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Shy Guy Shoulders 128 in Border City Dixiana Colorbearer Gives His Eight Foes in 5,000 Test From 17 to 25 Pounds FAIR GROUNDS, Detroit, Mich., May 13. — With the Michigan Racing Associations 80-day summer meeting off to an auspicious start, hte first Saturday program presented by the new organization promises to be one of the best of the current season. The 5,000 Border City Handicap, a one mile and one-sixteenth test for three-year-olds and older, attracted a field of nine top-class middle-distance performers and should serve as a suitable headline attraction here tomorrow. Heading the probable Border City starting band is Shy Guy, fleet representative of Charles T. Fishers Dixfana, who will shoulder top weight of 128 pounds. Shy Guy is to meet some sturdy opposition in the feature in Mrs. Ellsworth H. Augustus Seven League, 111 pounds; Henry Forrests Traveler, 108; Love Sonnet, from the C. S. Popovitz estate, 107; Mrs. E. E. Dale Shaffers Miss Mommy, 106; Mrs. Lottie Wolfs Childeric. 106; Charles Rufis Blue Grip, 105; Jay D. Weil, Inc.s, Babs Damion, 104, and O. F. Woodwards Sir Sprite, assigned the feathery burden of 103 pounds. Shy Guy, a well-conformed four-year-old homebred son of Challedon and Tootsie-cake, comes to the Motor City after scoring a driving head decision in the Diamond Jubilee running of the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs. Taking up the high impost of 123 pounds in the Louisville stake, the Dixiana colt whipped Calumet Farms Free America and Armed in convincing fashion. Beat Good Field in Ben Ali Previous to his Clark accounting, Shy Guy easily defeated Pellicle, Free America, Almenow, Dinner Hour and Jack S. L. in i the Ben Ali Handicap at Keeneland. The Dixiana stars 1948 racing record was quite "■ impressive, Shy Guy achieving victories in | the Keeneland Special Handicap and the Louisville Handicap. Jockey Robert L. Continued on Page Two Border City Handicap Lures Shy Guy to Post Dixiana Ace Carries 128, Giving His Foes From 17 to 25 Pounds Continued from Page One Baird, contract rider for Dixiana, is to be up on Shy Guy for the Border City engagement. Miss Mommy, a Coldstream-bred daughter of Bull Dog and Farmerette, probably will give Shy Guy some strong competition. An unusually strong filly, Miss Mommy won the Hernando Purse in Florida before her shipment north and her three-year-old campaign last year was climaxed with a victory in the important Princess Doreen Stakes at Washington Park. Miss Mommy is expected to go well in the Saturday stake and Euclid LeBlanc has the mount on the Shaffer representative. Sir Sprite and Traveler, a pair well known to Motor City racing followers, are favorably weighted for the Border City and each is accorded an excellent chance in the week-end stake. Sir Sprite was an outstanding performer at the Fair Grounds last year and visited the winners circle after contesting the Col. Alger Memorial, , ; • I Motor City Handicap and the Independence Day Handicap. Traveler accounted for * several overnight events here and won the Thanksgiving Handicap at New Orleans * after he was sent to the Crescent City for j a winter campaign, which was spotted with j several smart victories. Seven League, a four-year-old son of Our Boots and Gifted Lady, recently arrived at the Fair Grounds from Maryland and he is considered dangerous at the Border City weights. Under the tutelage of trainer James Radney, the Augustus colt has shown occasional flashes of true class and he won the Potomac Stakes at nine furlongs, the Absecon Handicap at a like distance and finished third in the Riggs during his 1948 season. Seven League won 5,715 in purses last year and he unloaded here in good condition after an uneventful trip from the Old Line State. Blue Grip, only three-year-old in the Border City, turned in a sharp effort at Hialeah in February when he ran second to Reveille in the Everglades Handicap. Coming from far back during the early furlongs of the one mile and one-eighth Florida stake, the Rufi colt finished full of run and such useful sophomores as Colonel Mike, Sneak, Option, Best Doings and others of that class were in Blue Grips wake at the wire. Babs Damion, a homebred mare, was good enough to score in three outings thus far this year. Perhaps the Weil speedsters top performance was in the Black Helen Handicap at Hialeah in March. Babs Damion rallied strongly during the stretch run in that fixture and finished fourth be- hind Roman Candle, Brownian and Miss Mommy, beaten less than four lengths at J the end of the nine furlongs, which was 1 decided in 1:49.
