Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-04
Royal Bay Gem
Wins at Laurel
With Late Squirt
Dinner Winner Runs
Second, Mr.. Paradise
Third in Hondicop
By Lewis F. Atchison
Stor Stoff Correspondent

LAUREL, Md, April 3.-Royal
Bay Gem, a come-from- behind
horse who hasn't had much luck
this season. found a situation
made to order for him today as
he won the 41St running of the
SIS, 0O0-added Laurel stakes.
One of last years better s.
year-olds. although not quite
good enough to win any Of the.
big ones, the son of Royal Gem
II-Bayadere let his front-run-
ming rivals set a bliStering early
pace and then took command on
the last bend to win the mile and
one-sixteenth in the good time
of las fiat over a fast but dull
track.
Owned by Eugene Constantin,
jr., Royal Bay Gem was 2A
lengths ahead Of Filipo Baldi's
Dinner Winner, who, in turn. was
two lengths in front of Mrs. Ada
L. Rice's Mr.. Paradise. Isidore
Bieber's King Jolie was fourth.
another length and one-half far
ther back.
The winner. slightly better than
a 2-to-1 favorite. paid $40,
$500 and $3.50 across the board.
Dinner Winner returned $500
and 1920. while Mr.. Paradise
paid $3.50.
Attendance Surprises.
It was a sunny, wind-Swept
day and the crowd of 24,641,
not quite up to last Saturdays
26,608, got a run for it's money
in the feature. Laurel officials
were a bit surprised by the at
tendance. figuring that Jamaica
in New York would attract most
of its Philadelphia patronage.
The betting was brisk, too.
although also under last weeks
total.
A late scratch of S. A. Peck's
Potpourri reduced the field to
eight in the feature, and cut
slightly into the winners earn
ings. Out of gross purse Of ST.
300. Royal Bay Gem received
$11.825. boosting his winnings
for the year to $21.285. He
earned $184,800 last year. win
ming eight of his % starts and
finished in the money on four
other occasions.
Royal Bay Gem is a motor
iously late starter and Combest
allowed him to lag behind as the
field headed for the first turn.
Mr.. Paradise. r. C. Hanna's
Candle Wood. Brookmeade
Stables Picador and Henry B.
Cohen's Buck N Gee reached the
club house turn almost as a
team.
Well-Planned Race.
Candle Wood seemed to bear
out slightly and Buck N Gee ap-
peared to lean in. and in the
subsequent shuttle Picador fell
back slightly. They ran the first
quarter in 1872. reached the six
furlongs mark in 1:13 and hit
the mile in a good 1894.
Combest couldn't have planned
a race any better as he let Din
ner Winner, with Oliver Cutshaw
up, Candle Wood, ridden by Will
liam Balzaretti. and Buck N Gee.
with Ira Hanford up. virtually
knock themselves out on the run
to the far turn.
Royal Bay Gem made his move
on the outside coming around
the turn. Dinner Winner, along
the rail. bore out slightly but
not enough to make any differ
ence in the outcome. and when
they Strengthened out for the
run to the wire Combest had the
ConStantin color-bearer in high
gear and clear Of trouble.
It was satisfying victory for
Trainer Clyde Trout. whose
only previous score this year
with Royal Bay Gem was in an
allowance race at New Orleans.
He was unplaced in the New
Orleans and Gulf Stream Park
Handicaps, although beaten only
3l2 lengths in his last start.
In a brief ceremony after the
race Trout was presented a
silver bowl by Mrs. Myron
Cowen, wife of the former Am
basSador to Belgium.
A fairly exciting day, which
saw the crowd wager $1.825.376.
49, ArY--r