Evening star., 1938-05-01
SCORES
IN MARYLAND CUP
Sets Mark for Classic as
He Easily Beats Ostend.
Inshore TumbIes.
BY ROBERT B. PHILLIPS. Jr.,
STAFF CorreSpondpnt of The Star

| Ov hoDLh1 ID. L HlLAlT ., JT.,
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.
WORTHINGTON VALLEY. Md.
April 3O-The blood of Man O. War
wrote another great chapter in racing
history here today when Mrs. E. Read
Boards Blockade, a 9-year-old son Of
the mighty sire, galloped to a record
breaking victory in the forty-fifth
running of the Maryland Hunt Cup.
Competing against one of the
smallest fields ever to go to the post
in this American timber classic,
Blockade had only two horses to beat
according to the way the experts
figured it, but few had expected he
would defeat either. Form players
/ therefore were set back on their heels
again when Fred Colwill brought the
| 4-to-l shot charging across the finish
line in the smashing time of 8:44. The
former record was 8:5la5, made by
| Troublemaker in 1882.
A relative small crowd of $4,000 was
on hand.
| In second place at the end of the
long grind was Mrs Frank NJ. Gould's
Ostend which ran a game race, but
simply could not match the speed Of
the winner. Ostend, by virtue of his
effort in this race. now holds some
! thing of a record in the modern his
tory of the Maryland, for he has been
second and third so many times that
no bookie would dare lay place or
show bet against him.
| Inshore Takes Tumble.
j. w. Y. Martins Insnore, odds-on
favorite at post time, was knocked out
of the running when he made a mis-
take and fell at the ninth fence.
Charley White gamely remounted the
big bay gelding, which defeated
Blockade by two lengths in the Little
Grand National only last Saturday,
but Inshore evidently was badly
shaken by the fall, for he showed no
disposition to run and refused at the
eleventh jump. After that, White
pulled him up.
To those who look at racing from al
angles, Blockades remarkable victory
AiullS utOll MAIL " w al UiOW CllS
triple crown of the sport of kings al
within year. Last season War Ad-
miral was the best 3-year-old in train
ing; this March, in England, Battle
ship won the Grand National at Ain
tree, and today Blockade picked ur
the most coveted prize in American
steeplechasing. All three horses stem
from the same line and sire, the horse
that the English stud book does not
deign to recognize as true thorough
bred.
Blockade's first win in the Mary
land stamped him as horse of un-
questionable courage and ability. but
he also had bit of luck to help him.
One Mistake by Blockade.
Had Inshore stayed up to press the
eventual winner all through the sec
ond round Of the course. the Beard
horses CLANCY jumping habits might
have been forced to the point of a
costly mistake.
AS 1t was, Ostend tried to take up
the battle after Inshore FELL but he
simply couldn't run the pace-setter
down. Blockade made one bad mis-
take at the seventeenth fence, lifting
out rail when he hit hard with his
front legs, but even that jar did not
take the run out of him and he landed
almost on balance. Few horses have
plucked the heavy timbers from the
Maryland Hunt Cup course without
| tllrnlnO anC ~, Ia
The winner broke on top. was first
over the first fence. and never permit
ted another horse to head him there
after. Colwill, a Maryland rider do
ing good deeds for Maryland owner,
rated Blockade as best he could In the
early stages, but the old horse was full
OF run and went flying into 15-length
lead before the field had reached the
sixth fence.
After that, White, sitting cozily on
1nshore, and playing a waiting game,
let out just a notch in order to get
within striking distance of the front
one. Over the seventh and eighth
fences he gained ground steadily and
was at the pacemaker's heels when
disaster struck.
Ostend's Challenge Futile.
John Harrison, up on Ostend,
promptly moved forward to closer
contention and from that fence to
the twentieth, Ostend hung on dog
gedly. Blockade gave not an inch. and
after the twentieth turned on a burst
Of speed that had developed into a
nice lead by the time the two horses
headed for the last fence.
In the stretch it was Blockade all
the way.
Third place went to John Straw
bridges Rockicy, ridden by George
Strawbridge Nancy Patterson's Pete
ODonnell, handled by Henry H. j..
Thomas, was belated fourth. Pete
ODonnell also had a fall during
the running, coming down at the
fourteenth fence. but Thomas re-
mounted and went the route.
Summary:
Forty-ffth annual running the Mary
land Hunt Cup, miles over timber: ANA
| teurs to ride; % 1umps-First. Blockade.
| owned by Mrs. =, Read Beard. ridden by
Mr.; Fred GolTill; second, ostend; Mrs:
third. Rockiey. John stT.xSridse, Nj. Nj.
George atfaWbrid1e Pete O'Tlnnnel1 Als0