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Stir Up and Lucky Draw Carry Off Top Honors in Wood Memorial at Jamaica Greentree Colt Defeats Stymie ♦ As New Wagering Record IsSet 4 Pukka Gin Fourth in First t Section of Feature; Handle Reaches ,176#553 for Day JAMAICA, L. I., N. Y.. April 22— Green-tree Stables Stir Up scored an impressive triumph over the leading Kentucky Derby aspirants of the East today as he captured the first and better half of the 5,000 Wood Memorial by three lengths from Mrs. Ethel D. Jacobs Stymie. Eddie Arcaro hand-rode the son of Stimulus through the stretch and he was steadily drawing away from his seven rivals. A. A. Baronis Autocrat was third, another length away, and two and one- half lengths before Col. C. V. Whitneys Pukka Gin, who had no apparent excuse. The time was 1:44 5, acceptable enough, but far below the track mark of 1:425 set by Sting when a four-year-old and carry- ing only 106 pounds. Stir Up paid .50 as second choice in the wagering, a last- minute rush to Pukka Gin making the oddly-named colt the public choice. George D. Wideners Lucky Draw was the easiest kind of winner in the second half of the Wood, taking the lead going into the backstretch and reaching the wire three lengths before Greentree Stables Broad Grin who led Col. Whitneys Hoodoo an- , • , , , , other two and one-half lengths. Wheatley Stables Free Lance came from far back to ■ be fourth. Lucky Draw paid .30 as the j j popular choice and was timed in 1 :4615, | with Johnny Longden sitting perfectly still I all the way down the stretch. I Mild weather that became sunny as the afternoon were on and a brilliant racing program attracted a crowd of 41,412. This was well below the opening day attendance of 45,796 but the Dodgers were playing the j j giants in opposition today at Ebbets Field. I American racing saw its first ,000,000 day as the throng sent ,176,553 through I j I the "tote" machines. Though the Jamaica plant was packed beyond its intended ca- j ; pacity, there was surprisingly little crowd-tag I at the mutuel windows in the grand- j stand. The public pool on the first half of the Wood was 37,262, topping the single race record of 80,526 set last November 13. while the Daily Double pool of 50,241 Continued on Page Twenty -Four • 1 i I . | | - . I • i t r . r I li ? 1 1 ? t i f • ? . j j j » j [ i 1 i . Stir Up and Lucky Draw Annex Divisions of Wood Greentree Ace Defeats Stymie Three Lengths; Record Handle Confaiued from Page One was also a new record. Stir Ups edition of the Wood was a cleanly run contest, with Olympic Zenith, who is becoming something of an "excuse horse." the only one of the beaten having the semblance of an alibi. The Louisiana Derby winner was tardy coming out of the gate and never seriously in the race thereafter. Bel Reigh was first to show in front as the eight colts drove to the clubhouse turn, with Autocrat and Bull Dandy lapped on him before Stir Up, Pukka Gin, Captains • Aide and Stymie. Curving into the back-stretch, Jimmy Lynch sent Bull Dandy into i a two-length lead, while Arcaro moved into second place aboard Stir Up, who had a daylight margin over Bel Reigh. • The rest of the field was strung out. with Autocrat in fourth place. Arcaro, who was riding patiently, waited until the far turn before giving Stir Up his head, and the instant he let out a notch the son of Stimulus bounded into the lead. As he went past Bull Dandy that colt wilted and Stymie charged up from fifth place to be second, a couple of lengths behind the : flying leader and head and head with ; Autocrat. Stir Up was kept close to the rail curving [ into the stretch, and though Jimmy Stout ] rode one of his best finishes aboard Stymie he could not gain an inch with him, in fact lost some ground, though drawing away from Autocrat. Pukka Gin finished fairly well in the middle of the track, but did not appear to be travelling as fast as Olympic Zenith in the last eighth, though beating the Helis colt four lengths for fourth money. Could Run All Day, Arcaro Says After the race, Arcaro said: Stir Up fully lived up to expectations. We could have gone to the front at the first turn, but I obeyed orders and rated off the pace. At the end he was going as if he could run all day." Ted Atkinson said the condition of the track bothered Pukka Gin, adding "Every time I tried to make a move, he floundered." Colonel Whitney received 9,625 as the winners share of the purse, while Arthur B. Hancock got the breeders award of 50. j He sold Stir Up to Colonel Whitney for ,800 as a yearling. , Trainer John Gaver said that if Stir Up came out all right he would ship to Louisville on Tuesday to fill his Derby engagement. [ Trainer Andy Schuttinger was ex- j tremely disappointed in Pukka Gins race t and said it mystified him. As for Derby plans, Schuttinger said the race was still j 10 days away and hed have to take a ! couple of days to decide whether to ship ! j to Kentucky or not. Lucky Draws half of the Wood, which drew a considerably weaker field, apart from the winner, who was making his 1944 debut, was hardly a contest. Hoodoo led under sufferance until Longden allowed I i Lucky Draw to run going down the back stretch and continued gamely to the end, j i j though passed by Broad Grin in the | stretch. The latter saved ground on the I turn for home, and the Greentree entour- j i age was pleased by his effort, though not j j yet certain whether or not to send him to I Kentucky along with Stir Up. j
