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► I — — , i I PINEBLOOM — Goes postward in the Charlevoix Purse at Detroit Fair Grounds. Al menow Seeks Third Straight Winl Grissom Speedster Has Seven Rivals Pinebloom, Gregalach and Touch Control Also Seen As Threats in Charlevoix FAIR GROUNDS, Detroit, Mich., June 9. j — The Charlevoix Purse, six furlongs for * four-year-olds and older, is to headline the Friday program at the local course and eight better grade sprinters are entered in " the feature attraction. Under the allow- ance conditions of the main event, E. Barry Ryans Touch Control will answer the bugle under 119 pounds, the top weight, and P. L. Grissoms Almenow is scheduled to go postward under 116 pounds. Hal Price Headleys homebred Pinebloom totes 105 pounds, including an apprentice allowance; Theodore D. Buhls Crack Reward gets in under 105 pounds with a seven-pound apprentice allowance; Mrs. J. H. Woodcocks Periair, 107; James Paddocks Blue Badges 112; R. S. McLaughlins Gregalach, 110 pounds with the apprentice allowance, and Miss Mary Fishers Shivaree, 112 pounds, completes the Charlevoix probable starting band. Pinebloom, four-year-old gelded homebred son of Menow and Sirenian, won two engagements last year while meeting unusually high quality competition. Recently shipped here from New York after finishing fifth in the Roseben Handicap, the Headley star worked nicely since arrival and he appears well placed in the Charlevoix. During his campaign at Keeneland this spring, Pinebloom won the six furlongs Mineola Purse, defeating Peter A. B. Widener, m.s Happy c.; Henry Forrests Traveler, O. J. Breaults Good Story and Mrs. Elizabeth Mucklers River Pilot, stepping the Mineola distance in 1:11%. Almenow, likely favorite in the Charlevoix field, visited the winners ring on three occasions during his 1948 campaign and two of his conquests were scored against good company at Belmont Park. Before his transfer to the Fair Grounds this season, the Grissom gelding won at Gulfstream Park and also finished third in the Phoenix Handicap at Keeneland. After displaying fine speed during the early stages of the Ben Ali Handicap at the Lexington track, Almenow faded in the drive for that one mile and one-sixteenth stake and ran fourth to Shy Guy, Pellicle and Free America. Won Mackinac Purse In his last local engagement, Almenow drove to a game decision in the six furlongs Mackinac Purse, beating Catsmeow, Cotton Joe, Periair, Blue Badge and others of that class. Preceding his Mackinac accounting, the Grissom sprinter turned back a good field in the Hamtramck Purse, also at six furlongs, and the latter event was decided over a good track in 1:12%. Jockey William McKinley Cook is to have the mount on Almenow in the Charlevoix. Gregalach, a well-conformed six-year-old son of Halcyon and Jamesville, will make his local seasonal debut in the Charlevoix and he is to be ridden by Jack Stewart. The Canadian-owned horse won two races in Florida before unloading at the Fair Grounds, taking a driving victory in the six furlongs Palatka Purse during the Gulfstream Park meeting and he also beat a quick field at Hialeah in February at seven furlongs. Touch Control was a consistent performer last year and he won five of his 18 starts, finished second on two occasions and was three times third. Beginning his 1949 campaign at Garden State, Touch Control won at the first asking, beating some sturdy opposition in a six furlongs allowance event decided on a good track in 1:13. Trainer C. R. Bradbury announced this morning that jockey Robert Lee Baird is to guide his charge in the Charlevoix. Crack Reward, who will be handled by Tommy Fico, gave an excellent account of himself in the recently decided Forty Niner Purse. During the initial five furlongs of that middle distance test, the Buhl color-bearer made the pace" and he held on quite willingly after losing command to the ultimate winner, Love Sonnet, who had finished second to Shy Guy in his previous start. Periair has shown speed in her recent engagements and she is considered dangerous at the weights. Shivaree has shown occasional flashes of good form, while Blue Badge is a most improved gelding and won four races thus far this year. Several good supporting races are scheduled for running on tomorrows card and the six furlongs fifth should result in good sport. Included in the field of 10 older sprinters are Gait Davis* Joshua; Henry Forrests entry, Royal Chance and Wisk-tiger, and M. H. VanBergs Delhannah. The third event, six furlongs for three-year-olds, and the fourth, five-eighths mile for two-year-olds, also attracted well balanced fields. Run A Risk, from the Mrs. E. E. Dale Shaffer stable, appears to hold the edge in the former sprint, while the Campbell and Jones entry, Encased and Compare, is expected to get strong support in the juvenile dash.
