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Curandero Curandero Victor Victor in in Equipoise Equipoise Mile; Mile; Sheilas Sheilas Reward Reward Scores Scores Over Over Route Route Beats Lights Up | In Queens County Champion Sprinter of 1950 Takes Early Lead and Has Two Lengths Margin at Wire By BOB HORWOOD Staff Correspondent AQUEDUCT, L. L, N. Y., June 23.— Louis Lazares Sheilas Reward was asked to go a distance for the first time today in the forty-sixth running of the Queens County Handicap and the crack sprinter threw speed and mud at his rivals from the start, reaching the end of the mile and sixteenth two lengths before George D. Wideners Lights Up. Peter A. Markeys Piet, the favorite, was another two lengths away and three lengths before Mrs. Harry Trot-seks Oil Capitol. Ovie Scurlock rode Sheilas Reward when his original mount, Cochise, was scratched because of the track condition. Sheilas Reward paid .20 as second choice and stepped the distance in 1:4435, over a track that was gleaming with water. A crowd of 26,072 turned out in variable weather, rain, sunshine and clouds alternating throughout the day. Bennie Green, after winning the opener astride Joe E. Lewis, completed a double when he nursed Maine Chance Farms Graphic cleverly through the seven furlongs of the Airflame Purse that preceded the Queens County and came back in the event following the stake to tally again with R. A. Firestones Barrage. First Start Beyond Seven Furlongs Sheilas Reward, who was voted sprinter of the year in 1950, is a son of Reaping Reward from Smart Sheila, by Jamestown, and was making his first start at beyond seven furlongs. In his last start at Monmouth, Sheilas Reward had shaded the track record when merely galloping at six furlongs with 124 pounds. He had only 113 today. Last fall, trainer Eugene Jacobs had de-Contiaued on Page Forty-Four Sheilas Reward Scores At Queens County Route Champion Sprinter of 1950 Beats Lights Up in First Distance Try Continued trom Paae One cided to start sending Sheilas Reward after distance races, but an attempt to carry 135 pounds in the Fall Highweight knocked him out for a time and delayed his program. The colts victory in the Queens County was worth 5,000 to Mrs. Lazare and was the second middle-distance race of the New York season won by a speed star who had never tried a route before. Casemate, who once gave Sheilas Reward 10 pounds and a beating last year, won the Metropolitan Mile last month, then broke down. Sheilas Reward apparently suffered no ill-effect from his venture today, but Elm Crest Farms Navy Chief was taken away in the horse ambulance after breaking down in his left front leg during the running. Steel Blue broke in front from his No. 1 stall at the start of the Queens County, but Oil Capitol and Sheilas Reward were hustled into pursuit and the trio took the clubhouse turn almost on a line, with Sheilas Reward on the outside. Lights Up was daylight away in fourth place, a length before Piet. who was followed by Navy Chief and Why Not Now. Curving into the backstretch. Sheilas Reward opened a clear lead without apparent urging on the part of Scurlock, who sat and cooked in the run down the far side as the colt steadily widened his margin until he was five lengths in the van. Oil Capitol was in second place during the run down the backstretch, with Steel Blue in third place for half of that run. closely followed by Piet and Lights Up. Sheilas Reward continued to speed around the turn at a rapid clip, getting the half in :47, then three-quarters in 1:11%, as fast as the best sprinters could go on yesterdays fast track. Piet moved into second place between Oil Capitol and Lights Up for a few strides in the upper stretch, then appeared to hang. Sheilas Reward gave up about half of his lead from the top of the home lane to the wire, but was never seriously threatened, though Lights Up finished willingly and had no trouble taking second money from Piet, while Oil Capitol tired badly. Why Not Now finished fairly well to be fifth, followed by Steel Blue, while Navy Chief broke down on the stretch curve. After ther ace. Scurlock said Sheilas Reward slipped in the going at the first turn and "seemed inclined to loaf through the final furlong, but he had a couple of lengths to spare at the end." George Hettinger said that Lights Up, "ran a very good race, considering it was not his type of track." Nick Combest had no excuse for Piet. Sheilas Reward is trained at Aqueduct, giving an occasion to dip the house flag after the Queens County.
