Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-19
Arcuro Victor:
Longshots Run
Second, Third
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON
Star STAFF Correspondent

Son, the son of a sprinter who
the experts said couldn't run so
far, put in a strong bid for the
3-year-old championship today
by winning the mile-and-three-
Sixteenths American Derby in a
driving finish on the Soggy grass
at Washington Park.
Swoon's Sons owner, E. Gay
Drake. had considered scratching
him because of the tracks con-
Idition following heavy rain and
windstorm which held the crowd
down to 23,418.
Florida breo Needles. winner
of the Kentucky Derby. Belmont
Stakes and two other hundred
granderS this year, lacked his
customary stretch punch and fin
ished fifth in this $159.425 race.
This son of Ponder. who won this
race in 1949. went off as the even
money favorite and finished fifth.
beaten about three lengths.
33-tO-1 Shot Second
Swoon's Son, with Eddie Ar
caro- coming in from New York to
ride him, won over a 33-to-1 shot
named The Warrior by three
quarters of a length. Toby B.,
another longshot whose only
claim to fame was winning
IKeeneland's Bluegrass Stakes
over Career Boy, finished third,
another length and three-quar-
tiers back and a neck ahead of
Calumet Farms Liberty Sun,
Needles was beaten a nose by
Liberty Sun, whose rider, Willie
Hartack. had four winners today
The winner. whose owner is a
Lexington, KY, horseman and
breeder. picked up $102 800 today,
bringing his total winnings in
two years of racing to $513.430.
That is within shooting distance
of Needles $4,000. Swoon's
Son paid $40. SIS and $3.50 in
the mutuels. The Warrior re-
turned $3.50 and $3.50, while
Toby B. paid $40 to show in the
Ieight-horse field.
The time over a track made
soft and heavy by morning rains
was a very slow 1895. That's
buggy horse time over this nor
mally fast grass track where the
great Swaps had worked out in
world record time the day before.
Withdrawal Considered
But the real drama of the
race lay in two other facts. Mr..
Drake and his trainer, Lex Will
son, informed track officials that
they might withdraw Swoon's
Son because they didn't think he
would run. well on the soggy
turf. 1T was not known for GER
tain whether he would go until
shortly before post time.
The other was that Dave Erb
Needles Jockey. was given first
call on riding Swoon's Son. He
turned it down in favor of his
regular mount on Needles. In
winning the Arlington Classic
last month. Erb had astounded
turf experts by remarking that
Swoon'S Son was the best s.
year-old he had ridden this
year. later modifying the state
ment by saying Needles was
great. too.
Swoon'S Son is by The Doge-
Swoon. The Doge was a useful
but far from great, sprinter
around the Maryland tracks q
few years ago and he never won
at a distance greater than a mile
and a sixteenth.
Because Of that breeding, many
people doubted that he could &c
the American Derby distance.
Second at Start
Arcaro got Swoon's Son of
second in the Derby and Their
eased him back to fourth behind
Terang. Toby B. and The War.
rior going up the backstretch
The winner moved to the from
runners on the turn for home
and took the lead in the stretch
Arcaro was hard put to stave of
the little-known The Warrior al
the finish.
Tommy's Jet. longest shot II
the race. got off first under Doue
Dodson, but faded rapidly anc
finished last.
Disappointments to many were
Ben A. Jones and Terrane. The
former had defeated Swoons Sor
easily here two weeks ago in the
Sheridan Handicap at a mile
See sWOON'S SON, Page c.