Evening star., 1954-04-18
Pennsylvania Horse
Beats 4 Contenders
In Thrilling Finish
By Robert B. Phillips
Special correspondeni OF The Stor

"A sporting family ran back to
form and in doing It upset the
form sheet when Mrs. John B.
Hannum's Ell Arab won the
Middleburg Hunt Cup here today
In a thrilling finish in which the
first flve horses could be covered
by q camera shot. Mrs. Hannum
is the daughter of the late r.
Penn Smith. whose st. Patrick
captured the trophy at Middle
burg in 1928.
She is also MFH of Mr.. Stew
arts famous Cheshire Hounds in
Pennsylvania. Her husband was
riding Ell Arab today, and they
were conceded little chance at
the big prize until a surprising
burst of speed in the stretch
swept them in front of Mrs.
Amory Carhart'S Icy Fingers and
Cyrus Manierre's Uncle Pierre,
recent Rokeby Bowl winner. who
also was an outsider in the
betting.
Big Day for Ladies.
It was a gala day for the fox
hunting ladies. Mrs. T. A. Ran
dolph of Uppervilie, who is often
acting MFH of the Piedmont
Hounds, won the Mary Mellon
SteeplechaSe, $4,000 added. with
Uncle Joe. the big strong jumper
who now has chalked up five out
of five. Uncle Joe tangled in a
driving finish with Jane Nc
Hugh's Sundowner. one of the
top money winners in steeple-
chasing last season.
After cracking the first brush
fence so hard that Jockey Earl
Phelps was knocked out of the
irons, SundoWner recovered and
made up ground steadily, grab
bing the lead in the last half
mile. At that point Paddy Smith
wick rushed Uncle Joe to the
front and came to the wire
whipping, with Sundowner still
pouring it on in the stretch.
Uncle Joe was safe by scant
three-quarterS of a length.
Last nights rain had washed
bright green the turf of Glen
wood Race Course. BY post time
of the William Skinner Memo
rial, the wind had combed every
cloud from the sky. This race also
had it's family connection for the
winner, Raymond Guests Pacific
Pact, who was trained by John
T. Skinner of Middleb urg,
brother of the late Virginia
sportsman whose name is hon.
ored by the 2-mile brush event.
Seven Hunts Seek Cup.
For the crowd, which packed
the parking spaces door handle
to door handle. the Hunt Cup of
3 miles over timber was the days
big magnet. The nine starters
represented seven different hunts
among them the Orange County,
Middleburg, Piedmont, Loudoun
and Warrenton Counties of Vir-
ginia, as well as Mr.. Stewards
Pennsylvania pack and the Jen-.
esee Valley in New York State.
Only casualty in the race over
IA timbers was Morton w.
Smiths Benton Boy, who fell at
the seventh fence.
At various points in the Smile
gallop almost every horse had a
turn leading the pack. Franz T.
Stones Brun de Cries carried the
pace for the first turn of the field,
with Mrs. James T. Mccormick
Black Fox Run, the 1853 winner
who turned up with a bad leg
and never was a serious con-
tender, and E. v. Gould's Ums
ready to take over after they
passed the grandstand the second |
time.
Johnny Fisher on DR.. Joseph |
Rogers Big Breeze and Paddy |
Smithwick on Icy Fingers played !
a waiting game just off the pace |
until they charged forward with |
Ell Arab as the field came wing !
ing toward the last two fences. |
For a flash Icy Fingers seemed
to be on the way to the payoff
until Ell Arab decided to run.
Murphys Finish One Two.
To wind up the day in family
style. Trainer D. Murphy sad
died two horses owned by Harry
S. Nichols of Detroit and ridden
by the Murphy boys-P. and j.
to finish one-two in the clos
ing dash Of one mile on the fiat.
The horses were Rendezvous and
Step Dance.
Lacking a horse of their own,
the railbirds always are looking
for one to cheer about. They
found it in the Gerald B. Webb,
jr., Memorial hurdle race when
Mrs. George Ohrstrom's Corin-
thien beat out the Main Earth
Stables Allflor and Mahlon
Kline's Calvary Charge. The
Ohrstrom Stable has had bad
luck in the past week. losing two
horses to accidents at the Deep
Run meeting and a priced brood
mare a few days later.
Summaries:
The Glenwood mile and half over
hurdles; Little Kraut, owned by
sa R1s riSden aS By Eeaf &shs czardss e. 4syif III
owned BY Mrs; G. L. ,ohrstrom, The
Sally Boots. owned by Mrs. stephen c.
Clarke. ir., MiddleburR. ridden by T.
Fields. Time. 2:53.
The Gerald B. Webb. jr.. Memorial.
2 n1he and thres1ausrters over HURDLES:
SGT1nthfR d6Tstrom fdden 6WpsS Sy y aTs 6 L
Allflor. owned by Maine. Earth Stable.
Cleveland, Ohio, ridden BY J. Murphy;
3-Cavalry Charge. owned by c. Mahlon
Kline. Amber. Pa. ridden by NJ. Ferral.
The William skinner Memorial, e
miles over brush: PACIFIC Pact owned
by, Raymond Guest Front Royal, Va:
ridden BY 4, Phelps: 3wBreakers
Ahead. owned by F., Ambrose Clark.
Middebure. ridden. by T. Moneiell.
Cyrus Manierre, Middleburg, ridden by