Spy Song Returns to Action Today; Meets Mighty Story at Arlington Park: Three Others Also Named for ,500 Colin Purse at Three-Quarters Distance, Daily Racing Form, 1946-06-20

article


view raw text

1 Spy Song Returns to Action Today; r Meets Mighty Story at Arlington Park ; -Three Others Also Named t For ,500 Colin Purse at Three-Quarters Distance ARLINGTON PARK, Arlington Heights, HI., June 19. Dixianas eccentric Spy Song, one of the most handsome colts of the American turf, but whose manners on the race course are not always the best, starts on another come-back trail after his failure to match speed with Assault in the Kentucky Derby when he clashes with a field of five very fast three-year-olds in the ,500 Colin Purse here tomorrow. A moody type of thoroughbred who is quite capable of running like the wind when he so elects and who, on occasions, becomes sulky and rank, finds himself in a spot in the six-furlong race where he will be forced to step along at his best clip all the way if he expects to annex the top end of the purse. Facing him will be John Marschs "gray ghost," Mighty Story, the Brolite Farms With Pleasure, the Brown Hotel Stables Double Slam, and P. J. Valentis Seamans Pal. With the possible exception of Sea-mans Pal, the other three are rated splendid chances to whip the streamlined Dixiana speedster. The Colin is. an allowance race and according to the conditions Spy Song and Mighty Story will carry the highest imposts. The Balladier colt will shoulder "championship" weight of 126 pounds, Mighty Story gets in at 12$, while the other assignments are With Pleasure, 120; Double Slam, 114, and Seamans Pal, 114. All five starters in the field are regarded as especially good mudders, which will eliminate any excuses that may arise because of the track condition. At a late hour this morning the course was at its worse and little hope was held for a fast track tomorrow. If the forecasted overnight rains materialize, then it is almost a certainty that the strip will remain in its muddy condition. Spy Song proved himself one of the really ; great two-year-olds in the Illinois sector before he injured himself last year when ; . leaving the starting gate in the Washington Park Futurity. He never started as a two-year-old . after that performance. He had i ! previously won three races, including the Arlington Futurity, worth 8,650 to the winner in dazzling fashion, finishing five ; lengths in front with Knockdown, Mighty 7 Story, and a host of others driving in back Continued on Page Twenty-Nine Spy Song Returns to Action Today in Arlington Feature Continued from Page One of him while he was merely jogging most of the way. Trainer Jack Hodgins put him on the shelf long enough to allow his injury to heal, then placed him under a heavy training grind for the Kentucky Derby. In many of his trials at the Churchill Downs he showpd an inclination to sulk and veteran breeding pundits blamed it on his dam, Mata Hari and the sire of his dam, Peter Hastings. Both were notorious rogues on the track and it was believed that they passed these characteristics down the line. It was during one of his prep races for the 00,000 Kentucky race, the Derby Trial, that Spy Song flared up with his eccentric antics. In that one mile test he took the lead soon after the start and appeared to be breezing along in front with victory assured when he suddenly sulked and ducked to the inside, allowing Rippey to beat him on the line. He followed that effort by finishing second in the Kentucky Derby, giving way to Assault in the stretch after cutting out a fast pace. The colt was then brought to Hawthorne where he was temporarily withdrawn from training when taken ill with a cough and a slight fever, but in recent days he has shown indications of being at the top of his form. Only Monday he turned an astonishing workout when he sizzled three-quarters of a mile in 1 : 10. Irving Anderson, who is slated to ride the colt for the first time, recently, signed with Dixiana after doing a long stint in the Army. While the short distance is hardly in his favor, Mighty Story carries plenty of class in his flying hooves and he is regarded as strong contender for top honors. The colt showed good form at Hawthorne, where he won a pair of races, including the 5,000 Francis S. Peabody Memorial. With Pleasure, who was on the pace all the way in the Peabody and who was just nipped on the line for top money, is also conceded a splendid chance, while the real "dark horse" of the test is Double Slam, a second year lad who displayed fine speed before going wrong while training for the Derby. Seamans Pal is believed to be outclassed by the quartet he meets. . ! I j , ; f 1 " 1 5 1 " r s s a 1 t 2 3 1 1 e - f i g ,1 t


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1940s/drf1946062001/drf1946062001_1_3
Local Identifier: drf1946062001_1_3
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800