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— _ Loyal Legion Returned Victor Over Favored Royal Governor Drives to Half -Length Tally ToGiveW.MJetfordsStable First Win of Delaware Meet By PALMER HEAGERTY Staff Correspondent DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 5.— The green and white silks of Walter M. Jeffords, always extremely popular in this sector, were carried to their first victory of the current meeting when the seven-year-old Halcyon gelding, Loyal Legion upset the highly-fancied Royal Governor, from the stable of Mrs. Esther duPont Weir, in the featured Great Dyke Purse this afternoon. William Zieglef, Jr.s Leading Home was a faltering third in the six-horse field. Loyal Legion, who raced coupled with Mrs. Jeffords Adile, was timed in 1:13 over the muddy racing strip and paid 2.20 after downing the 4-to-5 favorite by a half length. Sam Boulmetis, who rode Post Card for the Jeffords stable on Saturday when that capable campaigner finished in a dead-heat with Cochise in the Brandywine, was again the winning rider atop Loyal Legion. Cloudy weather failed to affect the attendance and a good crowd of about 9,500 was on hand. Chains Withdrawn The return to competition of Brookmeade Stables Chains was to have taken place in the Great Dyke, but was delayed when the track came up muddy. The six-year-old. son of Firethorn Jias not raced since No vember, 1949. Miss Billie Roses 3irchie, the light-weighted member of the Great Dyke field, probably brought about the defeat of Leading Home, racing on even terms with that one for almost three furlongs. She faded thereafter, however, and could do no better than finish fifth, just in front of Adile, who was launching her seasonal campaign. Leading Home held a slight lead into the stretch, where Loyal Legion loomed from the outside and wrested command. Royal Governor, as expected, dropped out of contention during the early running, but was able to save ground until ready to rally. When this time came, he raced extremely wide, which probably brought about his defeat. In the final sixteenth he displayed ground-gaining /strides, which may earn him a starting position in the week-end Sussex Handicap. Form players had their most severe setback in the supporting feature when J. Graham Browns Tidy Sum, backed into 3 to 5 favoritism, met defeat at the heels of Mrs. William E. Snells Toreador, extreme outsider at 1.80 for . The margin of victory was a length and a half. Toreador was strongly handled by Frank Bone and covered the sjx furlongs in 1:12% over the muddy track. Tidy Sum, who had set the pace in the opening day Wilmington Handicap, moved through along tihe inside to assume command early today, then was rated by Mel Peterson. He saved ground throughout but had nothing in reserve when engaged by Toreador and could not resist that five-year-old Bull Lea gelding.
