view raw text
Ocean Brief Takes Colonial by Five Breezes to I risen In Filly-Mare Test New York Invader Draws Off at Will in Stretch For Fourth Tally of Year GARDEN STATE PARK, Camden, N. J., May 7. — Ocean Brief, from the King Ranch of Robert J. Kleberg, won the Colonial Handicap this afternoon and left no doubt as to her superiority over the opposition that was mustered against her. The five-year-old daughter of Roman and Miss Brief, with Warren Mehrtens in the saddle, enjoyed a five-length lead as she breezed past the finish line and added 2,400 to her seasonal earnings. Ocean Brief sped the distance, six furlongs, in l:ll3/5, and nearest her at the finish was Irisen, racing for Mrs. O. L. Nyberg, with In the Pink from the Calumet Stable in third place. From the overnight field of fillies and mares, but one withdrawal was posted, Red Herring, and an even dozen contested the issue. Ocean Brief was shipped down from Belmont Park for this engagement and is due back at the Nassau County racing* grounds over the week-end. Jockey Warren Mehrtens also made the pilgrimage from New York. Mehrtens was astride the King Ranch miss, who was acquired from H. C. Hatch of Toronto for an undisclosed sum as a broodmare prospect. Until an operation corrected the ailment, she was a victim of sinus trouble. While Ocean Brief was brilliant in her effort, the standings of Alfoxie, Rampart and several of the others was not enhanced for with one exception, Singing Doll, no excuses could be offered for their failures. Singing Doll was crowded at the far turn and forced to take up. Attendance of 24,000 Garden State Park played host to a crowd of 24,000 for its first Saturday of the spring meeting. The racing strip was drenched by overnight rains, but dried out rapidly, and for the first few races of the afternoon was pronounced in good condition. Later it was called fast. The start for the Colonial, with its gross of 7,825, was effected with undue delay and for the first few strides there was little to choose among Ocean Brief, Irisen, Itsabet, Bullow and In the Pink. Ocean Brief and Irisen drew clear from the others and they raced along heads apart setting a fast pace for their company. Ocean Brief, Irisen, In the Pink, Singing Doll and Bullow were the fleetest of the company and had drawn away from the others. At the far turn, Singing Doll was caught in close quarters on the inside and shuffled back. She recovered quickly, made a valiant effort, but was not good enough. At the final bend, Ocean Brief had established her superiority, for she was the topweight of the lot and conceding poundage to her rivals. Her margin at that point was clean-cut and through the stretch she increased the distance that separated her from the others at every stride. Irisen and In the Pink both held on well from following the pace to battle it out for the place portion, and they were lapped on each other, the distance separating them being one-half length. The others that essayed to keep up in the early running were tired, while those who were outrun finished well, but were unable to menace the placed three. Ocean Brief was a hazard. ►