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Thumbs Up Choice For Rich Handicap Crack Mayer Racer Likely To Have Eight Rivals in Santa Anita. 00,000 Race ARCADIA, Calif., June 27.— Thumbs Up is the solid favorite for the eighth running of the Santa Anita Handicap. Although l Louis B. Mayer, owner of Thumbs Up, was ; undoubtedly disappointed when Busher was 1 beaten in the Santa Anita Derby, he has something bright in prospect, namely, a j better than even money chance to win the 00,000 pot of gold that will go with the ! | Saturdayh feature. Thumbs Up is not only the best thoroughbred at Santa Anita, but in the opinion of many he is the best all-around race horse j in America at the present time. He has ! everything that goes to make up a champion. With the exception of his initial start i at this meeting, which was his first outing j I in some time, Thumbs Up has done every- I thing asked of him. He needed his first I I race following a lengthy layoff. I It is not likely that the Mayer six-year- - ! old will be required to beat more than eight « horses in the big handicap. His most for- " j midable foes at the present writing are Gay Dalton and Paperboy. Texas Sandman and Best Effort appear next best. Best Efforts Opportunity Although Stagehand, a three-year-old, won the Santa Anita Handicap back in J 1938. few patrons of the track can see Best t : Effort, the only three-year-old in Saturdays " j event, duplicating that feat. Some- j j I how. seasoned turf followers cannot see a three-year-old with Best Efforts ordinary I record, defeating a horse like Thumbs Up. The son of Blenheim II. was on the track for his regular trial Tuesday morning and j went the full mile and a quarter in :49, 1:14ft. 1:39*5 and 2:0615. That work bested Paperboys trial time by almost two full seconds. Paper Boy went the mile and j a quarter in 2:08. Lou-Bre, who will carry the Charles S Howard silks in an attempt t j to make it three victories in the race for "Lucky Charlie", went the full distance in 1 j 2:09 5. Autocrat, who may start Saturday j in an attempt to make it a double in the race for owner Bert Baroni, went one and j one-eighth miles in 1:53 5. Broadcloth and | Old English, stablemates, went a like dis- _ j ! tance in the same time. Several logical contenders for the Santa I Anita Handicap were eliminated over the j ■ I week-end. among them Bull Reigh and Sea J Sovereign. Jury Box is definitely out, and owner E. B. Johnson may try for the race with ij the imported horse Old English. If he goes _ he will be coupled with Broadcloth, as both h ! are trained by Charlie Leavitt.
