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Joliet Joliet to to Engage Engage Sixteen Sixteen Juveniles; Juveniles; Battlefield Battlefield Has Has Six Six Foes Foes in in Withers Withers Odds-On Favorite To Defeat Jumbo Nullify, Counterpoint Ready To Give Widener, Head ley Colts Stern Belmont Battle By BOB HOBWOOD Staff Correspondent BELMONT PARK, Elihont, L. I., N. Y., May 25. — George D/Wideners Battlefield looms an odds-on favorite over six three-year-old rivals in the seventy-sixth running of the 5,000 Withers Mile at Belmont Park tomorrow. The 1950 juvenile champion returned to his best form here on Tuesday, when he beat three of those he meets tomorrow in a six-furlong dash run in 1:10% without being fully extended. Battlefield gave 14 pounds to Phantom Farms Nullify, who finished second; 13 to Larry MacPhails General Staff, who tired badly, and was even weight with Greentree Stables Northern Star, who finished a distant fourth. They will all carry 126 pounds in the Withers. Due East Recent Winner The other three in tomorrows classic mile -are Hal Price Headleys Jumbo, who beat Battlefield in the fastest edition of the seven-furlong Swift Stakes since it was inaugurated in 1885; C. V. Whitneys Counterpoint, who finished second in the Preak-ness last Saturday, seven lengths behind Bold, and Howell E. Jacksons Due East, who won his only start of the year at this track last week. While neither Count Turf or Bold, winners of the Derby and Preakness, are in tomorrows field, there is more than a faint possibility that the field includes the colt, who will eventually be crowned the champion three-year-old of the year. Battlefield finished second to Uncle Miltie in an overnight sprint at Jamaica early in April, then finished second behind Jumbo in the Swift more than a month later. Those were the War Relic colts only starts : rior to his victory on Tuesday. Battlefield had not seemed himself in the Prospect Purse, won by Uncle Miltie, and was returned to Continued on Page Forty-Seven Battlefield Favored! To Annex Withers Jumbo, Nullify,Counterpoint Ready to Give Widener Colt Stern Belmont Park Battle Continued from Page One Erdenheim Farm in Pennsylvania for freshening. When the colt came back in the Withers he raced willingly and well enough to have won almost any other edition of the stake from a time standpoint, but Jumbo was able to beat him slightly more than a length, despite bearing out in the stretch. After the Swift, Eddie Arcaro said that he thought the race should do Battlefield a lot of good and this theory was borne out earlier this week. The colt is being asked to go more than seven furlongs for the first time tomorrow and there is a sizable group that insists he will not get a distance. However, Battlefield is inbred to a staying family, tracing to the great producer, Fairy Gold, on both sides of his pedigree, and his action in high gear is smooth and apparently effortless. Incidentally, John B. Campbell, in endeavoring to explain his having weighted Uncle Miltie over the Hopeful and Futurity winner in his Experimental Handicap, said that he had hot based his estimate on any doubt of Battle-fields stamina. Big Son of Menow » Jumbd is sure to have many supporters tomorrow. The big son of Menow showed a world of speed in all of his races this year. After stopping badly in his seasonal debut, he failed by only a neck behind Sonic in Experidental Handicap No. 2, after grabbing himself at the start, then bearing out very badly in the stretch. Jumbo then set the pace in the first division of the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and again bore out badly on the stretch turn, colliding with Hall of Fame. His next start was against older horses in the Toboggan at six furlongs on the straight course here. Jumbo tired after a half mile in that dash, then came out to win the Swift. Nullify was squeezed to the rear soon after the start of Tuesdays sprint, then came on again along the rail and was gaining under sufferance at the end. Counterpoint has been sharpened for speed since his creditable effort in the mile and three-sixteenths of the Preakness and the Count Fleet colt is expected to run well tomorrow. Due East won his last start in 1950, then just managed to beat Gray Matter in a comparatively slow six furlongs here last week. Though he can be expected to improve, as he was coughing a couple of weeks before his only start this year, the Sun Again colt will be an outsider. General Staff and Northern Star have had many chances this year and showed little recently. Eddie Arcaro will ride Battlefield, as usual, while Eric Guerin will be on Jumbo. Ray Adair will be back on. Counterpoint, while Due East will be ridden by Nichols Combest. Ted Atkinson, of course, will be on Northern Star and Warren Mehrtens has been assigned to General Staff.
