Evening star., 1953-04-10
Condition Of Track
May Cut Field for
Chesapeake Stakes

Eighteen horses still are ELI
gible for tomorrow's 31st run
ming Of the Chesapeake Stakes,
but final preps at Bowie today
were expected to take several off
the list. Starter Eddie Blind is
hoping for at least one more
withdrawal as he'll have room
for only II starters in the $25,-
000-added race at a mile and
one-sixteenth.
The prospect of more rain to-
day, followed by cooler and
cloudy weather tomorrow, may
take several colts out of the first
major Maryland stake of the
year. The track figures to be
slow or heavy tomorrow.
A muddy Belmont track helped
take County Clare out of the
Chesapeake yesterday. Trainer
Preston Burch sent the Brook
meade Stable runner out for a
final drill, but was so unim-
pressed he decided not to ship
him down for the race.
Nine Derby Horses Left.
Alfred G. Vanderbilt'S Social
Outcast was vanned in from Bel
mont Park yesterday and Trainer
Bill Winfrey was due at Bowie
today. Trainer Sylvester Veitch
also was expected to arrive in
time to supervise the final prep
of C. v. Whitney's Fly Wheel.
Nine Kentucky Derby candi-
dates are left in the race, in
Guiding the above pair, although
none is regarded as a serious
contender for the Derby crown.
But an impressive victory in the
Chesapeake might bolster their
hopes for trip to the Blue Grass
country. This group includes
Bernadotte Stables Dandolo,
Brookf1eld Farms Isasmoothie,
Eugene Constantin, jr.'S Royal
Bay Gem, Walter A. Edgar's
Prince Dare, Jaclyn Stables
Main Bout. Louis Prima's The
Preem, and Ann Uhlar's AIMS
Love.
Royal Bay Gem, inactive since
he suffered slight injuries in the
Fountain of Youth Handicap at
GulfStream early last month, has
worked well at Bowie and should
have a lot of support in the bet
ting ring tomorrow. His victory
In the Everglades Handicap and
a fast-closing second to Straight
Face in the Flamingo Stakes in
dicate the son of Royal Gem II
could be on the front erd.
Backing for New Dream.
Other horses still eligible out
of the So original nominees,
whose owners pai0 $25 to enter
them. are Bonchrist Farms Bet
ter Goods, Harry B. Cohen's
Buck n Gee, Mrs. Rebecca Col
Inns Becky's Shirt. w. H. FoaleS'
Just Sidney, Mrs. Walter M. JET
fords' Maabrook, Robert Levy's
Hueso, H. H. Polk's New Dream,
Bayard Sharp'S Judge NJ, and
S. D. Sidell's Smart Choice.
New Dream, an impressive
winner yesterday, gives the
Washington area a stronger
than-usual roofing interest in
the race. Polk is an Alexandria
automobile dealer who has high
hopes for his colt.
The one-two finish of Hueso
and Main Bout in last Satur-
days Cherry Blossom Stakes in
dicates the two will be sharp for
the Chesapeake.
A brief dispute with the black
smiths threatened to give Bowie
officials some trouble yesterday,
but everything was smoothed
over. 1t seems that the Smithies
want more working room to
calk horses hooves on muddy
days. Some refused to work, but
enough did to keep the horses
running.
Jack Needles. Bowie secretary,
said more space would be avail
able for the shoers today.
A large crowd of unbelievers
had to see the photo of the fin
ish of yesterdays fourth race
before believing that Mrs. Al
bert Roberts Thither had nosed
out Manunda Stables Silver Ar
row. The picture showed Silver
Arrows body ahead of Thither,
but the latter's head was down
and his nose was on the wire,
and that's what counts. It was
a nice win for zoe Culmone over
Willie Hartack.
The seasons biggest daily
double in Maryland, $735, was
paid ticket holders yesterday
when the Gil combination won. |
A well-played favorite, Gallop-
ing Gus, won the first race at
a $7.20 mutuel, and Cover Of,
almost go to l on the board,
took the second.
Leeds RELY, general manager
OF Charles Town, missed the
payoff when his entry, Moose
Eye, f1riShed third in the first
race. He had coupled him with
Cover Of, since Norman L. Hay
maker trains both horses.