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1 j 1 1 ! 1 ; 1 j Seven Classy Trotters Go In Sprint Championship Gene Long, Spud Hart, Delhi Lady, Johnny Brown in Sportsmans Race SPORTSMANS PARK, Cicero, 111., June 26. — A classy field of trotters goes after the second annual Sprint Championship at Sportsmans Park tomorrow night. The seven-horse field includes the 1951 champion in the six and a half furlongs event, Gene Long. Owned by Vincent Spencer of Belvidere. HI., the 10-year-old gelding isnt expected to repeat but he is always dangerous in the short distance despite his venerable years. The 1951 champ will be piloted by Stan Stucker. The favorite in the sprint event for ,300 added money will probably be Little Steve, owned by A. D. Knapp of Jackson, Mich. The Knapp star drew the coveted pole position besides being one of the top trotters in the middle-west. Another tough one will be Johnny Brown. who seems to like an "off" track especially. Owned by Paul Daugherty of LaGrange, Johnny Brown has come closer to living up to his preSs clippings than he did last ,year. Daugherty paid something in five figures last spring for the classy trotter but ran into bad luck most of the 1951 season. He did round into shape at the end of the season last year, but this year he has been much more consistent. The Jordan Brothers of Rockford also have a consistent mare going after the stake in Delhi Lady. The six-year-old mare won her last May wood start in 2: 07%. She started at Sportsmans Tuesday night, but was out of the money when Fay Scott surprised with big prices in both ends of the feature. However, the real dark horse comes from Aurora in the guise of Spud Hart, seven-year-old chestnut, owned by Erwin Dygert. The classy trotter returned a 8.00 mutuel winning on closing night at Maywood. He also looked sharp Tuesday at Sportsmans, although he was nosed out in a photo in the opening half of the feature which Fay Scott won. Clarence Curtis has been giving Spud Hart a consistent drive all year and the veteran trotter seems destined for his best l year. Other starters are Moses, and Buckie B, both neighborhood favorites on the west side. Moses, usually a slow starter both by the race and by the season, hasnt really hit 1 his annual stride yet, but Friday would be » a good time to begin with a ,300 added purse ■ at the end of the finish line.
