Evening star., 1954-05-09
Nears Track Record;
Capeador, at11to 10,
Third Under Arcaro
By Lewis F. Atchison
Stur Stoff Correspondent

Straight Face got the lead on the
clubhouse turn today and stayed
there the rest of the way to win
the SD running of the $25 ,000-
added Dixie Handicap before a
crowd of 1892 at Pimlico.
1t was only mild upset, since
the 4-year-old gelding, a son
of Count Fleet, was second choice
at less than 3 to l. But he per-
formed like an odds-on favorite
under Jockey Benny Green's
handling to get the big end of
the purse for the mile-and-one-
eighth race.
Clocked in ISL, Straight Face
was 212 lengths in front of Belair
Studs Golden Gloves at the
finish. with Brcokmeade Stables
favored Capeador another head
farther back. Rokeby Stables
Magic Lamp was fourth, 31a
lengths behind Capeador.
CapeadOr Hot Favorite.
Straight Face paid $3.50, $4.S0
and 1920. Golden Gloves re-
turned 1920 and $400. while
Capeador, the 11-to-10 favorite.
paid $2.40 to show.
Winner Of the 1853 Flamingo
Handicap, Straight Face hadn't
shown much this year. He won
q couple of overnight races at
Tropical Park, but today's tri-
umph was his first stakes victory
of the year. It was worth $19,-
$50 out of a gross purse Of $780,
600, giving Straight Face life
time bankroll of $159.540.
Neither Jock Whitney nor his
sister, Mrs. Charles Shipman
Payson, who own Greentree, saw
Straight Faces race. They were
In New York watching Palm
Tree run out Of the money in the
Withers at Belmont Park. Jockey
Ted Atkinson, the stables No. l
contract rider, was there, too,
giving Green chance to pick up
the 10 per cent share that goes
to the winning rider. Bennie
earned it.
Straight Faces time, ISL, was
only one-fifth of a second over
the track record set by Chains
in 1948
Jockey Eddie Arcaro, on Cape
ador, got the favorite off slowly
and permitted him to drift back
to next to last in the eight-horse
field. while Straight Face, Golden
Gloves and Ram O'War battled
for the early lead.
FavOrite Far Back.
At the half-mile pole on the
back stretch, where Straight
Face was two lengths in front |
and winging, Capeador had only
j S. Phipps' Parnassus beaten,
and only by a head at that. |
Magic Lamp was sixth at that |
point and Arcaro, remembering |
the Rokeby Stable horses clos |
'ing rush in beating Capeador at |.
Belmont a few weeks ago, may
have held off, saving something |
for the finish. When Eddie finally +,
turned his mount loose. he was |
too far back to catch the winner. /
Golden Gloves made a rush at /
Straight Face on the turn for
home, but Green let out lap and
moved confidently ahead. The
Greentree colorbearer increased
his margin to three lengths in
the stretch and won about as he
pleased with Arcaro whipping
furiously but futilely in an effort
to overhaul Golden Gloves for
second money.
Betting off Slightly.
The days wagering totaled ST.
236,451, as compared with ST.
345.719 for the first Saturday last
spring.
The inaugural race on Pim-
lico's new turf course. inside the
main track and one furlong
short of a mile, gave the fans
their biggest thrill of the day
when Mrs. E. Kendall Wells Gen.
tenaire won a nose decision over
Sam Serpico's favored The Span
lei. They came down the stretch
head and head, with Centenaire,
ridden by Angelo Vasil. dropping
his nose on the wire a split
second before The Spaniel, with
Jerry Parmenti up.
Mrs. F.. j. Vollmer's My Nell
was third in the field of seven.
Walmac Farms HaSseyampa
has been made a supplemental
nominee for the Preakness here
on May %, at the usual $500
fee. With Joe w. Browns Gigan-
tic also a supplemental entry,
Pimlico officials look for at least
10 starters and possibly the
richest Preakness in history with
q gross purse OF about $131 $50.
Paradoxically, the winner
probably wont get as much as
Assault earned by his victory in
1946. when his owner received
$98,005. This is because Lou
Pondfield, Pimlico'S executive di-
rector. initiated a new payoff
scale for the PreaknesS when his
organization took over the track
several years ago. The place
horse now :gets $25.000. the third
horse $4,000 and the fourth fin
isher. $500.
Watson Elliott's Verna Lee and
Mrs. w. B. Dietrich's Reveille
made up the winning daily
double, a 2-8 combination paying
$4260. Verna Lee paid $13, 81
and $3.50. while Reveille returned
$6.40, $3.50 and $500.