Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-07
Is 10 |,
Wins S72,400
McLennan Can
RoyoI Vale Second,
But Is Disqualified;
HioIeuh Has 26,347
By the Assoe,oted Press

MIAMI. Fla, Feb. elixir,
a 6-year-old chestnut gelding
who likes Florida tracks, ran the
best race of his life today to win
the $72, 400 McLennan Handicap
at Hialeah Park before the sea-
sons biggest turnout of 26,347.
Elixir. ridden by Sammy
Boulmetis and carrying only 10
pounds, caught the firing leaders
in the final stride and won by
half a length over Mrs. Esther
dupont Thouron's Royal Vale.
The latter, under top weight
Of 126 pounds with Jackie West
rope up, also closed fast, but
was disqualified by the stewards
and dropped to last in the bulky
field of is. The English-bred,
twice loser of photo-f finish de-
cisions to Tom Fool last year,
was disqualified for Juggling in
early in the stretch run. caus-
ing crowding among the other
horses.
Sam Tufano's Wise Margin
finished third and was moved
UP to second. with Eugene Con-
stantin's Royal Bay Gem taking
third. Cain Hoy Stables Arma-
geddon was fourth.
FavOrite Of Badly.
Valley Farms Impasse, the
9-to-5 favorite, broke last and
never was a factor. finishing
10th. Royal Vale was second
choice in the betting at 7 to /.
Elixir went off at l8 to / and
paid $38.70. $3.50 and $11.30.
Wise Margin returned s25.10 and
$14.10. The show price on Royal
Bay Gem was $1450.
Elixir ran the mile and an
eighth in 1:49. only rs seconds
off the track record. The frac-
tons were 1925. ass. 1:l02s and
1865.
The race was the richest in
10 trimmings of the McLennan,
major prep for the 100000
added Widener to be run two
weeks from today. and Elixir's
owner. Dave j. Schneider of
Forest Hills. L. l., picked up the
winners purse of $4,000. Elixir
earned $63,555 in 20 starts last
year.
Ninth At Half Mile Pole.
Elixir was off fast but dropped
back to eighth as they rounded
the clubhouse turn and was !
ninth at the half-mile pole. He
started picking up around the
far turn and was third when
they headed into the stretch.
Mrs. Ada L. Rice's Mr.. Para
disc set the early pace, with
James Cox Brady's Landlocked
pressing for the lead until they
passed the half-mile pole. There
Landlocked took the lead briefly.
with Armaeeddon running third
Mr.. Paradise gave up after
they Strengthened out in the
home stretch and Elixir took
over, with Royal Vale and Wise
Margin moving up. Armageddon
dropped to fifth at the end and
w. Arnold Hangers Iceberg fin
iShed sixth, a neck in front of j
the tired Landlocked.
Betting Exceeds So Million
Elixir won an allowance race
at Tropical Park early last
month and finished fifth a week
ago in the Royal Palm at mile
and a turlong.
Down the back side I wouldn't
give you quarter for the horse"
Boulmetis said after the race. |
He didn't look like he had a
chance, but about the eighth /!
pole he moved up and that was
all that it took. I have ridden
him before, but he never ran
like this"
Conn McCreary. riding Wise |
Margin. said ANY break in the |
race and I would have won it.
For a while. it looked like I |
might get that break"
The big crowd poured $313,-
42l through the betting ma
chimes on the McLennan alone
after wagering $272,458 on the
previous race.
Betting on the nine race pro- |
gram totaled $2.112.752, far
more than on McLennan Day
last year. when the handle was
mn nnn