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Kiss Me Kate Convincing Delaware Oaks Victress Jeffords Filly Has Four Lengths To Spare Over Signal, Jacodema .By PALMER HEAGERTY Staff Correspondent DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del.. June 16.— Walter M. Jeffords Kiss Me Kate performed to expectations in this afternoons featured Delaware Oaks to score a convincing four-length victory while negotiating the mile and one furlong in 1:50%. Confidentally and capably handled by Warren Mehrtens, the daughter of Count Fleet — Irish Nora, rewarded her host of backers in the crowd of about 21,000 with .40 and picked up a purse of 5,705. Kiss Me Kate toyed with her rivals through the final furlong as Starmount Stables Signal continued her rally from off the pace to finish second, one length clear of Apheim Stables. Jacodema. Then came the early pacemaker, Greentree Stables Ruddy, followed by Alfred G. Vander-bilts Sweet Talk, Llangollen Farms Wisteria, Dixianas Astro and Foxcatcher Farms Rose Fern. . Kiss Me Kate, who raced only three times as a juvenile and without finishing in the money, had won two races previously this year, including a division of the Acorn Stakes, and on each occasion held a 12-length advantage at the wire. While her margin, today was well shy of that amount, her manner of winning was just as impressive. * As was the case in the recent Coaching Club American Oaks, in which she was second to How, Kiss Me Kate was taken under restraint during the. early stages. Ruddy, who dwelt slightly at the start, moved through along the inside from her rail position and had attained command when the clubhouse turn was reached. Following the Greentree filly during the early stages was Jacodema, who was just a half length off the lead, and Wisteria, with Kiss Me Kate being nursed along by Mehrtens. This -running position was not altered along the- backstretch jand to midway of the final bend, where the Jeffords miss commenced her rally. Aftersaving ground-to the three-eighths pole, Kiss Me Kate was eased off the rail and taken to center of the track, from which position she ambled by Wisteria and then the faltering Ruddy, who found the assignment of winning the third Oaks running for the Greentree menage a bit more than she could handle. Once having set sail for the top* position, Kiss Me Kate experienced little difficulty and collared Jacodema just inside the furlong pole, then emphasized her superiority to_draw clear rapidly while being mildly urged during the final stages of the stretch run..
