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Coaltown Has Seven Gansett Rivals First Nighter and Big Dial Also in Roger Williams Field Calumet Racer Concedes * As Much as Twenty-Eight Pounds in Route Fixture NARRAGANSETT PARK, Pawtucket, R. I., June 10. — Earlier in the week the fourteenth running of the 5,000 Roger Williams Handicap, Narragansett Park fixture, appeared to be a walk-over for Calumet Farms mighty Coaltown, but when entries for the mile and three-sixteenths test were closed today, seven rivals, including a coupling, had been named to contest the stake. Of course, there isnt anything binding that would force these horses to oppose the present champion of the handicap division. Slated to appear against Coaltown are Big Dial and Alairne, owned in partnership of George M. Jacobson and E. E. Hart; Cherry Oca Stables First Nighter, Circle K. Farms Misleader, Graham and Byrums Fancy Flyer, Marlet Stables Column and Fantasy Farms Gr£hd Entry. Coaltowns high weight of 130 pounds is 21 more than that assigned to Column, who is next in line with his 109. The others are scaled from 106 down to 102, which is to be carried by Alairne. Despite the enormous weight concession given to his rivals, Coaltown should encounter little difficulty in annexing his eighth straight triumph and remain undefeated in 1949. Ovie Scurlock, who rode Coaltown in the Gulfstream Park Handicap back in March, will be up on the Bull Lea colt. In that race Coaltown equaled the mile and a A quarter world record of 1:59%, while scoring easily. The worlds record for the mile and three-sixteenths was equaled here at Gansett back in 1946, when George D. Wideners Lucky Draw won the Narragansett Special. Many of the veterans are wondering if Coaltown will be allowed to step along at a pace that may threaten the mark. Certainly he has been training smartly and acts very fit. Only New England Start The impending edition of the Roger Williams may not be as thrilling as earlier runnings from a competitive standpoint but certainly no greater thoroughbred ever participated in the race. The action of Coaltown in all of his races is something that true horse lovers admire. He has a faculty for scooting along at remarkable speed from the start to the finish. Present plans mapped out by the Calumet establishment indicate that tomorrows appearance at Narragansett will be the only chance New England racing patrons will have to see the colt in action in this sector and one of the largest throngs of the season should be on hand. The impressive list of 1949 triumphs for Coaltown began with an allowance dash at Hialeah Park, on February 5. Then followed the mile and one-eighth victory, also an allowance test at Hialeah, when he equaled the worlds record for nine furlongs. He then accounted for the McLennan Handicap, the 0,000 Widener and the Gulfstream Park Handicap. He was shipped to Havre de Grace to gather in the 5,000 Edward Burke Handicap via a walk-over. Then on April 30 he scored by seven lengths over Vulcans Forge, to take the 0,000 Gallant Fox Handicap. Included in tomorrows opposition, Coaltown will be meeting the winner of the Toma-sello Memorial Handicap, Fancy Flyer, and First Entry, who was good enough to win the Louisiana Handicap at New Orleans, before shipping north. Big Dials best in recent months, was a triumph in the Southern Maryland Handicap at Bowie this past spring. The others have been right there in contests against top -flight opposition, but none have competed against the Calumet star. Nine races have been carded for tomorrow, with the supporting Weybosset a fitting follow-up after the Roger sWilliams. The Weybosset has drawn seven well-matched sprinters to meet at six furlongs, for a purse of ,000.
