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Southern Pride, Tidy Sum Clash King Bay Among Five Others Competing in Elwood Purse, Todays Feature at Downs CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 9. — Michael J. Dants fleet Southern Pride, six-year-old son of Knights. Caprice — Hidden Dust, heads a field of seven formidable sprinters named to contest the Elwood Purse, feature on tomorrows card at this course. Under the allowance conditions of the six-furlong event, Southern Pride and Brown Hotel Stables Hdy Sum will be asked to assume the equal top imposts of 121 pounds. However, the latter will answer the bugle under 116 pounds, including the allowance for his assigned rider, apprentice Lois C. Cook. Comprising the remainder of the field for the Elwood are other such highly regarded sprinters as Bernard J. Bax King Bay, Shady Brook Farms Merrymarch, Countess In, owned by the combined interests of Endovina and Alesia; Leo J. Cail-louettes Best Prospect, and Augustus and Nahms Your Reward. Southern Pride returned to active competition during the past week after several months of inactivity and gave a most dazzling display of speed in the Downs Inaugural Handicap. In this fixture, the Dant performer went to the front immediately after the start and, under urging, traversed the first quarter mile in :22%, the half in :45%, and not until he gave way under acute exhaustion did he ask any quarter from Calumets Bewitch, who accounted for the event in the track-record time of 1:10%. Notwithstanding his sensational recordings, Southern Pride held on gamely to the end of the six-furlong dash and was bested for the runner-up honors in the last strides by Mrs. Emil Denemarks Enforcer. Won Eight Races Last Year Tidy Sum, winner of eight races during 1948, also made his seasonal debut an auspicious one when he finished second to the arrear of Henry Forrests well conditioned Cotton Joe in last weeks Riley Pursey. Tidy Sum should have benefited considerably from that effort, in which he appeared a trifle short, due to his absence from competition during the winter months. Caillouettes Best Prospect accounted for three victories in 15 trps postward last year, but perhaps his chief claim to fame came in last Mondays Joe Cotton Purse, in which he placed second behind Calumet Farms once mighty gelding, Armed. The third leading money winner of the world proved an easy victor over Best Prospect, but only by a margin of some three and one-half lengths. King Bay started in the 1947 Preakness but during his winter campaign in New Orleans did not race to expectations, and could not register a victory. Countess In has been working cleverly since her arrival in Kentucky from Hot Springs, Ark., and her chances may be abetted by the almost certainty of an "off" strip prevailing for tomorrows engagement. Merrymarch and Your Reward have not scored since the opening of the Blue Grass season, but could upset if they should choose to come forth with their best performances. The five-furlong Agile Purse, chief supporting feature, will bring together a likely group of two-year-old colts and geldings. James C. Ellis Squint, who raced creditably during the Vapor City session; Mrs. Frank P. Letelliers Bickett, who has been close up in recent starts, and Augustus and Nahms Wonder Sir head the group of 12 potential youngsters who are expected to face starter Reuben White. Several of the other juveniles, including Fishbach and Fogertys Fox Mor, William M. Peavys Rendezvous, John Marschs Never Stop, and B. Z. Milletts Domingior will be making the first starts of their careers. The six-furlong seventh event, fashioned for four-year-olds and older members of the intermediate claiming category, is sure to attract interest from a wagering standpoint. Slated to match strides in this event are such local favorites as Lucas B. Combs Uncle Otho, James Ellis Prince Aethel, Samuel Wilsons Blue Seal, H. D. Maggios Upgrade, L. J. Hollenbachs Mon Speed, Mrs. V. A. Guericos Invercork, M. M. Hel-lermans Debaby, and Frank Spellmans Pappy s Pride.
