Evening star., 1953-04-12
Royal Bay Gem
2-Length Victor
In Chesapeake
Drives From Lost
To Defect Hueso;
Isusmoothie Third.
By Lewis F. Atchison
Stor Staff Correspondent

SCaHCln, il. S, Royal Bay Zen
came from last place to win thu
31st running of the $25, 900 addec
Chesapeake Stakes here today
It was a smashing victory fol
the glistening. black son of Bay
Gem II-Bayadere and moved hin
squarely into the spotlight o.
solid Kentucky Derby candidates
Only four previous Chesapeake
winners have gone on to capture
the Derby-the great Citation
Whiskerry, Cavalcade and Wa
Admiral-but the Texas-ownec
colt gave most of the 81 ,541 fan!
present the notion that he coule
be the fifth-if Native Dancer
doesn't come through.
The winner was two length:
ahead of Robert P. Levy's Huest
at the finish with Brookfiele
Farms Isasmoothie a head far.
ther back. Another neck behinc
was Alfredo. Vanderbilt's heav.
ily-played Social Outcast whit
closed fast to get fourth money
after being dead last at the breal
and 10th at the top of the home
stretch.
COmbest Handles Winner Well
Royal Bay Gem ran the mile
and one-Sixteenth in 1:47, re.
Spepctable figures considering hi
poor start in the crowded fielc
of Is. Not to be overlooked j!
the riding of Jimmy Combest
who handled the colt perfectly.
The winner paid $500, $4.8(
and $340, across the board
Hueso, winner of last weeks
$4,000 Cherry Blossom Stakes
returned $3.50 and $500, while
Isasmoothie paid $4.20.
1t was a cool, pleasant day, bu
both the attendance and betting
of $1,615,771 were under track
officials expectations. The Bowie
management had hoped to break
the all-time-record of $1,635,815
It was the first time the Chesa-
peake was run at Bowie.
Social Outcast, who also will
be sent to Kentucky for the
Derby, went off, surprisingly, 6
slight favorite over Royal Bay
Gem at IL to S. The Vanderbilt
horse. Santa Anita campaignel
last winter, had $40,173 riding
on him to win, while Constantin'.
representative drew $38,680
When the big field broke from
the two gates, Social Outcast
was last with Royal Bay Gen
just ahead Of him.
Takes Colt to Inside.
But a mile and a sixteenth i.
a long way and Combest didn't
get excited. He took Royal Bay
Gem to the inside, while Eric
Guerin hustled Social Outcast
after the rest of the pack dowr
the middle of the track.
Bernadotte Stables Dandolo
a 60-to-1 shot. and Jaclyr
Stables Main Bout set a slow
pace for the first three-quarters
and at the halfway point Roya
Bay Gem had picked up only
one horse, Howard A. Jones
Blue Beam. But it was apparen
that Combest was biding hi.
time on the backstretch anc
when the eventual winner begar
to move, he really had it.
Combest made his bid comins
around the far turn, boldly NOV.
ing in and out of tight spots like
a veteran taxi driver.
II had dead aim on them turn.
ing for home" Jimmy said after
the race, land I knew we were
going to win"
He seemed in danger of being
pocketed behind the fading Dan.
dolo, Hueso and Brookfielc
Farms Isasmoothie, the 1857
Pimlico Futurity winner. But
Combest slammed him through
and at the eighth pole it was
all over.
Injury No Handicap.
Royal Bay Gem, who will be
shipped to Kentucky next week
showed no affects of the leg in
Jury received at Gulfstream
Park, which forced HIM to the
sidelines for a month and made
him miss the 100000 Florida
Derby.
He ran as we'll as ever, Com
best said. THE leg injury
didn't bother him a bit"
Royal Bay Gem finished third
to Tribe in the Fountain OF
Youth Handicap, the race in
which he was injured. Previous
to that he won the Everglades
Handicap and ran a corking good
race after being pinched back
at the start to pe second to the
highly-touted Straight Face in
the Flamingo Stakes.
Today's race crossed $34,05O
third richest Chesapeake since
its Inauguration at Havre de
Grace in 1920, and Royal Bay
Gem got $24,775 IS his share. II
brought his earnings for the
year to $81,775.
Johnny Gilbert, a star rider
especially on two-year-olds-un-
til fractured neck forced him
to give it up, trained Brother
Hank, winner of the first race
The gelding paid $12.40, $7.40 anc
$3.50.
Carolyn K Stables Rica 8. the
favorite, took the second, COM
(See BOWIE. Page C-5J