Grover B. Flashes Speed In Belmont Route Victory: Beats Stake Hopefuls in Hampden; Fracas Takes Maiden Steeplechase, Daily Racing Form, 1952-05-16

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Grover B. Flashes Speed In Belmont Route Victory Beats Stake Hopefuls in Hampden; FracasTakes Maiden Steeplechase By BOB HORWOOD Staff Correspondent BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., May 15. — T. P. Morgans Grover B., who has no stakes engagements in the immediate future, beat a band of stakes colts in the best time of the meeting when he won the Hampden Purse, one of the three ,000 events on todays Belmont program, by three and a half lengths from J. M. Roeblings Old Ironsides. The Blue Swords gelding completed the mile and a sixteenth in 1:43 after getting the mile in 1:36%, while Old Ironsides set a sizzling pace of :46%, three-quarters in 1:11% before giving way in the upper stretch. Fred W. Hoopers Olympic finished a length farther back, dropping back as though beaten on the turn, then coming on again in the final furlong. C. V. Whitneys Cold Command, the favorite, who was making his first start since his obscure race in the Kentucky Derby, finished a length out of the money and never seriously threatened. Grover B. paid .80 and was completing a double for Eddie Arcaro, who took the third race on Tahitian King. The winners race added somewhat to One Counts Continued on Page Three — . Grover B. Flashes Speed at Belmont Whips Stakes Candidates in Hampden; Fracas Winner in Chase; Kathleen to Boot All Continued from Page One Preakness standing, having finished eight lengths behind that colt eight days ago. A throng of 17,108 turned out in what became pleasant weather after a rainy morning. The day was pleasant for the form players from the start, with favorites scoring in the first four races. E. B. Schleys Fracas, a French jumper who debuted here last week, outfinished Esther duPont Weirs favored. Golden Furlong on the flat today to win the Belmont Spring Maiden Steeplechase by a little more than a length. Courtney Burtons Hunting Fox finished well to be third, another five lengths away and a neck before Mrs. H. K. Hickeys pacemaking Ocean Front. Rigan McKinneys Cicas was the only casualty of the race, falling with Frank "Dooley" Adams at the sixth fence when forcing the pace. The French jockey, Albert Foot, rode Fracas, who paid .30 as second choice, coupled with John M. Schiffs Montadet, who tired badly to finish fifth. The time-for the about two miles was a sluggish 3:51 over a fast track. The son of Mehemet Ali, a winner on the flat and over hurdles in his native land, earned ,600. Spleen broke through the tape before the start of the Spring Maiden. The rubber strand became entangled in his hind legs as he galloped to the first fence and Charlie Harr had to dismount before it could be unravelled. Fourth Straight Winning Choice The fourth straight favorite sent her followers to the cashiers windows when Wood-f vale Farms Boot All scored cleverly in the Kathleen Purse, beating John. Howard Clarks Quiz Song by a short half length with Conn McCreary and Steve DiMauro hand riding the fillies to the finish. Charlton Clays Lyceum was two and a half lengths away at the end of six furlongs in l.lV/s and a nose before William Ewings Dark Favorite, who made a promising return to competition after 11 months on the sidelines. Boot All paid .60. Ben F. Whitakers Tahitian Kong turned in the fastest juvenile race of the meeting as he sped down four and a half furlongs of the straight course in :.50% under a hand ride by Eddie Arcaro to beat W. B. MacDonald, Jr.s Count Trim by a length. It was half a dozen lengths back to Mrs. M. F. Drinkhouses Chief Fanelli, who nosed out A. G. Vanderbilts Flying Circus for third money. Peter A. Markeys Selective had speed for three furlongs, then began to switch her tail and called it an afternoon. Tahitian King is a son of Polynesian from the classy Carolyn A. and was scoring his second victory in as many starts. He paid . Favorites won the first two races, Vera S. Braggs Kewpie and Mrs. Russell A.Firestones Petitpoint combining for a 1.20 Daily Double. Ray York steered Kewpie and Eric Guerin guided Petitpoint.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1952051601/drf1952051601_1_6
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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800