Harry The Horrid

There is hardly any doubt about Belle Acton's clear edge over an exceptionally good class of 3-year-old side-wheelers. Rubin's Bachelor Hanover is possibly the only 3-year-old capable of beating her in the future.

Somewhat less agreement exists on the top racing of Egyptian Princess among the trotters. Some still prefer the Arden Homestead's Saboteur, despite his recently acquired habit of breaking stride, which has ruined three of his first four starts this year. Saboteur was the pre-season pick, off his sweep of the many 2-year-old stakes in which he'd been entered. But the Princess' 2:02 record in the Hanover Filly Stake at Lexington, and especially her less-than-a-minute clocking for the final half mile, established her as a firm second choice. Then she went on to win four out of five starts in '56, climaxed by a two-heat victory in the Coaching Club Trotting Oaks at Goshen's Historic track on July 2. The Oaks is a Hambletonian preview for fillies, and for the $90,000 Hambletonian on August 8, first leg of Trotting's Triple Crown, the Princess will be the trotter to beat.