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, HONEY CLOUD TRIUMPHS Wins Southern Maryland Handicap by a Nose From Challephen. Goldman and Idle Elf Dead Heat for Honors in Second Race Largest Crowd of the Meeting Present. BOWIE, Md., April 8. Honey Cloud, a good stake winner at Bowie last fall, registered his first important triumph since leaving the Prince Georges course in November when he returned here to gain a nose decision over the Maryland-bred Challephen in the mile and a sixteenth Southern Maryland Handicap, feature of the Easter Saturday program. Only the camera could split the pair at the end of their journey with a keen scrutiny of the photo being needed before the judges announced their decision. The duel between the pair carried them out six lengths in advance of their nearest rival at the winning post, Unheralded managing to save third money from Hyprocrite by a neck. High Velocity, the only other starter, was another four lengths back. Whitey Abels five-year-old son of High Cloud and Honey Pot had worked in sensational fashion at Pimlico for the race and this caused him to rule an 11 to 5 equal choice with Hypocrite, successful in the Bowie Handicap last Saturday. It was his second 1939 victory, the previous one being scored in an overnight handicap at Santa Anita, and added ,900 to his earnings. THRILLING FINISHES. This finish was the second thriller of the afternoon for in an earlier number the Eye-in-the-Sky could not separate Goldman and Idle Elf with a dead heat being the official placing. The largest crowd of the meeting, by no inconsiderable margin, was on hand, as weather conditions were faultless, with action in the machines being the best of the season. Peters sent Honey Cloud away from the barrier at a lively clip to have his charge in the clear as the five contestants made the first turn. Once in the back stretch, he steadied his charge until Challephen rushed up on the outside at the far turn. The two raced head and head around the filial turn, with the son of Challenger II. forging to the front at the furlong post and then faltering in the last hundred yards to relinquish major honors to the early leader in the final strides. PETERS PLAYS PART. JL llw iSbiUUg lilitliJ A A KJf V A .J 1UJ AAV small part in the result, for at the sixteenth post it appeared his mount was beaten. He refused to give up the battle, however, and the High Cloud gelding came again with considerable gameness to save the day for Abel and his backers. Unheralded, improving considerably over his effort in last Saturdays Bowie, was well up for seven-eighths of a mile, only fading in the run through the stretch. Hypocrite Continued on twenty-seventh page HONEY CLOUIT TRIUMPHS Continued from first page. did not show as well over a fast track as he did in the mud a week ago. Pagliacci, which failed to beat a single horse in the Rowe Memorial on opening day of the meeting, was not hard pressed to lead his company in the six furlongs Goodspeed Purse. Mrs. E. Graham Lewis colorbearer, at the considerable odds of 52 to 1, drove past the judges stand a length and one-half in advance of Drudgery, with that gelding saving second place by a neck from the rapidly closing Lady Maryland. Another head away was Be Jabbers. Dabson sent Pagliacci into a forward position after passing the half-mile post and brought the chestnut colt around the leaders in the stretch. Under extreme pressure his charge gained command a sixteenth from the finish and stabilized his advantage slightly thereafter. Drudgery had the speed to be the closest attendant to High Hedges pace, gaining a brief lead inside the furlong post, but then faltered. Lady Maryland came from far back as she made her run on the inside to earn third money. Clodion, intended for the Paumonok Handicap, turned in a very dull effort. He was taken outside the stalls for misbehavior at the post and never showed a flash of speed in the running. He was the fourth beaten choice of the afternoon. IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE. Pimlico Queen, a daughter of Black Servant and Conquest, which came to the races on the opening day of the meeting to earn a set of brackets, turned in a more impressive performance in the Fairlee Purse to gain a head decision over Arden Lass. Frank Garnetts filly hung out the best time of the meeting for a half mile when she finished in :48, though at the finish she was doing her utmost. Five lengths back of the runner-up Noon Step saved third money from Flying Glee by a length and a half. The winner was a well played choice at .65 to . Berg, after a rapid getaway, rushed Pimlico Queen into a clear lead in the run around the far turn and she held sway undisturbed until well inside the furlong pole. Then he had to rouse her sharply with whip, hand and heel to turn back the challenge of Arden Lass. The latter, always closest to the winners pace was wearing her down at the end. She was the third straight favorite to fail. The first dead heat for first honors during the meeting came in the second race, when the Eye-in-the-Sky camera was unable to split Goldman and Idle Elf. They were a scant half length in advance of Waugh Pop as they completed the distance in 1:14, two-fifths of a second better than the time of Jadaan in the first half of this race. Krovitz got Goldman away swiftly and in the clear before and furlong had been com- pleted. He hustled his charge briskly to maintain this advantage until the stretch was reached and then put forth a strong finish to turn back the bid, of Idle Elf. The latter never was far off the leaders and finished rapidly on the inside of the pacemaker, just failing to be up.
