Events, Discoveries And Opinions

FILLY

Jimmy Kilroe is the nation's leading connoisseur of young Thoroughbred horses. Each year he estimates how the previous season's 2-year-olds will do when they get to the classics—the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. His scale of excellence is called the Experimental Weights, and when he released them the other day racing fans immediately looked to see who was in second place. For the last two years his second choices ( Tomy Lee and Venetian Way) have run off with the Derby.

This year a filly is second. Her name is Bowl of Flowers. She is large and red, won six of eight and $198,706 last season, is owned by the Brook-meade Stable and trained by Elliott Burch. She can run from behind the leaders or with them. If she wins the Derby, she will be the first filly to do it since Regret in 1915.

THE GADFLY
New York's National Motor Boat Show carries an official award as the best consumer show in the country. This year it is better than ever: more exhibits, interesting new trends, enthusiastic crowds (see page 48). Only the great gadfly, Robert Moses, until recently commissioner of practically everything around New York, including the waterways, saw a need to grab the industry by the ears. Addressing its assembled leaders, Moses said, "How are we to prevent these millions of boats from running wild on the waters, smashing into each other, capsizing from heavy wash? It is typical of American assembly lines and salesmanship that when the boat with an outboard or inboard engine slides down the ways, the entire concern of the average manufacturer is over. The boat industry must contribute more than soft selling.... There was a time when the big automobile manufacturers were against modern roads because they cost money. Finally it dawned on that industry that a car is no good if it has no road to run on. The motor-boat maker needs a similar education. Why should he wait until safety is forced on him? The way things are going," Moses concluded, "the internal combustion engine will overwhelm us on the water as it has on the land."

NECKTIE PARTY

Bill Veeck, the man who made the open collar famous, has turned down an invitation to the Kennedy inaugural because it meant wearing a tie. This perturbed Hank Greenberg, White Sox vice-president. "I got a great idea," Greenberg told him. "We'll fly an Italian designer over for the occasion. We'll have him design twice as many outfits for you as Sinatra has. Think of the publicity! We'll change your public image—from sport shirts and no tie to the best-dressed man in sports."

"Can't do it," Veeck said.

"Why not?"

"I got married in a church. My mother-in-law pleaded with me to wear a tie at the ceremony, but I refused. Can you imagine what would happen if I wore a tie to the inaugural? She'd never speak to me again."

THE RECRUITER