Evening star., 1952-03-02
Argentine Horse
Scores Big Upset
AT Santa Anita
Pays Buckers $55.N;
Interference Costly
For Maryland Colt
By the As,eeiatad Prss.


ARCADIA. Calf, March IA
little gray horse from South Amer
lea, Niche, scored the second and
most memorable upset in his
seven-year career today when he
captured disputed decision in
the 18th running Of the famed
Santa Anita Handicap.
With the heavy favorite, Hill
Prince. a badly-beaten fifth, Niche
was, handed the front place over
a Maryland colt, Intent, in a
ruling by the stewards that held
up the official outcome for long,
anxious minutes after the race
had been run.
Intent. with Jack Westrope in
the saddle, was disqualified from
first and placed second by the
Stewards because Of interference
in the stretch-blocking the road
as Jockey John Covalli and the
Argentine horse came UP through
the mud and slop on the rail.
Argentine Takes Top Money.
. Intent's number had gone up
on the board as the winner by q
length over Niche, but the de.
|cisio1 reversed the places and the
Argentine captured the top money
Of $104.200.
The decision marked the first
time q winner had been disquali-
fed in the history Of the Santa
Anita Handicap.
Niche Is owned by Mrs. John
Payson Adams Of San Francisco,
and his main claim to fame prior
to today was an astonishing upset
victory over the great Citation at
Santa Anita two winters ago.
Be Fleet, racing for Andrew
Crevolin Of Los Angeles. rounded
lout the surprises by taking third.
-four and O half lengths behind
Niche.
For what consolation there was.
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt's fancy
little mare; Bed O. Roses, ran
fourth.
Niche Pays S5S.4O. ~
The payod at the betting win
dows found Niche rewarding his
few hackers to the tune Of $66. 40,
'I$22.60 and 1880. Intent paid
,I$T.60 and $3.50, and Be Fleet
.tSl3.A0.
u The race at a mile and one
slquarter was timed at 2:0l In the
1muddy going.
II Intent, running under the silks
tIof Harry Isaacs' Brookfield Farm
. Iof Maryland, aH but won his sec
Iond 100000 added special at
: Santa Anita this meeting. Last
February 2 he took the Santa
4 Anita maturity over a field of
!. four-year-oldS and earned $112,-
$50 for the triumph.
i The big blowup was Hill Prince,
an entry with Bryan G.
4 Hill Prince Puzzles Experts.
! Many experts did not like what
they saw when Hill Prince ambled
slowly to the post. They didn't
like his stride in the short warm
Iup gallop under the guidance Of
! his rider, Eddie Arcaro.
! Their puzzlement was borne out
when Hill Prince raced as he did.
Dead last at the start, around the
clubhouse turn and on down the
back stretch, with Bryan G., as
Expected, setting the pace for the
kill, Hill Prince made one move
just past the half-mile post.
He made his move, but it never
materialized. Bryan G. set the
!, stage but Hill Prince failed to
take it.
;, Bryan G. and Moonrush, with
Phil D. and Be Fleet not far afield,
furnished the early fireworks.
Bryan G. finally shook off Moon
rush. winner of the race last year,
but he couldn't hold up when the
real racing began.
Intent Makes His Bid.
That was when Westrope
brought Intent into contention,
and as the pack slipped and
stopped into the head of the
!stretch, the gray horse from Ar
Igentina pulled into the battle, q
mud-spattered ghost.
Intent looked like money in the
bank but eventually lost the ver-
: dict in the judges stand after
i, pictures of the race had been
+, studied.
/, Thus Niche, a winner over
cheaper company earlier this
week, ignored and overlooked by
+, most of the horse players, was
, acclaimed as the sixth foreign
horse to win the event.
, The order of finish behind the
!, first five was: Phil D., Bryan c..
stormy Cloud, Simonsez, Noon
rush, Next Move, Lights Up, In
'(See SANTA ANITA, Page B-4.)