Pine Pep emerged with his second consecutive Maryland Hunt Cup victory for owners, Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Clothier of Philadelphia, trainer W. Burling Cocks, and rider Mikey Smithwick. The 10-year-old chestnut gelding by Petee-Wrack out of Red Queen, by Mad Hatter, was bred by Mr. and Mrs. Edward Allen in the Worthington Valley, close to the Hunt Cup course where he was gaining so much fame. For Cocks and Smithwick, it was their third victory in the race, having taken the 1948 running with Peterski (also by Petee-Wrack).
Opening of the Pimlico meeting with Garden State Park operating at the same time put many Maryland horsemen in something of a spot. Having patronized both tracks in the past, they were averse to giving up one now. So there was a great deal of splitting stables, with one division remaining in Maryland, the other going to Jersey. And the van operators stayed busy shipping horses back and forth as spots developed for them.
Even one of the greatest riders in history made mistakes. Noted Joe Palmer: "The 1950 Kentucky Derby was remarkable in many respects, including the fact that Eddie Arcaro, who had guessed wrong when he took Devil Diver instead of Shut Out in 1942, guessed wrong again when he took Hill Prince instead of Middleground this year. He could have had either one, and he didn't make up his mind definitely until after he had won the Wood Memorial so convincingly on Hill Prince. Remember this the next time you hear a jockey's tip."
Arcaro stuck with Christopher Chenery's Virginia homebred, and won the Withers Stakes the next week, and the Preakness a week later.
Nearly a dozen babies born in March and April were reported by Sagamore Farm, including a bay colt by Discovery--Stellar Role, by Bimelech, born March 16, and a black colt by Polynesian out of Discovery's daughter Geisha born March 27.
The bay Discovery colt was one of Maryland's all-time greats, Find. The black colt, actually foaled in Kentucky, eventually turned gray and was legendary champion Native Dancer, who lived the majority of his life at the Maryland farm and became one of the most influential stallions in history.
