Evening star., 1952-04-20
Rocco Sisto Scores
Second Upset Victory
As Substitute Rider
By Lewis +. Atchison
Stor Sfoff Correspondent

scored an upset victory on Hand
some Teddy last Saturday in the
Chesapeake Stakes as a laSt-hour
saddle substitute. did it again
today when he took the reins for
absent Ronnie Nash and piloted
Three Rings. a AL outsider. to
victory in the 35th running of the
100000 Bowie Handicap.
1t was the Seven-year- -old geld
lng's first victory in seven starts
this year and the son of Blue
Larkspur-Circus Ring. one of the
best few seasons back, came
from next to last to collect the
winners share of SIS, 1925 of a gross
purse of $23,250. He ran the mile
and one sixteenth in the fair time
of 1:45.
Second, two lengths away, was
Hampton Stables Alerted, the
30 favorite. Another two lengths
farther back was Mrs. H. L.
Straus' strong-finishing Plaster
who was coupled with Mully S. in
the betting.
Three Rings paid $1,000, $11.OO
and $40 across the board. Alerted
returned $3.50 and $3.50 and Pi-
laSter paid $500.
Today's betting, which totaled
81 ,487 ,999 for eight races. was the
second high of the meeting.
Good Hunch Bet.
Hunch players among the 90
579 fans, who were favored by
ideal spring weather, might have
bet on Sisto, but Three Rings
recent record-second twice and
out of the money seven times in
his last nine raceS-WaSn't eX-
actly a strong recommendation
But a hunch player, remembering
last week, would have overlooked
the horse and trusted to luck, and
SiSto.
Then, too, the fast track might
have swayed them toward Three
Rings. who is owned by Mrs.
Evelyn I. Hopkins of Cleveland,
and who arrived here only Friday
for the race. Three Rings has such
a notorious dislike for an off
track they say a bucket of water
thrown on the track in the morn
ing will keep him from running
in the afternoon.
Last week Kenny Church was.
scheduled to come to Laurel from
Kentucky to ride Handsome
Teddy, but he was slightly in
jured in a morning workout and
decided to pass up the trip.
Sistos agent, Karl Kolseth, for
mer baseball player who has been
begging mounts for his boy, got
busy and booked the job for
Rocco. Handsome Teddy scored
a smashing victory.
Called to Canada.
Nash. who had the mount on
Three Rings originally, was called
to his Toronto, Canada, home
yesterday by his fathers illness.
Kolseth got busy again, Sisto got
the ride and Three Rings got all
the money.
The gelding broke fifth from its
No. 6 position, dropped back to
seventh in the eight horse field,
but was we'll rated by Sisto as
the early leaders fought it out
along the backstretch. Three
Rings moved up to third in the
stretch as Sisto reached for the
whip, and was all by himself at
the finish.
Hi Blllee, winner of the Laurel
Handicap and ridden by Carol
Blerman, who figured in a mis-
understanding" last week with
the Maryland Racing Commission,
set the early pace. The Carolyn K.
Stable color-bearer had to fight
OF the consistent Eatontown to
get the lead at the first turn. At
the finish they were still battling
with Hi Billee getting sixth place
by a neck.
Alerted, third in the Preakness
last year and the iron horse" of
the 1851 three-year-olds, starting
81 times and earning more than
100000, was off fourth and al
though well handled by Jockey
Sammy Boulmetis didn't have it
today. Alerted collared Hi Billee
on the turn and got a head lead
in the stretch. At that point
Alerted, who beat Bold in last
years Preakness Prep. looked like
the 80 proposition the fans had
made him.
He didn't hold the pose long as
the blue and red Hopkins colors
flashed by in a sudden burst of
speed. A hundred yards from
home Three Rings and Sisto were
in firm command of the situation.
Son Accepts Trophy.
Neither Mrs Hopkins nor
Trainer Charles M. Feltner was
present to witness Three Rings
triumph. Feltner's son, Claude,
accepted the silver plate awarded
the winner, which was presented
by Larry MacPhail, president of
Bowie race track. The current
meeting is a joint Laurel-Bowie
promotion.
The crowd got an unwanted
thrill in the second race when
Jockey Bobby Permane, who was
so seriously injured in a racing
accident a couple of years ago,
doctors said he never would ride
again, and George Walker were
thrown in a collision on the turn.
Walker was riding Winnie, a
speedy filly but hleeder, and was
racing for the lead when the horse
began to bleed from the nose. This
had a sudden, braking effect and
as the fllly slowed down she was
bumped and knocked down by the
oncoming Inaname, ridden by
Permane. Both boys fell to the
ground but neither was seriously
injured. The horses also escaped
ini1STU