Six Contest Issue in Potomac Stakes: Top Survivor Trio To Match Speed; Mityme, Royal Governor And Loyal Legion Chief Entrants in Havre Test, Daily Racing Form, 1947-05-17

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Six Contest Issue in Potomac Stakes Top Survivor Trio To Match Speed Mityme, Royal Governor And Loyal Legion Chief Entrants in Havre Test HAVRE DE GRACE, Md., May 16.— The 0,000 Potomac Stakes, for three-year-olds, drew a disappointing field of only six overnight starters for its twenty-ninth running here tomorrow. This one mile and a furlong fixture presents the chief opportunity of the current meeting for members of the sophomore division, and racing secretary Charles McLennan had rather anticipated the race would attract a much larger starting field. Despite its shortcomings so far as quantity is concerned, the class is there, however, and the week-end throng can almost be assured of witnessing another thrilling renewal of a stake that has been won in the past by such thoroughbred greats as Sir Barton, Man o War, Sun Beau and Discovery. Included in the Potomac field are Cedar Farms Mityme, Walter M. Jeffords Loyal Legion and Mrs. M. duPont Weirs Royal Governor, a trio that finished only noses aparc, in the order named, in Pimlicos recent one mile and a sixteenth Survivor Stakes; William S. Labrot, Jr.s, Repand, fourth in the Survivor; Christiana Stables Camargo and John B. Roystons Whizz Happy. Chief interest in the race, of course, centers in Mityme, Loyal Legion and Royal Governor, who regaled Pimlico fans with such a thrilling contest in the Survivor. Under the stakes conditions of tomorrows race, Royal Governor will carry top weight of 120 pounds, with Loyal Legion, Mityme and Repand all slated to shoulder 117 pounds. Whizz Happy and Camargo, the latter a filly, will carry 114 and 112 pounds, respectively. Distance May Favor Royal Governor Mityme won the Survivor at rather long odds with Royal Governor finishing third as an odds-on choice. The Weir stalwart was levelly weighted with Mityme in the Survivor, but will concede the latter four pounds tomorrow. Royal Governor again may rule the favorite, chiefly because of the additional distance of the Potomac. Royal Governor, although racing on the outside the entire trip, was charging swiftly in the closing strides of the Survivor, while Mityme was straight as a string to maintain a narrow advantage through the final eighth of a mile. Loyal Legion will have a host of admirers in the stake and many competent observers still maintain the rugged Jeffords gelding would have won the Survivor had he and Royal Governor not staged a bumping match in the early stretch. The Jeffords colorbearer was moving along under full sail in the closing sixteenth of that bitterly contested race. Repand, probably the best of the Labrot three-year-olds, turned in a highly commendable effort in the Survivor, the fine son of Johnstown — Trina setting a swift pace to the head of the stretch. The bay colt is a dead-game competitor, but may be at a disadvantage in the mile and a furlong of tomorrows headliner. Camargos last race was in the historic Pimlico Oaks and the bay daughter of Heliopolis — Misleading was not entirely discredited in finishing fifth behind such illustrious contemporaries as But Why Not and Cosmic Missile in that mile and a sixteenth fixture. Camargo, however, faces a stern assignment tomorrow in engaging such formidable male rivals. Whizz Happy has been close up on several occasions this spring, and theres no question of the geldings ability to go a route. However, the Royston colorbearer doesnt appear to be equipped to traffic successfully with such stanch foes as Mityme, Royal Governor and Loyal Legion. Generally improved weather was the forecast for today and tomorrow, which held out the promise of a fast track for the Potomac running. The track this spring has never been in better condition and, if the going is fast, it is quite possible a new track standard will be set. The track record for a mile and a furlong is 1:49% and was set by Osculator in the fall of 1932.


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800