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JOHNSTOWN ROMPS TO WOOD MEMORIAL VICTORY Finishes Eight Lengths Before Voli-tant— El Chico Has Bad Luck Experts Now Rating Belair Colt Better Than Gallant Fox and Omaha — Fighting Fox Completes Woodward Double by Winning Jamaica Handicap JAMAICA, N. Y„ April 29. — Johnstown, from the Belair Stud, famed for the prowess of its three-year-olds during the last decade, became one of the strongest Kentucky Derby favorites of recent seasons when he gal-Joped off with honors in todays renewal of the Wood Memorial at Jamaica. The son of Jamestown and La France, now hailed by many as a greater colt than Gallant Fox and Omaha, two which won Americas "triple crown" under the white and red silks of William Woodwards establishment, played with his seven rivals in this dash, being eased up in the final furlong of the mile and seventy yards test to complete that distance in the dazzling time of 1:42. As he passed the judges, the bay was eight j lengths in advance of the gamely closing Volitant, with Impound, also finishing well, taking third place by a length from the tiring T. M. Dor-sett. The triumphant colt, was cheered on by 20,000 thoroughbred enthusiasts, the largest crowd that has assembled in the Metropolitan Jockey Club grounds this spring, for he had become a highly popular hero through his two earlier victories, accomplished in the same fashion, and ruled an odds-on favorite. At post time he was 11 to 20, after opening at 1 to 2. EASILY BEST. The victory gave the Belair outfit a stake double, as Fighting Fox, last years favorite for the Kentucky Derby, had taken the preceding Jamaica Handicap by a scant head margin. That does not indicate the superiority of the Sir Gallahad HI. colt, which was one of the unfortunates in a bad start. The two victories netted the owner of the redoubtable pair 3,025 in prize money, the Wood being worth 7,675 and the Jamaica ,350. Johnstowns winnings now total 6,945. Johnstown demonstrated that he could come from behind the pace in todays score for he was outrun by T. M. Dorsett for the first five-eighths of a mile. Stout hustled him away from the gate to take second position in the sprint to the first turn and steadied him there in the run through the back stretch. Leaving that lane, he called on the Jamestown colt, and his charge went up smoothly on the outside to dispose of the pacemaker with scant trouble. He drew away turning for home, and at the eighth pole had the others staggering behind him. Then Stout took him in hand. Had he been driven out the Jamestown colt would have bettered his own track mark of 1:40% for the distance and the worlds record " " of 1:40%. . FAST PACE. The pace in the Wood was fast. T. M. Dor-sett stepped the quarter in :23 and the half in :46%. As Johnstown moved, into command, as the six furlongs was completed, he raced that distance in 1:11% and went on to round out the mile in 1:36.%. This made him race his fourth quarter in :25%. That Remainder on thirty-first page. JOHNSTOWN ROMPS TO WOOD MEMORIAL VICTORY Continued from first page. will just about kill every colt hell oppose in the Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday. El Chico, unbeaten two-year-old champion of 1938, who had lost much prestige through his recent defeat by Gilded Knight, dropped lower in public esteem when he could finish no better than sixth. The John P. Grier colt was slammed out of contention sharply after a little more than a hundred yards had been completed, but he failed to come on thereafter, showing none of the speed which gained him titular honors in his division last year. Volitant, recently unplaced in the Chesapeake, demonstrated that was not a true race when he gained secondary honors. Meade had the Display colt away well and in a good position for the first furlongs. He drove him hard from the half-mile post to gain third place at the head of the stretch and then picked up the tiring T. M. Dorsett in the last furlong. IMPOUND SLUGGISH. Impound, sluggish away from the post, had only one horse beaten during the early stages and closed a big gap from the half-mile post. T. M. Dorsett, displaying much more early speed than in his previous start, where he came from behind to gain honors, set a sizzling pace but was done after seven-eighths of a mile. Eight Thirty ran a dull race and plainly is far from his best form of last season. As for Chief Onaway and Book Plate, they plainly had no business in the race. Johnstown gave "Sunny" Jim Fitzsimmons his sixth triumph in the Wood Memorial, as that veteran trainer had taken it previously with Gallant Fox and Fighting Fox, for the Belair Stud account, while also saddling Distraction. Todays stake very definitely eliminated El Chico as a Derby contender. It also indicated T. M. Dorsett has a slight chance in the Blue Grass event. The race also eliminated Harry Richards from saddle action for five days, the pilot of Eight Thirty being grounded for that period by the stewards. The ruling goes into effect Tuesday. Fighting Fox had to be much the best to , score for Belair Stud in the Jamaica, where : he was driven out to complete six furlongs in 1:12 as he caught Salamis in the final [ strides, gaining a head decision over George , Wideners filly. A couple of lengths back, Pagliacci got up in time to take third money from the pacemaking Early Delivery by a neck. The winner of the 1938 Wood, though best fancied of the eight contestants, receded to 8 to 5 at post after opening at 7 to 5. The start was bad, and the son of Sir Gallahad in. and Marguerite proved one of the unfortunates, beating only two horses away, as Meade had Early Delivery off fast. Stout immediately had to go to a hard drive on the four-year-old and he picked up the pacemakers slowly until straightened out in the stretch. Then he leveled after them in racehorse fashion as he made his run on the outside with Entracte, and Early Delivery giving way first and then the Jamestown filly wilting in the closing yards. The holiday crowd landed on the third winner when William H. Gallaghers Forty Eight was made favorite over the sprinting three-year-olds that met in the Croyden Handicap. This was a dash at six furlongs, confined to those of class "C" In the graded handicaps, and the son of American Flag was so much best that he won by a wide margin over Mrs. G. C. Winfreys Watch-over, which was making his first start of the 1 year, with Mrs. Clara Lyons Johns Heir saving third from Chalmac. There was considerable post delay, for which Watchover was to blame, and the field was not sent away until he had been sent outside the stalls. It was a good start and Johnny Longden had Forty Eight away on his toes. Highscope had actually beaten the Gallagher colt away, but he did not last long when the winner took command. Watchover, though he broke last, after being taken outside the stalls, was rushed up by Don Meade until at the end of the first furlong he was close in the contention. Then as Highscope dropped out of the running, Johns Heir and Gridine moved up, while Chalmac, though in close quarters, was also going well when he found racing room. Longden had a slight hold of Forty Eight as -he held to his command and when Watchover challenged at the head of the stretch he shook up his mount to draw away readily. Through the final furlong he had the field well beaten to come on and win going away by four lengths. Watchover was doing his best to save the place by a length, while Johns Heir saved ground in the stretch to take third in a battling finish with Chalmac. After the betting had been going on for some time in this there came the scratching of Pontius, which made necessary a new book. The son of Pilate injured himself when in the paddock by kicking the wall of his stall. 1
