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. • Battlefield May Rule At Odds-On in Withers Field of Six to Nine Expected To Seek Belmont Race Tomorrow BELMONT PARK, Elmorit, L. I., N. Y., May 24.— George D. Wideners Battlefield is expected to head a field of from six to nine three-year-olds in Saturdays seventy-sixth running of the 5,000 Withers Mile. Last years juvenile champion was so impressive in his sprint victory on Tuesday that he may be an odds-on favorite on the week-end, though one of his rivals will be Hal Price Headleys Jumbo, who beat him a little more than a length in the swiftest edition of the Swift Stakes since 1885. Battlefield appears to have finally regained the form that enabled him to win seven stakes, including the Futurity, and 98,677 last year and Eddie Arcaro said after Tuesdays dash that the War Relic colt could easily have equaled the track record. Battlefield will be trying to go a mile for the first time in the Withers, his longest previous races having been victories in the Hopeful and Futurity at six and a half furlongs. Few doubt that he will go at least as far as required in the Withers. Jumbo had showed blazing speed in Experimental Handicap No. 2 and a division of the Blue CJrass Stakes, then had faded early in the running of the Toboggan against older1 horses, before turning in his dazzling race in the Swift. The big son of Menow looms as Battlefields chief rival in Saturdays classic mile. The other virtually certain starters in the Withers are C. V. Whitneys Counterpoint, Larry MacPhails General Staff, Putnam Stables Lord Putnam and Phantom Farms Nullify. All of these colts finished behind Battlefield earlier in the week and Nullify is the only one who was gaining " at the end of that six furlongs. The son of Revoked was receiving 14 pounds from Battlefield and must carry equal weight of 126 pounds in the Withers. Also, he did most of his gaining after Arcaro had started to ease the Widener colt. Counterpoint finished second in the Preakness last week, but was sharpened with a clever five-furlong breeze this morning and is expected to go postward with Ray Adair in the saddle. -In addition, Greentree Stables Northern Star, Brookfield Stables Iliad or Intent and Woodvale Farms Away Away are possibilities for the Withers. Northern Star finished fairly well to be fourth behind Battlefield and Nullify. Iliad finished third in the Swift, while Intent has been idle since his strong race in the Wood Memorial, in which he bucked his shins. Away Away showed nothing in Tuesdays dash, but won his race before that and is an erratic, but occasionally classy, stretch runner.
