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:i**;:,ttm -: -"l ► I . ■ SuffolkDowns Notebook By FRED GALIANI McLaughlin Latest Saddle Star Youngster Has Large Following In Military Service Two Years SUFFOLK DOWNS, East Boston, Mass., May 5. — Its been quite a while since New England has come up with a topnotch horse to corner the sports pages, but year in, year out they have a hot rider that serves the purpose instead. With last years champion Tony DeSpirito under suspension until Thursday, the new claimant for the publics following is young Dick McLaughlin, 24 -year -old rider from Haverhill, Mass. Currently lead- ing the list at this meeting, McLaughlin returned to saddle action in Florida, following his discharge on January 22 after two years in the army. He rode two winners at Hia-leah, then journeyed to Lincoln where he got started late in the session, chalking up three more. So far at this young session he has been in the winners circle 20 times. Haverhill being only about eight miles from Rockingham Park, it was only natural that Dick be lured by the call of the turf and after a year and a half of high school, he left for the horse parks. After the beginners period of walking hots, he was given a chance to ride by Dr. W. I. Lunt of Providence. He rode in six races in 1947, then found he was 114 pounds, too heavy to perform as a "bug," so he deserted the saddle for a year, finally coming back again in 1949. He got his first winner in 1949 at Rockingham on Plucky Prince and made it a perfect afternoon by also winning with his only other mount, Painted Arrow. He entered the stakes winning class of jockeys in 1950 on De Luxe in the King Phillip Handicap, but the following year was called to service. While in service he married a girl from Miami, Fla., and the couple now live in Haverhill. He spent six months in Germany during his Army career but as he says, "you can have it. IU take the good old I . S. A." He is a free lance rider but has given first call to Irving Gushen, liaison man for the HBPA in addition to being a horse owner. Starting last Friday, when Governor Herter signed the new pari-mutuel law, bettors at Suffolk Downs were nicked 14 per cent, a boost of 2 per cent over the old law . . .The weather continues on the rotten side, to be frank. Of 14 days of the meeting, only six have had fast tracks. From the heavy rains this morning, it looks like the track will be off for a couple of more days . .Paul Ward, the Seymour, Ind., jockey, rode the first winner of his career as a journeyman yesterday on Expectant ...The installation of 15 automatic Daily Double machines, in addition to the old manual system, has increased the sale of the bargain basement play . . . The overflow from the laden stable area is being alleviated by Rockingham, with over 250 horses being stabled at the New England track . . . Starter Buddy Wingfields crew consists of Jim Hennessy, Eddie Calvert, Dino Romoli, Joe Saalfrank, Eddie Pressy and Aftred Bellew. Dave Komie, handicapper for the Boston American who was felled by a stroke early in the Florida season, has been transferred from the Veterans Hospital in Coral Gables to the Soldiers Home in Chelsea, Mass. Komie is showing some improvement. . Ray Desmaris, a veteran of the Korean War who was injured in a spill at Lincoln Downs recently, is expected to be back in action next week. . . Frank Zehr, who won the Plymouth Rock Handicap with Grover B., will ride Epic King in Saturdays Constitution Handicap. Epic King holds the five-furlong track record at Detroit and was third to Correspondent in a race at Keeneland . . .Bobbie Strange is back riding in New England for the first time in two years and has given a call to Frank Cook . . . A. J. Sands is handling Tony Tavares and Johnny Choquette, the Canadian -born lad who is one of 14 children. Cho- Contmued on Page Thirty-Eight Garden State Notebook By FRED GALIANI Continued from Page Four quette is under contract to G. R. Wyn-hoff. This being Boston, the "Athens of America," it would be too plebeian to have sellers and cashiers at the mutuel windows. Let it be known that they are referred to as "paying and receiving tellers." Where is the Christmas club window?. . One of the many improvements over the past winter 4 has been the construction of a new road leading from the track to the Ariel highway. The old egress has been bounded by a new housing development, with approximately 600 children in the homes. Applying the ounce of prevention, the association decided to construct a new road at their expense that would divert the traffic from passing the housing project and prevent accidents. Trainer Woody Sedlacek has the good sprinter Dominave galloping and the horse will be ready for action shortly. If he shows his old time speed it is possible Woody may ship him out of the state for further engagements. Last year Dominave made a flying trip to Atlantic City and walked off with a sprint handicap down there . . . Jockey Hubert Trent", sweating out a 10 -day suspension, flew to the coast to spend a few days with his family at Arcadia, Calif .. Trainer Fisk Waring, a former steeplechase rider, arrived with High Morde. a three-year-old colt, and High Assay, a juvenile. Both of them were shipped in from Jamaica . . . Arthur Gaignad, horsemens steward at the Lincoln Downs meeting, has departed for New Orleans for a vacation and will return next month.
