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Hitchcock Steeplechase Attracts Field of Seven War Battle Takes Up Top Weight Of 151 in Aqueduct Main Event AQUEDUCT, L. I., N. Y., June 15.— The 0,000 Hitchcock Steeplechase Handicap at about two miles and a half and the ,000 Brownie Classified Handicap at six furlongs are the features of tomorrows Aqueduct program. They will be the fourth and sixth races and have attracted small, but highly competitive fields. Kent Millers War Battle, who won the Hitchcock in 1947 and finished second to Delhi Dan the year before, heads tomorrows field under 151 pounds. Bernard Ansteatt is slated to ride. The nineryear-old, who is almost as popular as his stable-mate, Elkridge, with followers of the field sport, will be opposed by Auburn Farms Floating Isle, 143, and Homogenize, 142; Rigan McKinneys Navigate, 143; K. R. Marshalls War Wine, who will be coupled with Floating Isle and Homogenize, 138; Henry S. Horkheimers Rank, 135, and Mrs. L. E. Stoddard, Jr.s, Big Sun, 131. Floating Isle, who finished third behind War Battle and Cooper Beech in the 1947 Hitchcock, has been racing in excellent form this year, but must be regarded as a doubtful starter unless-enough rains fall to soften the chase course. - War Battle showed little in his only start at Belmont this spring, but improvement can be expected. Navigate raced well at Belmont before losing his rider in the early stages of the Meadow Brook Chase last w.eek. He is ordinarily a sure-footed jumper and will appreciate the distance. Rank can be expected to go to the front, but is aptly named and can be expected to come back to such longer-winded horses as Navigate, Homogenize and War Battle, if the latter is completely ready. The Brownie, named for one of the dead-heaters in the historic Carter Handicap of 1944, Bossuet and Wait a Bit were the others, has attracted a field of six, representing five interests. C. T. Chenerys Man-gohick will probably be a short-priced favorite despite his top impost of 124 pounds. His chief rival, and one who may be very dangerous, is Maine Chance Farms handsome chestnut, Royal Blood. Though a disappointment early in the season, the son of Coldstream has been training kindly in recent days and has the class to be a formidable factor under 118 pounds. Joe W. Brown, who owned Brownie, is trying two shots at this dash, naming King Dorsett and Brown Mogul. Both carry 110, are trained at this track, and, on their best races would command considerable respect. The others are Belair Studs Whirling Fox and G. H. Bqstwicks Stunts, with 106 each. Whirling Fox had speed for a half mile when returning to competition recently after a years absence, the result of a broken bone in his foot. Stunts has showed 1 enough in the rather distant past to make him eligible to cause an upset.
