Evening star., 1953-11-12
'Armistice Day
A Natural for
International
Record 31,100 Sees
Worden From France
Win Laurel Classic
(Chart of International,
Page ca !
By Lewis F. Atchison

ArmlStice Day and the second
running of the $65,000 Washing
ton, D. c., International proved
a winning combination for Lau-
rel as record crowd of 31,1OO
took advantage of yesterdays
perfect racing weather to watch
French-bred Worden win the
mile-and-a-half grass classic.
Laurel stumbled onto the day
entirely by accident after an un-
expected snowfall forced the
track to postpone the race last
Saturday. The first running was
staged on Saturday, October 18,
1852, and the thought that Ar
miStice Day might be entirely
appropriate for sporting event
matching horses from all over
the World-the tracks ultimate
goal-apparently never had oc-
CURED to Laurel officials.
Whether John D. Schapiro.
track president. and his associ-
ates get the clue is something
else again. "A half hour before
the colorful field paraded to the
post yesterday to try for the top
prize of $4,000. Schapiro told
the press he didn't know what
the future policy would be. Yes
terday's mutuel handle of ST.
754.548, which. like the crowd
figures, was a track record, un-
doubtedly gave Schapiro some
thing to think about.
The fact Armistice Day is a
Government holiday certainly
helped swell theecrowd.
Owned by American.
Worden's victory, the second
straight triumph for foreign
horse, also gave breeders and
owners in other lands much
mental food. The French horse,
owned by Ralph B. Strassburger,
who lives in France but still re-
tains his American citizenship
made it look easy. He ran the
distance, "about" a mile and a
half from a walk-up start, in
2:36. slow time compared to
WilWyns mark of 2::3O45 last
year. But he won easily.
w. Arnold Hangers Iceberg II
was a soundly beaten second,
six lengths behind, with Brook
meade Stables Sunglow three
lengths farther back in third
place. Another French-bred,
Silnet. was fourth, with favored
Crafty Admiral last.
The mutuel pay-of was even
more surprising. Worden, listed
as Worden II in England because
a horse named Worden previous
ly raced there, returned $3.50.
$14.20 and 5000 across the board.
Iceberg II paid $7.4O and $3.50,
and Sunglow returned $500.
Smirke Surprised at Odds.
The result also should whet
the appetite of foreign riders for
a crack at, not only the winning
Jockeys share of the purse, but
chance to win a few bob on
the side. Cheeky Charlie"
Smirke, the veteran English
Jockey who was aboard the win
ner, expressed surprise at the
size of the winning mutuel.
HE would have been 5-to-2 in
England" declared the cocky
Smirke, who was reported to
have won a sizable bet on his
mount. Charlie wasn't so i'm
pressed by the mutuel, but let
out whistle when it dawned on
him that this was more than
Is to l.
1t was a truly international
victory won by an English jockey
on a French-bred, American
owned horse, trained by George
Bridgland. Frenchman despite
his English name.
The remaining order of finish
found Paul Duboscq's. Silnet half
a length behind Sunglow in
fourth place; Mrs. F. L. Wicker
mans Chamier from Ireland,
fifth; A. L. Hawkins Thirteen of
Diamonds, also from Ireland,
sixth; Thomas Robinson'S Har-
win. from England, seventh.
Argentine Studs Mister Black
was eighth, Robert C. Boucher's
Wilwyn of England, ninth, and
Charfran Stables Crafty Ad-
miral, the 2-to-1 choice, a la
boring dead last.
Confidence Not Misplaced.
Smirke rode heady, we'll
paced race, bearing out his
earlier prediction that Worden
would take it all. A majority of
foreigners who had seen the
horse in action believed Worden
had an excellent chance to win,
but there were a few who thought
Smirke's vociferous confidence
was in character with his nick
name.
Then on Monday the 46-year-
old saddle veteran, who rode the
great Tulyar in all his races
last year, complained about the
condition of the course. Late
comers hearing him might have
been led to believe Worden would
have trouble getting around the
course, much less winning the
race.
The boundless confidence
Trainer Bob Odom had expressed
earlier in Crafty Admiral, plus
Trainer Horatio Luro's enthuSi-
asm about Iceberg II, might
have thrown.others off the track.
Smirke's optimism never wa
vered. He told everybody right
from the start that Worden
would win. Too many people
were sorry they hadn't paid
more attention to him.
First Start on Grass.
1t was Crafty Admiral's first
start on grass and Jockey Bill
Boland said the 5-year-old son
of Eiohtinp Eny. Adrniralie Yody