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Only Four Vie in Downs Handicap Race Will Be Run Without Wagering Calumets Free America and Armed Overwhelming Choice To Take Closing-Day Stake CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 20.— Warren Wrights Calumet Farm entry of Free America and the once mighty gelding Armed head tomorrows twelfth running of the 0,000 Churchill Downs Handicap. Of the original 39 nominations for the seven-furlong event, only the Calumet tandem, Mrs. H. J. Damms Reighs Comet and William H. Veenemans Phar Mon were named to parade postward in the closing-day feature of the current 19-day session. Due to shipments to other sectors and the ever conspicuous presence of the Calumet entrants, the group has been narrowed down to its present number of contenders. With the small field in the feature, the Churchill Downs management announced that no wagering would be conducted on the stake and, instead, an additional ninth race would be presented. Should wagering have been permitted, even in the pool only, a definite minus pool would have prevailed due to the contemplated heavy favoritism of the Calumet colorbearers. • Free America, who was accorded the second highest impost of 120 pounds in the original release of weights, or eight less than that assigned the older Fervent, from the same barn, will be giving two pounds to Armed, who will answer the bugle under 118 pounds. Phar Mon will be asked to assume 108, whereas the lightly regarded Reighs Comet gets in under the feather of 100. Second in Phoenix at Keeneland Since his arrival in the Blue Grass, Free America, four-year-old son of Blenheim n. —Columbiana, has been unable to score, but has greatly impressed Kentuckians with his determination and consistency. In his first outing during the Keeneland meeting, Free America was forced to take the overland route when making his stretch bid and, under overconfident handling, finished second to James C. Ellis Miss Neal in the six-furlong Phoenix Handicap. Following that engagement, the Calumet charge came back to place third to the arrear of Dixianas Shy Guy arid Hal Price Headleys Pellicle in the Ben Ali Handicap. Armed did not start at Keeneland following a winter campaign in Florida, and made his local debut here in the Joe Cotton Purse, a six-furlong allowance test in which he easily defeated Leo J. Caillou-ettes Best Prospect and Nate L. Raffel-mans Pompjs Gal. In his latest effort, the gelded progeny of Bull Lea— Armful placed third to the arrear of Shy Guy and Free America in the Clark. Phar Mon has shown flashes of brilliance during the Kentucky season, but hardly seems capable of turning back either of the formidable Calumet pair. Reighs Comet turned back a field of intermediate claiming performers at Keeneland in his seasonal debut after a winter of activity, but hardly could be classified in the same category with either Free America or Armed.
