Heelfly Wins Gittings: Qualifies in Impressive Fashion for Renewal of Dixie.; Pompoon Badly Beaten in His Initial Appearance of the Season--Only Six Start in Pimlico Stake., Daily Racing Form, 1939-05-04

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HEELFLY WINS G1TT1NGS Qualifies in Impressive Fashion for Renewal of Dixie. Pompoon Badly Beaten in His Initial Appearance of the Season — Only Six Start in Pimlico Stake. PIMLICO, Md., May 3— Unleashing the speed that made him one of the best distance performers in the country a couple of seasons ago, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilts five-year-old Heelfly returned to winning condition and qualified for the 0,000 added Dixie Handicap, to be decided next Wednesday. He decisively trounced five other good handicap performers to account for the second running of the ,500 added Gittings Handicap, the principal race at the grounds of the Maryland Jockey Club today. Coming from last position in the small field of six starters which met over the mile and one-sixteenth distance, the son of Royal Ford turned the tables on W. L. Branns Aethelwold, which was returned winner when they last met, at Havre de Grace, and won by six lengths as he ran the distance in 1:45, only one second slower than the track record. Eugene R. Pikes consistent Kenty was third. The victory was the second important success for the Vanderbilt colors since the meeting opened, as Trailer took down major honors in the ,500 added Rennert Handicap Tuesday, while the juvenile Paradise Girl accounted for an overnight race on the same day. MANY WITHDRAWALS. Ten starters were named overnight for the Gittings Handicap, one of the newest of Maryland prizes, but withdrawals reduced the field to a half-dozen starters at post time when High Velocity, Challephen, Pernie and Rex Flag were declared. In the race that Continued on thirty-fifth page. HEELFLY WINS GITTINGS Continued from first page. was the principal offering, Pompoon was installed a top-heavy choice and he showed that he is far from his best condition when he could do no better than finish fifth. He was able to lead only Ocean Roll to the end of the journey and was beaten almost a dozen lengths. With only a half-minute lost at the start and all away in good order, it saw Aethel-wold stepping into the lead, with Ocean Roll going along in second position, as Pompoon held to third place. In the run down the back stretch no change took place in the leading positions, and at the final turn the W. L. Brann colt was still showing the way. Ocean Roll found his task too severe to fall back after seven furlongs and, as he did, Heelfly moved up from last place to be at the heels of the pacemaker turning for home. Driving up with hardly an effort, Heelfly overhauled Aethelwold in the front stretch, then gained, for his triumph that was worth ,490 to the coffers of the young Maryland sportsman. For the first time during the meeting the racing strip was fast for the sport, and despite cloudy skies a good crowd was out for. the formful racing. MASKED GENERAL QUALIFIES. Brandywine Stables Masked General, temperamental son of Pompey — Masked Ball, made his bow as a five-year-old in the Old Dominion Handicap for grade "C" performers. It was the co-feature of the day and he qualified for the Dixie Handicap when he accounted for the mile and seventy yards contest. Meeting five other sturdy middle distance performers, including two other eligibles for the Dixie, the Brandywine Stable gelding achieved his score in a thrilling drive to triumph by three-quarters of a length. He took the measure of Drudgery, of the Winston Guest stable, with W. E. Boeings Piccolo lapped on the pair for third. Twelve maiden two-year-olds met in the initial offering on the card that was a dash of four and one-half furlongs, and the result was popular when Stepinfred, from the Mrs. J. H. Whitney stable, started the talent off on the right foot to turn in a front-running score. Ruling at short, odds and handled by jockey C. Stevenson, the Mrs. J. H. Whitney colt assumed command at the start and led throughout to land across the line leading Mrs. C. T. Graysons Pass Out, which raced coupled with H. P. Metcalfs Town Prince, while third went to H. P. Headleys Third Covey. Another cheered the talent in the decision of the second race, that was a dash of six furlongs for cheap platers, when Nanse-mond, from the Howard Bruce stable, was returnc4 an easy winner. She came from behind to reach the close three lengths before Diamita, from the L. H. Drennan stable, while Balcony was a driving third for Mrs. H. Good, to lead home Tuleyrics Lin and the eight others of the dozen under colors. SAPELO TO THE FORE. Sapelo, from the T. Hitchcock stable, registered the first success for that stable i i this season on a major track, when he defeated eleven other timber toppers in the Chestnut Ridge Steeplechase that was the daily event on the jumping course. With nine of the dozen starters completing the long journey and Sapelo winning by three lengths, it was Baffler, from the H. H. J. Thomas stable landing into second place and Prattler third for R. E. McConnell. The winner enjoyed heavy support for the two-mile journey, and under jockey Rlgan McKinney the five-year-old gelding was good enough to dominate for the last mile and one-half after Perfect Liar led over the first four fences. Baffler and Prattler furnished most of the contention, and they were one length apart as Little Dan led the others wfiich finished. The fourth, another test .of six furlongs, was also for maidens, and for this a dozen three-year-olds were under silks with Predestined, of the Starmount Stable, earning his racing diploma in a thrilling finish. He got up to take a nose decision over R. H. Heighes Plot at the end of the race, with Latepass, of the. W. W. Vaughan stable landing third, a length back and just inches before W. E. Boeings October Ale. In the running Plot led the way while Lady Timarole and Latepass sped along in advance of the others, of which Predestined was next to last. Setting a steady pace, Plot shook off Lady Timarole after a half-mile, but after disposing of that starter and a bid from Latepass, she tired in tho last furlong and fell prey to Predestined right on the line.


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800