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Eleven Three-Year-Olds Will Contest Mile and Sixteenth Motor City Stakes Johns Joy, The Fat Lady and Lextown Loom Chief Rivals In 0,000 Detroit Offering FAIR GROUNDS, Detroit, Mich., June 10.— The 0,000 Motor City Stakes, one mile and one-sixteenth feature for three-year-olds, is to headline an unusually fine program tomorrow at the Woodward Avenue plant. Connections for 11 fleet sophomores named their charges through the overnight entry box for the half-holiday stake and the middle distance test should provide a thrilling spectacle for the expected crowd of 20,000 Detroit thoroughbred followers. Under the allowance conditions of the Motor City, John Kinards Johns Joy and Lexbrook Stables Chicago invader, Lex-town, are to carry the actual equal top weight burdens of 123 pounds. Mrs. E. E. Dale Shaffers fine filly, the Fat Lady, is to answer the bugle under 118 pounds while Hal Price Headleys Yes You gets in the Motor City with 120 pounds. The remaining members of the field with the single exception of White and Thomas speedy filly, Our Request, who is to shoulder 109 pounds, are to go postward under 114 pounds each. In the latter group are Smasher, a representative of Louis Lee Haggin II., Addison Stables Arise, Shake-me, who will race coupled with Yes You in the Headley entry; Charles Rufis Blue Grip, O. Frank Woodwards Kosadus, and Sylvester W. Labrots homebred colt, Taran. The Motor City may develop into a sharp i- duel between Lextown, Johns Joy and The Fat Lady, thus considerable interest is attached to the Saturday stake because of the splendid records compiled by this clever trio. Lextown, recent winner of the Peabody Memorial at Chicago,, has trained splendidly for his local engagement, while Johns Joy, three-time stakes winner during his 1948 campaign and a close second to Woodvale Farms Halt in the Blue Grass Stakes this spring, also worked especially well for the Motor City. The Fat Lady recently returned from New York, where she ran a creditable race behind Calumet Farms Wistful in the Coaching Club American Oaks and trainer H. H. Battle has the fashionably-bred daughter of Bull Lea in top condition. The three main contenders for the half-holiday stakes probably will vie for favoritism but The Fat Lady, who won an impressive decision in the 0,000 Royal Oak Stakes here earlier in the meeting, may wind up a slight choice over her two colt rivals. Jimmy Combest, contract rider for the Arkansas-owned Kinard establishment, is to handle Johns Joy in the Motor City, Jack Richards, who rode Lextown in the Derb and Peabody, is to be astride the Lex-brook star, while LeBlanc is to have the mount on The Fat Lady. One of the chief threats for major honors in the Motor City is Yes You, son of Eight Thirty and Who Me, a Headley homebred who has shown improvement since his arrival from the East. On May 21, Yes You whipped Park Pigeon, Montes Pride and Continued on Page Tftre* Eleven Three-Year-Olds Go In Motor City Stakes Today Continued from Page One Smasher in a six-furlong overnight event and then followed that conquest with a game triumph in the 5,000 Frontier Stakes on May 28, defeating Arise, Johns Joy, Sequence and Summond after stepping the distance in 1 : 1 1 % . Shakeme, who recently beat Blue Grip, Timeltel and Fish Fry in the one mile and one-sixteenth Grand River Purse, also finished second to Bea Right in the River Rouge Purse at six furlongs on June 7, and he should make a suitable running mate for Yes You in the week-end fixture. Blue Grip has shown occasional flashes of class and he appears favorably weighted for the Motor City, Arise turned in a sharp effort to achieve the place award in the Frontier, and Taran, a Preakness Stakes starter, displayed improvement when he ran fourth in a local overnight sprint June 2. Kosadus recently visited the local winners ring, but his victory was scored against less formidable opposition than he will engage in the Saturday feature. Smasher turned back a fair field at Keeneland before his transfer to the Fair Grounds and he will be ridden by Manuel N. Gonzalez. While The Fat Lady is considered the best filly on the grounds, Our Request, well made daughter of Requested and Inspiration, may prove a keen factor in the Motor City under her feathery burden. Winner of three races as a juvenile, the White and Thomas miss was good enough last autumn to take third behind Johns Joy and Fleeting Star in the important Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. Beginning the current season with an impressive accounting in an allowance sprint here, Our Request then gave a sparkling effort in the Royal Oak, finishing fourth behind The Fat Lady, Stole and Lithe in that stake. Trainer George White announced this morning that Ronnie Nash, one of the better journeymen reinsmen here, is to have the mount on Our Request in the Motor City, assuring his charge first rate handling.
