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Oedipus Has Seven -Meadow Brook Foes Phipps Fencer Must Carry 160 Pounds, Ten More Than Elkridge in Belmont Stake k BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., June 13.— The 36th running of the 0,000 Q Meadow Brook Steeplechase is the feature Z event at Belmont Park tomorrow, with and eight of the better chasers slated to dis- -n pute the about two miles and a half. O Topweight and probable favorjte in the Meadow Brook is Mrs. Ogden Phipps -Oedipus, who was voted steeplechaser of h the year last season and scored a convinc- 3 ing victory last Thursday in the Corinthian, which was a half mile shorter. Oedipus will carry 160 pounds and his regular pilot, Jim Smiley. The Blue Larkspur gelding won the Brook Chase at tomorrows dis- -tance last fall, with 149 up, but there is some doubt here that he will be able to carry tomorrows package successfully as m he is a speed horse who runs his best races on the lead. The opposition, in order of the weights, _ is composed of Kent Millers Elkridge, 150; g F. Ambrose Clarks Lone Fisherman, 149; — A. Edward Masters Titien TJ. and Lowry Watkins Tourist list, 140 each; M. Andrew Cushmans Kipper, 135; Mrs. C. E. Adams Gift of Gold, 131, and Margaret S. Kirkpatricks Pretender, 130. The latter pair hardly seem to belong in this field. Making His 116th Start Elkridge, who is in his 13th year and will be making his 116th start, won the Meadow Brook in? 1949, finished second in the stake in 1942 when Oedipus, Lone Fisherman, Kipper and Titien n. had not yet been foaled, was also second in 1945 and last year and third in 1948. This season, Elkridge has started twice, finishing third each time and jumping faultlessly. In his seasonal debut in the International, the elderly son of Mate was making what might have been a winning move when he was struck on the nose by a flying log at the 11th fence, then was beaten by Pontius Pilate and Oedipus. Last week, he finished behind Oedipus and Lone Fisherman in the Corinthian, losing ground on the flat and gaining on the fences. That race may have benefitted Elkridge, whose nose injury caused him to miss some work, and the added distance is also in his favor.- Pat Smithwick will ride. Lone Fisherman was beaten a little less than length by Oedipus in the Corinthian after_ bearing in so badly from the last fence to the wire that Elwood Carter was unable to ride out the finish. The Annapolis gelding won his previous race in Maryland easily and looms dangerously tomorrow. ■ Champion Hurdle Racer The Meadow Brook gains considerable interest from the presence in the field of Titien II., the champion hurdle racer and holder of the mile and three-quarter" record over the hedges. Titien n. will be making his debut over the bigger fences and, according to trainer R. Bueno, has only recently been schooled over them, but Is a naturally catlike jumper despite his lack of size. Albert Foot will ride the French stallion, who won his last two starts over hurdles, breaking his own record under high weight in his last. Tourist List was a distant fourth in the Corinthian, his seasonal bow, but beat Oedipus rather decisively in the Temple Gwathmey Chase here last fail and is an exceptionally steady jumper. He will be ridden by Leo McMorrow. The others, as Jack Coopers weights suggest, are rather forlorn hopes. To return to Oedipus, only one previous winnerof the Meadow Brook has carried as much as 160 pounds, Green Cheese winning with that burden in 1933. Elkridge carried that package into second place behind Floating Isle, 147, in 1945, while the brilliant Dan IV., was second with 163 in 1924, beaten by Duettiste. It is an exceedingly high impost for this season of the year as the records show. Only six horses since 1895 have won the International with 160 or more, only one of those, Ossabaw, since 1933; eight have won the Corinthian with 160 or more, but none -since Beason Hill carried 162 in 1932; only one, Beelzebub in 1931, has successfully tarried that much in the Charles L. Apple-ton Chase.
