Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-06
Menus Scores
Upset Victory
AT Laurel
By JOSEPH B. KELLY
Star Racing Editor


way dead heat before the camera
was used to decide close horse
races, the Canadian owned
Menus stuck his nose in front
to gain an upset victory in the
SIS, 1000 Laurel Handicap at
Laurel yesterday. A crowd of
17,004 was in the stands.
Everyone hesitated to call the
five-horse blanket finish at the
end of the mile and a sixteenth.
and the camera finally spelled
out the result: Menus by a nose
over Brookmeade Stables First
Aid, who was a nose ahead of
Ocean Lane, a stablemate of the
winner. Ocean Lane was placed
third. a head in front of Walter
M. Jeffords' Open Sesame, the
3-to-2 choice, who in turn beat
Elkcam Stables Ifabody by a
head.
Momus and Ocean Lane, owned
by North Downs Farms, were
coupled in the betting and paid
$24.40, So and $3.50. The winner
was ridden by Chris Rogers
Open Sesame Rated Badly
The favorite players, who en-
ioyed a pleasant afternoon CASH
ing in on four previous races,
were the victims of a poorly
judged ride by Jockey Stanley
Small, who replaced the injured
Tony DeSpirito, regular rider
for the Jeffords' Stable, in the
saddle of Open Sesame.
The late withdrawal of Su-
bahdar. who was expected to do
most of the running for the
Oscar White-trained entry rep
resenting the Jeffords, left the
job up to the 5-year-old chest
nut mare.
Breaking with her head turned
sideways, as if not ready for the
start, Open Sesame was rated
far behind the field of seven
others and when finally turned
loose flew from the quarter pole
to the wire and just missed.
Momus was in the thick of the
battle throughout. never being
worse than fourth. and saved
his final burst of speed for the
last few yards. First Aid closed
gamely under a strong ride by
Augustine Catalano. Ocean Lane,
| a notorious slow starter, did
most of his running in the final
quarter-mile and was in the
thick of the wave of horses
which converged at the six
teenth pole.
7 Although the result appeared
| to be racing handicapper's
dream, actually the overweight
problem of two riders entered
into the picture. The winning
Momus, slated to carry 1903
actually lugged 112 pounds
Rogers being four pounds over.
weight. William Zakoor, who pi.
loted Ocean Lane, was also three
pounds over his allotted weigh
of ITO.
MomuS ran the mile and 6
sixteenth in the 43d running o.
the Laurel in 1;4425.
| Winner Sold by JeffOrds
! The defeat of Open Sesame
rated one of the finest mares ir
racing, was doubly embarrassing
for her owner JeffordS, who SOLE
Menus to Eric Cradoc of Toron'
to. owner of the North Downs
Farms. last spring.
Ideal racing weather prevailed
for the final weekend program
at Laurel but betting was 6
rather disappointing $1,178,18i
on the eight-race card.
The daily double provided
some, early excitement when the
stewards lighted the "inq''iry'
sign on the infield board aftel
Polly'S Bo finished a head ir
front of Zadie Boy in the second
race.
Holders of ly-double tickets
combining No Lien. $3.50 win
ner in the first race, with Polly''
Bo, visualized a $76.20 payof
but the stewards, after talking
to the jockeys, voided the 2 anC
5 tickets in favor Of the 2 and 8
which hooked up No Lien anc
zadie Boy, worth $44.40.
1 The stewards declared thai
Polly's DO drifted wide through
the stretch. carrying out ZadlC
Boy, the $5.40 choice, who rallied
in the final quarter of the six.
furlong dash. Aubrey Snelling'
rode Polly's Bo, a 7-to-2 bet
while Joe ServlS was aStrid,
Zadie Boy.
In keeping with Primary Da,
Monday in Maryland, Laurel an
nounced that a special race calleI
the Presidential Primary will b
staged between the third an,
the fourth races on the closin
day program.
> Stable ponies will represen
| the six leading Democratic can
didateS, Estes Kefauver, Ada
! Stevenson. Averill Hartman
! Lyndon johnson, Stuart Sy
mington and Richard Russell, i
i a three sixteenths of a mil
J sprint
Laurel will make a specis
award to the trainer who own
! the winning pony. Trainers
be represented are Rudy Keyei
/ Judy johnson, Louis E. Torrey
son, Irish" Jimmy Stewart, JAG
! MacSchwebel and Charles Ca
49,