Evening star., 1952-05-04
Hull DownIs Third;
Rocco Sisto Wins His
Third Stakes in Row
By Lewis F. Atchison

BALTIMORE, May 3.-Jockey
Rocco Sisto, who has formed q
habit of winning important stakes
races in Maryland this spring, wor
his third in a row today wher
he booted home Hampton Stable:
Alerted in the 51st running of tht
$25,000 added Dixie Handicap al
Pimlico.
With a crowd of 1888 watch
ing, the swarthy. former amateur
boxer shook up the son Of Bull
Lea-Hastily Yours in a rousins
stretch run to win a half-length
decision over William Ewing'S
Auditing. Hull Down, light
weighted pacesetter owned by Mrs
Edward Lasker, the former Jane
Greer Of Washingtno. was 1h
lengths farther back in THIRD
place.
The winner covered the mile
and three sixteenth in 1853, two
seconds off Capot's track record
The favorite in the field of seven,
Alerted paid 81, $3.50 and $3.50
across the board. Auditing paid
$4.20 and So, while Hull Down
paid S..
Winner Gets S2O,4OO.
Hampton Stable, operated by
Frank Stout of Maiden, Mass,
bought Alerted from Calumet
Farm for $4,000 two years ago.
but got back more than double
that amount today as the colt
picked up $40. 400 for his share Of
a gross purse of $29,700. The
ride Sisto gave him was worth
half of it, although Rocky" gets
only the customary 10 per cent.
In their wake they left Rokeby
Stables County Delight, last
years Dixie winner. Mrs. H. L.
Straus' Plaster, virtually a CO.
favorite with Alerted, A. j. Crevo-
Inns Be Fleet and c. B. Bohn's
Blue Hills.
Sisto, a cinderella" rider in
Maryland this spring, beat Alerted
on Three Rings in the $4,000
Bowie Handicap at Laurel last
month. Before that he scored an
upset on Handsome Teddy in the
$4,000 Chesapeake Stakes at
Laurel. He was last-minute sub
stitute rider in both races. Yes
terday Sisto piloted Three Rings
to another victory in the $4,000
Lucky Draw Handicap at Belmont
Park.
It was a happy occasion, too.
for Trainer Raymond DeStefano,
who began pointing Alerted for
the Dixie Immediately after his
defeat in the Bowie. DeStefano
represented the owner in accepting
a silver plate in the winners
circle Immediately after the race.
1t was presented by Vaughn Flan-
merry, vice president of Laurel.
Hull Down Early Threat.
For a while it looked as though
Hull Down, carrying a mere 1O4
pounds. might score major upset.
Jockey Keith Stuart gave the
Count Fleet colt q heady ride but
didn't have enough horse to take
All the money. Hull Down set a
brisk pace from the start, travel
3ng the first six furlongs in 1:123s,
with Alerted shadowing him an the
way. Auditing stayed just off the
pace, a couple of lengths back and
In position to take over if the
leaders faltered.
Alerted, in at 112 pounds. col
Jared Hull Down on the last turn
but couldn't shake him completely.
Auditing. under Ill pounds, also
made a run at the eventual win
ner in the stretch, and at the 10th
pole the result was much in doubt.
But at that point Sisto reused
Alerted to a stronger effort and
the colt had enough left to hold
OF his challengers.
+ The victory boosted Alerted's
earnings for the year to $50, 1925.
Last year the colt won eight races
and was out of the money only
nine times in 81 efforts and won
the tidy sum Of $101, ,285.
Yesterdays betting total Of ST.
OCT ,O49 was the. best Of the first
three days of the Pimlico meeting,
which will continue for two weeks
-. The big wind-up is the Freak
ness, which is expected to bring
Hill Gail. and most of his Ken
lucky Derby rivals to Baltimore.
80. It looked like a great day for
chalk players until the fourth race
when Trainer j. w. Mergler sad
died Sylvan Rock for $3.50
mutuei -. Lunar Park, also
trained by Mergler, won the fifth
at juicy $22.s0.
Daily double players with the
2-9 combination hit for $14.40
payoff when Joanny's Jill won the
first race at a $40 mutuel and
Blue Tail Fly won the second.
paying $3.50 to win.
When Baby Founders bore out
making the turn for home in the
first race. Jockey Willie Downs
stood UP in the stirrups and
raped the filly sharply on the
side Of her head to force her back
in. Blue Grouse's victory in
the third race caused a minus
show pool of $733.40 which the
track had to make up.
Visitors at Pimlico today in
cluded 1t. Col. j. B. Faulconer
a reserve officer on duty for 80
days at Fort Meade, Md, who in
civilian life is the announcer al
Keeneland and other tracks. The
initials. j. B.. means just that
nothing more >. A serious injury
was narrowly averted by a lively
stepping fan just before the Dixie
.. Auditing, working out en-
route to the paddock before the
race, came Zooming toward &
column Of fans moving across tht
track from the grandstand to TIN
SnAold oynd iIIcf V,oieSod o1aa iY