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Nine Slated to Vie u. In Dixie Handicap Faultless and Pilaster Each To Carry 120 Pounds in Rich g Maryland Distance Offering PIMLICO, Baltimore, Md., May 6.— Throughout the country tomorrow will be Q designated as "Derby Day," but to dyed-in- j? the-wool Marylanders it will mark another a "Dixie Day" in the annals of Free State .,, racing. Always an eagerly anticipated and O keenly contested event, tomorrows 5,000 Dixie Handicap promises a thrilling con- test, with nine members of the division i/% slated to do battle at the mile and three- sixteenths distance. Co-highweights in the field are Calu- £5 met Farms Faultless and Harry Straus O Pilaster, each of whom has been assigned 120 pounds, 16 pounds less than Coaltown -would have carried had he been in the starting line-up. Others named overnight are Claud C. Tanners Nearway, 113; King - Ranchs Contest, 110; Brookmeade Stables *g tandem of Chains, 109 and Dart By, 100; * Hal Price Headleys Pellicle, 105, and Miss Margie Fishers Shivaree and C. B. Carters War Story, each with 101 pounds. Faultless, despite his defeat in last weekends Havre de Grace Handicap, likely will go postward as the public choice. In last Saturdays offering he was fourth, beaten three lengths, but the manner in which the race was run was not to his liking. Whether from orders or poor judgment, Faultless appeared the victim of too much rating in the early stages of the event, which could easily have caused his defeat. Faultless will be returning to his favorite course, for it was here as a three-year-old that the son of Bull Lea scored his mcfst notable triumph in the rich Preakness. Won Five Stakes in 1948 Pilaster is rated with Faultless in the opinion of racing secretary Charles McLennan, but certainly not off current form. He has raced three times and has failed to win a purse. However, his 1948 form could not be faulted, for five stakes were included in his 10 victories and earnings of 2,000. Such a season earned him high respect, as well as the distinction of being one of the better Maryland-breds of recent seasons. His weight assignment of 120 pounds represents a four-pound decrease. One of the better looking horses currently campaigning in this sector is Contest, a five-year-old son of Sir Gallahad III. This fellow won the 1948 Edward Burke at Havre de Grace, but shortly thereafter went wrong, following which he was inactive for nearly a year. He returned to competition at that same track recently and, after a conditioning race, won impressively over a good field while being timed in 1:43% for a mile and 70 yards. The only "knock" against this fellow is the manner in which he pulled up following his final prep for the Dixie. The Trial was at the Graw, and Contest pulled up lame following a mile in 1:45. Nearway is certain to attract considerable attention, and he is just as certain to be prominent in the running. He spent the majority of his three-year-old season on the sidelines, then won four consecutive races in his comeback this past winter and spring. Included in the triumphs were the Rowe and Bowie Handicaps at the Southern Maryland course. He has raced but twice since that time, finishing third to My Request and Vulcans Forge in the Excelsior, and in the same position behind Lord Grillo and Chains in the Havre de Grace Handicap.
