Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-12
Blue SporkIer
lis Winner at
AtIunticCity
BY CHARLES M. EGAN
Sports Editor of The Star

sports Editor OF The Star
MAYS LANDING, N. j., Aug.
I11.-Nashua suffered a sudden
attack of collie and had to be
withdrawn from the 100000
Atlantic City Handicap today
after attracting a near-record
crowd of 1892 on a hot, humid
afternoon when the beaches were
a powerful lure.
But Jack Kelly, the eX-Olympic
Isculler who now is president Of
the Atlantic City Racing AsSo-
citation. survived this cruel break
and came up with a great race
anyhow. In a three horse photo
finish that rivaled that which
televiewerS saw in the Brook
Ign Handicap last week, Blue
Sparkler, a dead-game filly, tri-
umphed by half length over
Skipper Bill, with Find another
nose back in third place. Mister
Gus, the 2-to-1 favorite, was a
tired fourth.
Blue Sparkler, a 4-year-old
f1lly by Knave High, is owned by
Amory L. Haskell. president of
the Monmouth Park race track,
who races in the name of the
Woodland Farm. Blue Sparkler,
who led her six rivals through
out the mile and an eighth, was
rated carefully by Sammy Boul-
metis. The Baltimore born Greek
was substituting for OWE Sour
lock, who is serving a costly 10
day suspension.
Cost ScurlOck $500
In fact, the suspension cost
Scurlock cool $4,000 for, under
the conditions of this invita-
tional handicap. the winner nets
sos 900, with the second, third
and fourth finishers receiving
$4,000, $4,000 and $4,000, re-
Ispectively. This was the first
running of the race, for which
: there are no fees Forthcoming
from the invited owners.
The announcement that
Nashua was being scratched be-
cause he was i'll in his barn and
! running a temperature of 1O3
degrees wasn't made until after
!, 4 pm, less than an hour before
post time for the big race. It
! was greeted by a scattering of
boos from surprised fans. al
= though the more knowledgeable
race-goers in the big throng must
= nave suspected that something
was wrong because of the broad
cast calls for veterinarians. First
, word of the horses illness came
at 2 pm. after his groom, ALI
, Robertson, found him lying in
; his stall and apparently in con-
siderable pain.
Leslie Coombs II and other
! members of the syndicate which
paid a record $1.251,200 for the
, colt last December, rushed to
the barn at once, as did addi-
! tlonal veterinarians. Later it was
| announced that Nashua was feel
: ing much better and might be
! all right again in a couple Of
, days.
More JOlts for Fans
The disappointed fans got
couple of other jolts from Mister
Gus and Bardstowh in the $780,
600 race. Mister Gus, who set an
American record for a mile and
: three sixteenths on the grass in
, winning the Arlington Handicap
; for Mrs. Richard Lunn tired
badly at today's shorter distance
after being well placed by Jockey
ISmael Valenzuela. He showed
little of the form displayed in
chasing Swaps to a couple of
world records at Hollywood Park.
: Calumet Farms BardstoWn,
,, the unknown quantity who had
been picked by many to give
Nashua a hard time as a result
OF Is pound concession, was
another disappointment to those
who backed him down to 30 to
/. Willie Hartack kept Bards-
town within striking distance
without hurrying him. but the
gelded son of Alibhai-T Twilight
Continued on Page CT, Col. 6