, KY, April II (P.
-Four Derby candidates were
given workouts at Churchill Downs
yesterday.
Oh Capitol, one Of the winter
book favorites. breezed a mile in
1:43. Your Host, California hope.
did mile in 1:45.
Lot O. Luck went seven-eighths
in 1871, while Sierra covered 6
furlongs in 1:15%.
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