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Capot Capot Wins Wins Belmont Belmont Stakes; Stakes; Miss Miss Stephanie Stephanie Outruns Outruns Foes Foes Captures Lincoln Feature With Ease Kroeck Filly Never in Danger As She Whips Lady Marquest By Three in Miss America WASHINGTON PARK, Homewood, 111., June 11. — Joseph A. Kroeck, a Chicago broker and former crack tournament skeet shooter, hit a bullseye when he acquired the fleet filly, .Miss Stephanie, from last seasons yearling sales for ,300. The daughter of Requested— Ladys Gal, by Count Galla-had proved again that she is a rare bargain when she accounted for the second running of the 0,000 added Miss America Stakes here this afternoon. The veteran Willie Garner broke the youngster swiftly and before the field made the bend into the first turn she was on top and going easy. From there to the finish, she never was in danger and at the line was three full lengths to the good and Garner was in the process of pulling her up. Lady Marquest, owned by Mrs. C. A. McCaw, Jr., and J. Johnson, held on well through the stretch to defeat Shady Brook Farms Kalimera for the place, while Mrs. Albert Sabaths Visional was a creditable fourth. Miss Bebe Shopp, voted Miss America of 1948, was on hand to present owner Kroeck with a trophy awarded by the Lincoln Fields Racing Association. Also in the group was Miss Stephanie Kroeck, 10-year-old daughter of the winners owner. Miss Stephanie, of course, was named for Miss Stephanie. Crowd of 17,531 Out A bumper gathering of 17,531 was in the stands for the program and the weather was warm and sultry. In the race preceding the feature, Happy C. established himself as one of the best-grass course runners ever seen here when he set a new American track record for a mile and one-sixteenth on the infield course. Kroeck, who also owns the good filly, Blue Helen, collected ,025 of the gross purse of 1,650 for the victory. Miss Stephanie stepped the five furlongs over the lightning fast strip in :59, but probably could have endangered the track record had she been pressed. Lucas B. Combs Swing Again loomed as a heavy favorite for the Miss America, but was a late scratch, leaving nine to contest the issue. She was kept in her stall by reason of a temperature which she developed overnight. Other than the start, when Johnnies Bobbie was away to a very poor beginning, the race was run in a manner that left few excuses for the contestants, and it is Continued, on Page Two ► . JOSEPH A. KROECK — The Chicago sportsmans Miss Stephanie carried off honors in the Miss America Stakes at Washington Park Saturday. ► . Lincoln Filly Event To Miss Stephanie Kroeck Filly Never Leaves Final Result in Miss America In Doubt, Scoring by Three Continued from Page One doubtful if any of them could have caught the flying winner had they been spotted a couple of lengths at the start. Kalimera was the first to break, with Miss Stephanie and Visional right at her heels. The Kroeck bargain, however, soon found her best stride and dashed into an open advantage and when Kalimera began to go a trifle wide on the turn and Visional was caught in close quarters Merrytown picked up the futile chase. When the latter dropped back, Lady Marquest became the runner-up, but Miss Stephanie was still galloping along as if she thoroughly outclassed her foes and in mid-stretch Garner looked around, found his rivals well beaten, and began to ease along with the fast filly. A new American track record on the turf was recorded in the fifth when P. A. B. Widener HI.s, exceptional grass performer, Happy C, hung out 1:43 for a mile and a sixteenth on the infield track. The previous markwas held by Grasshopper n., who set his mark of 1:43% in 1944 at Hialeah Park. An odds -on choice by virtue of a recent galloping victory on the turf at this track, Haopy C. dashed to the front shortly after the start, set his own pace, met a tenacious challenge from Santa Fe at midstretch, then drew away to win by two lengths. He carried 117 for his impressive victory. Fractionate for the journey were :23%, :46%, 1:11 and 1:36%. For a time it appeared that the aging Jack S. L. would be a prominent factor but he tired badly while bearing out in the stretch. Don Scurlock was astride the winning son of Roman— Black Lashes, by Sickle. Echo Beach Pays 140 to 1 One of the longest priced horses of the season gained honors in the last stride when Mrs. Ann Davis, Echo Beach accounted for the third. After scoring by the narrowest possible margin, the eight-year-old gelded son of North Wales n. — Sweet Polly returned 40.00 to his scattered followers. He was ridden by the veteran lightweight jockey, Tommy Bates. Sidney Sue, Gold Call and Politics combined to establish the early pace. During the stretch run, Gold Call raced Politics into defeat and appeared to have victory within his grasp • until Echo Beach closed with a powerful rush. Al Gaals Petrified was given a particularly fine ride by Melvin Duhon to score in the opener. The gelding was in the middle of the early pace while Whiteford Tet, Atomic Energy and Fast Tempo raced each other into the ground. At the top of the stretch Duhon steered through narrow opening on the inside and Petrified was up in the last 70 yards, his final margin being three-quarters of a length. Completing a 2.20 Daily Double was E. R. Morris Segundo Sombra, ridden by Eldon Nelson. The nine-year-old was not rushed early but was inxgood position for the stretch run and drew away to score by three lengths over Dr. Rush.
