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Wisenheimer Topweight Among Eight Clashing in Livonia Purse at Detroit Our Request and Miss Bobbin Should Give Myron Smiths Gelding Stern Battle Today By DON FAIR Staff Correspondent DETROIT, Mich., May 23. The Michigan thoroughbred racing season was off to a splendid start today and the Livonia Purse, a one mile test for three-year-olds and older, is to headline a well balanced program arranged for presentation tomorrow at this spacious Detroit race course. The Livonia drew an overnight field of eight shifty racers and Myron Smiths Wisenheimer is the high weight at 116 pounds under the allowance clause of the half-holiday headliner. Thearl Williams has been engaged to ride Wisenheimer in the Saturday feature. While Wisenheimer raced fairly well during the winter months at the New Orleans Fair Grounds, the early favorite for the Livonia is the stakes-winner, Our Request, who will carry the silks of Mrs. George C. White and E. W. Thomas. The six-year-old daughter of Requested and Inspiration, gets in the race with 114 pounds, a burden she can handle nicely and Tommy Barrow is to be at the reins. Others entered in the Livonia are In A Spin, from the Jerry McCarthy, Inc., establishment 108,.Thomas Devereux Gay Hunter 108, Tic-Toe Stables Dooly, a six-year-old stallion, by Eight Thirty and from Dipsy Doodle, a product of Cornelius V. Whitneys Lexington, Ky. thoroughbred nursery 111, and Henry Forrests Cullerton, the lightweight at 98 pounds. Marion H. VanBerg, a regular at all Detroit meetings, is to be represented in the Livonia by the fleet five-year-old mare, Miss Bobbin 114, and Mr. and Mrs. James R. Collins Motor City-owned unit will rely on Battle Hero, who gets in with 104 pounds. Alfred Popara, who displayed excellent saddle form during the Fair Grounds and Kentucky seasons, will guide Battle Hero in the Livonia, Georgie Hufnagel is to ride Gay Hunter and young Don Vandenboore probably will guide Cullerton. Lois Cook, who returned here yesterday after successfully piloting Biddy Jane in Garden State Parks Rancocas Stakes, is to handle the saddle chore on Miss Bobbin. The Livonia may develop into quite a tussle between the useful mares Our Re- Continued on Page Forty-One Wisenheimer Vies With Seven In Livonia Purse at Detroit Continued from Page One quest and Miss Bobbin. The former was good enough last year to score several important triumphs, chief of which was her accounting in the -1951 renewal of the Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs in November and she hasnt been under silks since that success. Miss Bobbin, who raced quite well in Illinois before transfer to the Detroit race course this season, won nine of her 1951 outings and picked up earnings of 6400. Both Our Request and Miss Bobbin are well known to Motor City racing followers and their presence in the Livonia field has created considerable interest to the eight furlongs allowance offering. The Ferndale Purse, she furlongs for three-year-olds, drew sufficient entries to result in a split and nine will go to the post in the initial division of the sprint while 10 quick sprinters are engaged for the final half of the supporting event. Sunnybrook Farms Black Bantam. Theodore D. Buhls Double Blush, and David Fergusons Rigmarole appear well placed in the initial end of the Ferndale while the G and G Stables Dixville, Sunnybrook Farms Thistle War, and Mrs. Howard G. Underwoods Brown Rambler, who displayed early foot in the Kentucky Derby, are expected to figure prominently in the final end of the Ferndale. Racing secretary - handicapper Charles McLennan also programmed several other better-than-average races for decision on the week-end bill and post time for the initial offering is set at 2; 00 p. m.
