Evening star., 1939-03-05
Argentine.br
Colt Sets New
Track Mark
Record $4,000 Crowd
Roors as Whichcee
Yields Near Finish
By ROBERT MYERS,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

BY ROBERT MYERS,
Associated Press Sports Writer.
LOS ANGELES, March 4.-Kayak
II, brilliant Argentine-bred 4-year.
old and the public betting favorite
crashed through with gallant
stretch drive today to win the worlds
richest horse race the 100000
Santa Anita Handicap.
Flashing the colors of Charles S
Howard, who was trying for the
third time for the big purse, Kayak
II overhauled the two speed burn
ers, Maj. Austin C. Taylors Which
Gee and A. A. Baroni's Specify, as
the field of 16 hurtled into the turn
going into the home stretch, ano
with a burst of speed drove to the
front to capture first prize Of $91 ,lOC
by length and quarter over Which
Gee, and hung up new track record
Specify, worn out from the ma
speed duel with Whichcee in the mile
and one-quarter grind, faded to
fourth place as Louis B. Mayer S
Main Man pulled up to grab the
show position.
$376,6S5 Mutuel on Race.
It was brilliant renewal Of the
big cap, the fifth held, and the roar
of a record crowd of $1,000 people,
who plunged in $376685 on the out
come. echoed back from the hazy
blue Sierra Madre Mountains.
Jockey Johnny Adams rode this
Howard colt with rare ability and
did it just as Stagehand triumphed
over the lame Howard star, Seabis-
cult, year ago. He came from be-
hind and the time was 2:012s, bet
tering the time of Stagehand's track
record of 2:0135.
Kayak II, son of Congreve and
purchased by Howard a year or SO
ago for some $1,000 in Buenos Aires
was coupled with his South Amer
lean running mate, Sorteado. in the
betting, and paid So to win, $40 tt
place and 81 to show
Whichcee, which tried and failec
to get in the money of the sl00,00(
race last year. collected $4,000 sec.
ond prize money and paid off al
$500 and $3.50. Main Man, ratec
a bare outsider chance. paid $3.50
He was paired with Quick Devil.
Specify Fades in Stretch.
The sun still was high when the
16 thoroughbreds paraded to the
post and long lines of the huge
crowd fought to get their bets down
Heelhy, A. G. Vanderbilt's entry
unseated Jockey Harry Richards tc
hold up the start, and then Specify
with Charley Corbett in the irons
proved so fractious he was taken
from the No. 4 position, next te
Heelfy and started from outside
the gate.
The Baroni candidate, Whichcee
Thanksgiving and Main Man were
leading the rush down past thu
grandstand the first time, and ther
as the field rounded the first turr
and on into the back stretch, Jockey
Basil James kept Whichcee in the
heated battle with Specify, but
slightly under restraint. Main Mar
never was far off the pace, and
Cravat, 6-1 shot in the betting az
second choice to Kayak II, was out.
run during the early stages and
could not catch up with the flying
leaders
At the three-quarters it was
Whichcee. Specify and Main Man
with Kayak II behind. Specify faded
on the drive to the wire, and the
Argentine flash roared up on the
outside to outdistance the still
speedy Whichcee.
Trainer Smith Gets $4,000.
The other leading candidates ir
this supposedly wide-open race
wide open until Kayak II began tc
close it up with that charge down
the stretch-never were serious
challengers. The entry of Nei
McCarthy's Today and Nelson How.
ards Gosum, which closed at about
80, and Thanksgiving, Jacola, Heel.
fly and Congressman, to name the
leaders, couldn't keep up with thi.
burning track-record pace.
Finishing behind Kayak II
Wichcee, Main Man and Specify
in order, were Today, Jacola, Cravat
Gosum, War Minstrel, Heelf1y, Quick
Devil, Frexo, Congressman, Thanks.
giving, Sorteado and Melodist.
Trainer Tom Smith, who twice
sent Seabiscuit into the Santa Anita
and twice saw him beaten out by
a nose, received present of $1O,0O(
rendered by the Los Angeles Turf
Club for the winning trainer.
Main Mans third place was worth
$4,000 to his wealthy movie mogu.
owner, and Baroni, who won ovel
100000 with his Top Row In the
1896 handicap, received 5000 fol
fourth place.
Two Horses Declared Out.
Weather conditions were perfect
for the day and the crowd was thu
biggest in Santa Anita's history, but
the betting handle for the feature
race fell short of the $406,9 6,944 sci
! last year.
Eighteen horses were named fol
the handicap. but Olimpo and Amor
Brujo were declared out before post
time. Instead, they ran in the
fourth race, the Hurlingham Handi-
cap at a mile and one-sixteenth
and Olimpo, owned by Bing Crosby
and Lin Howard. the son of c. S
Howard, romped in first. Amor
Brujo ran out of the money.
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