Brown Booter Surprises at Belmont; Gala Fete in Winning Seasonal Bow: Leads Throughout Garden City Purse; Sickles Sound Runner-Up; Sea Legs Popular Victor in International Steeplechase, Daily Racing Form, 1953-05-08

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1 -■***•***• •*?!%* *" -* # * m % m. ». #%▼■■- *• *♦ s •**# * * « • m * * * * * * f % * * % • * * * ** « * ♦ « » MRS. MARION duPONT SCOTT— Sea Legs carried her Montpelier colors to victory in the International Steeplechase Handicap at Belmont Park yesterday. Brown Brown Booter Booter Surprises Surprises at at Belmont; Belmont; Gala Gala Fete Fete in in Winning Winning Seasonal Seasonal Bow Bow Leads Throughout Garden City Purse Sickles Sound Runner-Up; Sea Legs Popular Victor in International Steeplechase By BOB HORWOOD Staff Correspondent BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y. May 7. — Charfran Stables Brown Booter scored a front-running upset in the featured Garden City Purse at Belmont Park today, taking the track at the start of the mile and a sixteenth and opening a daylight lead which he kept to the finish. War-bern Stables Sickles Sound finished three and a half lengths behind the son of Our Boots, and a neck before Spring Hill Farms Dr. Stanley, who led Woodvale Farms Modest Pete by two lengths. Greentree Stables Powhatan was another five lengths off the board, while Mrs. E. Barry Ryans Truxton trailed all the way. Brown Booter was widely neglected by the crowd of 17,758, second smallest of the New York season, and paid 8. Bennie Green rode the winner, who has indicated that he was "sand shy" in other races, refusing to extend himself when behind horses, and profited by the lack of early speed today, then whipped a steady tattoo on Brown Booter s flanks through the stretch. Eligible to Belmont Stakes Though not too likely a candidate, Brown Booter is eligible to the classic Belmont Stakes, while Sickles Sound is a candidate for the Peter Pan Handicap. His victory in todays ,500 event was the first success for Brown Booter since he was purchased from Eugene Vasen last fall and this was his tenth start in the silks of Charles and Frances Cohen. Brown Booter made a parade out of the Garden City, particularly as Powhatan failed to respond to Ted Atkinsons whip in the early stages and was unable, or unwilling, to challenge. While the Our Boots colt coasted through the slop "on the bit," Modest Pete struggled along half a dozen lengths in his wake, followed by Powhatan and Dr. Stanley, with Sickles Sound in fifth place. Nearing the quarter pole. Sickles Sound moved up rapidly, but Green went to work on Brown Booter, who responded willingly, maintaining all of his lead tnrough the long stretch. Montpeliers Sea Legs, who won the Grand National Steeplechase in his last start, came back to score a popular victory in the fifty-sixth running of the International Steeplechase Handicap. Albert Foot steered the Battleship, gelding to the finish Continued on Page Forty -Two Brown Booter Surprises In Belmonts Garden City Never Headed as Sickles Sound Runs Second; Chase to Sea Legs Continued from Page One two and a half lengths before Courtney Burtons outsider, Hunting Fox, while Mrs. Esther duPont Weirs The Mast was almost a length farther back at the end of about two miles. Stephen C. Clark, Jr. s Weather Deck was a distant fourth. Sea Legs paid .40 and was timed in 3:58x/5 for the jounrney. The only casualty of the International was Rigan McKinneys Hot, a stablemate of the winner, who fell with Frank "Dooley" Adams at the ninth fence after setting the pace for a mile and a half. After the race, French jockey Paul Fran-colon presented trainer Ray Woolfe with a trophy. Woolfe represented Mrs. Marion duPont Scott, mistress of Montepelier. French jockey Foot looked on as his colleague made the presentation on crutches. He has recovered partial use of his legs while under treatment in this country for injuries received in a spill in his native land. Hot opened a daylight lead early in the International, followed by The Creek and Sea Legs. The Creek soon fell back and Sea Legs moved into second place. The Mast, who was second choice in the wagering, fenced better than last year while being rated along in fifth place, but appeared to tire in the backstretch and dropped back to last place. As Sea Legs took command rounding th efar turn. Hunting Fox moved into second place, followed by Weather Deck, while The Mast came on again. His Boots was next, but under the whip, while The Creek dropped out of it. Sea Legs took command as Hot fell at the fence between the last two turns, while The Mast hesitated slightly to avoid stepping on Adams. Sea Legs went on to win comfortably under strong handling by Foot, while Hunting Fox held The Mast safe through the stretch. Weather Deck tired badly.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1953050801/drf1953050801_1_8
Local Identifier: drf1953050801_1_8
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800