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Rouge Dragon Facile Appleton Winner Knights Quest Is Weary RunnerUp RunnerUpThird Third Straight Triumph of Year for Cushman Fencer Mayer Silks Seen in Double DoubleELMONT ELMONT L I N Yv May 18 Rouge Dragon increased his unbroken succession of victories this season to three when he flaunted M A Cushmans bright royal blue and fuchsia banner to a facile accounting in the 22nd running of the important Charles L Appleton Steeplechase this afternoon at Belmont Park The amateur pilot J S Harrison steered Annapolis fiveyearold son to the end of this search ¬ ing run of about two miles over 12 hedges with three lengths to spare over Bayard Sharps weary favorite Knights Quest as the latter led Bokeby Stables Redlands an ¬ other two and a half lengths for the place placeRedlands Redlands by the way was essaying to repeat his 1942 victory in this memorial Kent Millers Elkridge champion money winning fencer of last season and the top weight today under 161 pounds exhibited some improvement over his recent initial venture of the year through the field to finish fourth fourthThe The Virginiaowned Rouge Dragon re ¬ turned a large following 870 for 2 and carried his 144 pounds over the course in 349 time that was far off the track record of 340 which is the joint property of Fairmount and Londontown This con ¬ quest enhanced his earnings by 2870 and indicated he may again be heard from in the Corinthian his remaining engagement at the Westchester Associations spring ses ¬ sion sionCushman Cushman Receives Trophy TrophyThe The afternoons crowd numbered 13423 a gathering not too far below the 15779 on the similar day in 1942 Among those pres ¬ ent was owner Cushman of Rouge Dragon who appeared in the winners circle to re ¬ ceive the Appleton Trophy from H W Bull BullThe The Appleton developed a keen contest through the later and more important stages The Beak set the pace until un ¬ horsing Jordan with Knights Quest a rapid sort pegging him most closely closelyKnights Knights Quest fell heir to the lead when The Beak was eliminated but some of those behind him had only begun to run and lieading for home four of the field were spread out across the course head and head for all the world like a cavalry charge These were Knights Quest Elk ridge Rouge Dragon and Frederic II IIThe The race was decided from that corner home Elkridge was tiring and bothered slightly dropped back near the final hedge Frederic il made a very bad landing there and Rouge Dragon proved to have more left than did the highly weighted Knights Quest during the run in inCrispin Crispin Oglebays favored True Blue probably gained a place in the Withers field when he raced six furlongs in 111 to win the High Degree Handicap by three parts of a length before Eye for Eye Cream who was entered for the Acorn scratched herself from that stake in all probability by finishing third some two lengths away in this main course sprint True Blue and Cream alternated in the lead until reach ¬ ing the stretch where True Blue assumed command and repelled Eye for Eye He was ridden by Longden and paid 430 430Louis Louis Mayers Blue Serge a royally bred fouryearold gelded son of Blue Larkspur Betty Derr made a longdelayed debut under colors in a field of 14 maidens assem ¬ bled for the opener and came from behind the experienced Fairy Manhurst to beat him a determined neck in 124 for the seven furlongs returning his backers 1430 Fairy Manhurst faded after setting the pace Bourmont an erstwhile stakes horse was third two and onehalf lengths back Grohs rode the winner winnerBourmont Bourmont a fielder worked out a mile in 138 He is in Saturdays Withers WithersBy By some minor miracle trainer C A Roles completed a double with a pair of fouryearold firsttime starters when L B Mayers Jury Box captured the seven fur ¬ longs of the third complementing the tally of Blue Serge in the opener openerThis This imported son of Fair Trial led all the way under Grohs much to the dismay of those who confidently backed Yukon winning by a length and onehalf in 125 and paying 560 Deviei a fielder split this pair for the place position in the start ¬ ing field of 13
