view raw text
Weaker Sex Has Strong Hand in Crete Quartet of Fillies Eligible to Event Miss Dogwood and Pig Tails May Give Masculine Rivals Strong Argument for Honors CRETE, 111., May 19. The Crete Handi- cap, the ,000 sprint of six furlongs which will be staged as the feature of Saturdays program at Lincoln Fields, offers the interesting possibility of another victory for a filly. Four are among the 31 nominees and two of them this spring have shown enough to suggest they might be dangerous against their masculine rivals this week-end. The history of the Crete Handicap is notable for the number of fillies and mares who haye been able to win it. In the last ten runnings no less than five members of the gentler sex have finished in front in this popular feature. The stake had its first running in 1926, but it was not until 1930 that a filly was able to win. After that they held their own with masculine sprinters. Pansy Walker, then a three-year-old, won the Crete in 1930. The stake was not renewed in 1932 or 1934, so three runnings later, in 1935, Slim Rosie again registered a triumph for the weaker sex. Another great filly, Myrtle-wood, was third that spring. Both were three-year-olds at the time. The next victory in the Crete for a filly came in 1937 when Marica, then in her four-year-old season, picked up 117 pounds and ran the six furlongs in 1:10 to chalk up a success in the fastest time of the , races history. The durable mare, Silverette, was the winner of the stake in 1939 when she was nine years old and Dolly Val, then five years old, gave fillies and mares their fifth success in the race in 1940. Two Outstanding Misse? The two outstanding fillies, scheduled to try for honors in next Saturdays renewal of the Crete are Brownell Combs Miss Dogwood, recent winner of the Kentucky Oaks, and the Woolford Farms Pig Tails, who accounted for the Grand Crossing Handicap, the opening day headliner at Lincoln Fields Monday. In the Grand Crossing, Pig. Tails, like Miss Dogwood, a three-year-old, turned back a number of horses she again may face this week-end. Among them were Book Plate, Polymelior, her own stablemate Technician, Equistar, Pumpgun and First of All. She scored this triumph at six furlongs under 103 pounds and will have to shoulder only two more in the Crete. Miss Dogwood, who defeated horses of her own sex and age in the Kentucky Oaks, has been assigned 111 pounds for Saturdays headliner. Her Oaks success was her second of the year in as many starts. Two other fillies also named for the Crete are Mrs. V. E. Smiths Sis Baker and J. D. Weils Ruby Isles who also might make it interesting for their masculine contemporaries this week-end. Some of the more prominent colts, horses and geldings in the Crete list of nominations are Liberty Flight, Defense, Smacked, Gold Bubble, Bulldinger, Step By, Polymelior, Three Percent and Last Call, in addition to those who finished behind Pig . Tails in the Lincoln Fields opening feature. Liberty Flight, with 120 pounds, is the top weight, with Smacked next, under 116.
