Evening star., 1954-04-02
Laurel Co-FaVorites
May Be King JoIie
And Royal Bay Gem
By Lewis T. Atchison

With Eatontown and Sweet
Vermouth on the doubtful list,
eight horses are expected to
make a run for the $4,000
added money in tomorrow's
mile and one-sixteenth Laurel
Handicap. On paper it shapes
up as a wide-open race.
Filipo Baldi's Dinner Winner,
who won a $1,000 race last Sat-
urday, and Robert c. Hanna's
Candle Wood, who ran a dead
heat with Just Sidney in a six
furlong allowance race, get in
with 116 pounds and will bear
watching. But Eugene Constan-
tin, jr.'S, Royal Bay Gem. top
flight 3-year-old last season, in
at lis, and Isidor Bieber'S King
Jolie, a two-time winner at the
current meeting. may be the CO.
favorites.
Eatontown, the g. year old
gelding who looked good earlier
in the week, is bothered by an
old groin injury and Trainer Jim
East won't let him go if he isn't
at his best. Sweet Vermouth ap-
parently doesn't like Laurel's
deep racing strip, which has
been cuppy because of damp
ness, and hasn't worked up to
expectations.
King JOlie May Be Threat.
King Jolie, who will have Ap-
prentice Royal Blum up. was
sidelined much of last year and
didn't show much in the Capitol
Handicap on opening day at
Laurel. The off track undoubt-
edly was not to his liking and
there is a chance it won't be his
kind of track again tomorrow.
But if it is right the Bieber horse
could be a troublemaker.
Royal Bay Gem won the
Chesapeake Stakes at Laurel last
year and has shown a liking
for the deep. sandy track. With
Jimmy Combest in the saddle,
he looks dangerous.
Brookmeade Stables Picador,
vino gets in with 110 pounds.
including Jockey Nick Shllk, is a
turf star who can't be overlooked.
A son of Bull Lea, the geldlng
has been idle since his smash
ing victory in the $4,000 ADDED
Hialeah Turf Handicap.
Shuk Rides at Jamaica.
Shuk rode Trio Stables Laf-
tango in the Paumonok Handi-
cap at Jamaica yesterday, and
will remain there today to pilot
Brazen Brat in an overnight race.
Harry Cohen's Buck N Gee. ia
with Babe Hanford riding. Mrs.
Ada Rice's Mr.. Paradise, 110. in
Guiding Bill Hartack, and Samuel
A. Peck's Potpourri, lis, no rider
announced, complete the Capitol
field.
Candle Woods jockey will be
the veteran William Balzaretti.
Elliott Burch. son of the vet
eran trainer. Preston M. Burch,
came down from New York to
handle Picador for the race.
The Laurel dates back to 1914
when Last Coin won. 1t has been
won by some outstanding horses,
such as Exterminator in 1922.
Osmand. in 1927 and %, The
Porter, 1919, Careful, 1921, and
Psychic Bid, 1885.
One of the most famous run
nings in 1887 ended in a dead
heat between Seabsicuit. ridden
bv Jockey Johnny tRedI Pollard,
and Heelfy, with George Woolf
up.
Earl Sande, Charlie Kurt
singer. Nick Wall. Alfred Robert
son, Eddie Arcaro. Ted Atkinson
and Albert johnson are among
the more famous Jockeys who
have, ridden Laurel Handicap
winners.
johnson rode Exterminator
the year he won when they
piled 1872 pounds on Old Bones,
who was a mere 7-year-old.
Seabiscuit. carrying 126, had to
condede IL pounds to Heelf1y.
Alfred Brown, 18-year-old ap-
prentice from Camden. N. j.,
made his racing debut at Laurel
Tuesday. He's one Of the few
Negroes riding and in bringing
the 5O-to-1 shot, Larry A., from
last place to second. he showed
a lot of skill.
DR.. S. D. Gottlieb, who raced
horses under the Kay-Gee Sta
BILE banner, sold his entire string
of II to Tinkham Veale II, at
Gulfstream Park in one of the
biggest thoroughbred transac-
tions of recent years The group
included Wolf Gal. who won the
day DR.. Gottlieb purchased hel
last year, Marked Game, Go a
Bit, and Royal Pate. all stakes
winners.
DR.. Gottlieb is i'll and has
given up racing. temporarily al
least. Frank l. Wright of Lau-
rel, Md. has been training fol
him. while Frank D. Christmas
handles Veale's horses.