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Yankee Is Assured Splendid Line-Up Expect Secnav, Riskolater To Invade Suffolk for Rich Sophomore Stake Saturday SUFFOLK DOWNS, East Boston, Mass., May 17. — New Englands most lucrative three-year-old attraction, the 5,000 Yankee Handicap, gets the next call on the Eastern Racing Associations thoroughbred racing agenda, with the date for the mile and three -sixteenths fixture being set for next Saturday. Although the main sur-vi"ors in today? Constitution undoubtedly will be in the Yankee post parade, several newcomers from New York and Maryland are expected to add considerable luster to the field. The most notable of the invaders are Belair Studs Hyblaze, Circle M Farms Riskolater, William Helis End of Strife, Deering Howes Donor, Lazy F Ranchs Nathaniel, Mill River Stables Secnav and Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitneys Bastogne and Khyber Pass. Of those on the grounds and eligible with their effort in the Constitution being the determining factor, are Gracie Son and Valiente, owned respectively by Ray Met-calf and Oran Lodge Stable, Rarco Stables Atomic Power, William Helis* Jobstown, Buckley and Locklears Sun Beau Go, R. B. Carrolls Belrate, Mrs. Tilyou Christophers Donnas Ace and J. M. Hutchins Proud Ruler. The history of the Yankee is replete with many of the most thrilling races staged in New England, with such good thoroughbreds as Whopper, Rushaway, Cravat, Challedon, Our Boots, Shut Out, Hash, Sirocco, Market Wise, Thanksgiving, Rounders and others having shared in the purses. Large Field May Face Starter Possibly the best of the lot was William L. Branns Challedon, who used the Yankee as a stepping-stone to capture the "Horse of the Year" honors in 1939. The famed Maryland-bred colt had been forced to play second fiddle to the astonishing swift Johnstown during the early part of that season, but after winning the Preakness he moved up to New England for the Yankee and from that point he proved virtually unbeatable. This will be the twelfth running and the general belief is that a large field will face the barrier. Of the newcomers, Secnav and Riskolater may prove the most troublesome in the Yankee. Riskolater, who came to himself with a series of stretch-running efforts in Florida, started in both the Preakness and Derby, but failed to finish in the money in either. In the Preakness, however, he finished fifth, and among the stars in his wake were Cosmic Bomb, Secnav, Bullet Proof, Cornish Knight, Contest and King Bay. There seems to be little reason to believe that a repetition of Riskolater s Preakness effort wouldnt make him exceedingly hard to beat in the Yankee. While Secnav tired badly in the Preakness, his previous performances were excellent, having finished no worse than third in eight consecutive starts. At Hialeah, he decisively defeated Riskolater in a seven-furlong sprint, and just recently he finished second to Bullet Proof in the Chesapeake Stakes at Havre de Grace. Bastogne has not started since the Wood Memorial Stakes second division at Jamaica, in which he was well beaten. He had previously won the Experimental Handicap in good style. Fresh and fit after a short rest, he could easily prove formidable in the field.
