Glorious Inaugural: Tremendous Crowd at Churchill Downs for Opening., Daily Racing Form, 1927-05-09

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i GLORIOUS INAUGURAL. • Tremendous Crowd at Churchill Downs for Opening. Helens Babe First in Clark Handicap — Rolled Stocking Defeats Osmand. * UMJIMVUAM, Ky., May 7.— Helens Babe, carrying Hal Price Headleys colors, scored an easy victory in the Clark Handicap, feature of Churchill Downs opening day program, and earned 2,323 by her victory. She scored from Old Slip, which, in turn, finished in advance of Percentage, King Nadi being in fourth place and slightly in advance of Boot to Boot, the outstanding favorite. Helens Babes performance was in line with her showing at Lexington, when she triumphed over Boot to Boot prior to her going to Maryland to start in the Dixie Handicap. Jckey W. Lilley, who had the mount, kept her under restraint, close to the leaders and, having much racing room for the entire trip, she responded gamely when called on in the last eighth, and steadily wore down the leaders, to win from Old Slip going away. Old Slip had followed Percentage closely in the early stages. BOOT TO BOOT DISAPPOINTS. Percentage and Old Slip led at different stagt-s. but ld Slip managed to down the J. W. Parrish representative in the last sixteenth. Boot to Boot was a distinct disappointment. He was away fast and taken under restraint to race in close proximity to Percentage for the first half mile. At this juncture Old Slip and War Kagle challenged him, but he quickly got directly in the wake of the leading pair again, only to tire fast when called on hard in the stretch. There were eleven starters In the race. Royal Julians effort was a good one and he closed a big gap in the last quarter after having been far out of it, but War Kagle tired fast in the last quarter, after he had moved into a contending position, while racing on the back stretch. The outstanding surprise of the afternoon was the easy defeat of the Kentucky Derby favorite. Osmand. by Rolled Stocking, which won by six lengths. Rolled Stocking was in close quarters during the first quarter, but raced close up and came between Osmand and Noreaster at the stretch turn and drew out decisively in the last eighth. Osmand was under restraint for half a mile, assumed the lead when ready, but began tiring in the stretch and had to be urged hard. Noreaster showed fine speed, but was done after five and a half furlongs. Candy Jueen was far out of it most of the way. Kiev showed a dull performance. The second race, the required daily contest for maiden two-year-olds, developed into a stirring stretch duel and a nose finish, in which Heavy Date was winner, with Kthel Sherlock in second place. Witching Hour was third, with seven other fillies following her home. The winner and Kthel Sherlock gained on the leader, Miss Lee, with a rush on the stretch turn and, when the latter gave way. the first two entered engaged in a hard drive. Kthel Sherlock just failed to overhaul the winner. Witching Hour, after beginning slowly, was forced to race around many of the others, and was gaining fast at the end. Vendeuse, a popular choice, was forced hack soon after the start and suffered from blocking after reaching the stretch, * while Elizabeth raced greenly and showed a tendency to run out on the turns. BKPl T.VTION IX TKHMPH. The locally-owned Reputation, racing in fine form, carried the Harned Bros. colors to victory in the introductory race, over three-quarters. The winner led home Mount Beacon by a length, while Cibbons accounted for third place. The latter sprinted into the lead soon after the start, but Reputation •was raced under stout restraint In the first half-mile ajid, upon reaching the stretch, raced into the lead and was not fully extended to hold Mount Beacon safe. The latter finished with a rush on the last turn, and was slowly overtaking the winner at the end. Gibbons. :dthough tiring b:tdly. was not closely pressed for third place. The winner was an outsider in the field of nine. Flying Cloud, an outsider grouped in the mutuel field. :u-eounte«i for the third race, which brought out a field of twelve other platers, to race one mile and a sixteenth. Jockey S. Stretton had the nine-year-old to the finish with almost two lengths to spare over Kretwell, while Broomster landed third. Broomsters bridle broke while on the way to the post and had to be taken to the paddock to be re-equipped, while others of the field waited at the barrier.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1920s/drf1927050901/drf1927050901_1_2
Local Identifier: drf1927050901_1_2
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800