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All Business Will Race in Interest Of Four Former U. S. Army Officers Thomas H. Stevens Forms t Combine to Purchase Filly; Stabled at Lincoln Fields HAWTHORNE, Cicero, 111., May 23.— Two years ago, when Herr Hitler and his hordes were running roughshod over opposing armies on the battlefield, a quarter of U. S. Army officers were shut off from the rest of the world by barbed wire at the Stalag Luft HI. at Sagan, Germany. While they had little hope at the time of ever returning to America, "they could dream, couldnt they?" Leader of the small group was Lieut. Thomas H. Stevens, a lad from Lexington, Ky., whose father and forefathers raised and raced thoroughbred horses. He talked so much of the horses that the others became interested and it was during one of their endless bull sessions that they agreed to buy a yearling when they were returned here. They would race him or her and they even mentioned that they might capture the Kentucky Derby. Dreams occasionally have a way of coming true, and today the ex-GIs own a horse — all according to the plans made at the concentration camp. In addition to Stevens, the others in this unusual partnership are Ernie Galloway, Sam Levinson and Gus Roessler. It was last year that they held a reunion and they pooled their money. The Keeneland sales were on, and Stevens became attracted to a yearling filly by Sweeping Light — Lady Jean, and he went up to ,200 to obtain the miss for the quartet. Stevens was a former infantry officer. Before he was captured he had roamed all over Africa and engaged in many battles. The sad day occurred during the Tunasia campaign. He was interned for two and one-half of the five years he served in khaki." The others of the party were Air Corps officers and they all were shot down inside enemy territory. Stevens, who recently arrived at Lincoln Fields from Kentucky, has three horses under his care. They are Siddons, who will race under his own name; Be Like Polly, owned by Miss Billie Rose, of Lexington, Ky., and All Business, the filly owned by the former officers. Siddons was named after a thoroughbred of the same name, who was a champion four -mile horse before the turn of the century. He raced for Thomas H. Stevens, grandfather of the youngster now training The Stevens family was very prominent among Kentucky horse people and they furnished the winner and second horse, Florimore and Wary, in the Kentucky Oaks of 1887.
