view raw text
— . i I rr, Tahitian King Takes Swift Renewal Set to Meet Native Dancer In Saturdays Withers Mile BENJAMIN F. WHITAKER— Owner of Tahitian King. * Isasmoothie Closes Stoutly To Follow Favored Whitaker Colt Home at Belmont Park By BOB HORWOOD Staff Correspondent • BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., 1 May 11. — Ben F. Whitaker s Tahitian King scored a popular victory in the 52d running of the Swift Stakes, reaching the end of . that seven furlongs a length and a half J before Brookfield Farms Isasmoothie, who * closed strongly along the rail after a slug- c gish start. Jack Amiels Sun Warrior was . another half length away after setting the : early pace, while Mrs. George F. Spears Real Brother finished a neck out of the r money. Tahitian King was solidly supported by j the majority in the Monday throng of 27,- t 463, paying .80 after getting the distance in a moderate 1 : 26 with Hedley Woodhouse scuffling mildly through the final furlong. He was the second successive odds-on J choice to score, Apheim Stables Teds Jeep having taken the fifth race at .90. 8m Warrior was first out of the gate . in the Swift, while Isasmoothie and Bradley were away slowly. Albert Widman hustled . Sun Warrior into a length lead starting the . long run down the backstretch, with Vir- -tuous, Tahitian King. Lotus Eater, Caesar Did and Real Brother forming a compact J group behind him. Lotus Eater was on the rail and that may have given the Greentree ; colt some excuse. Sun Warrior Still in Front Tahitian King moved into second place between the turns, but Sun Warrior was still daylight in the van, with Virtuous a close ! third, several lengths before Real Brother. Caesar Did was beginning to falter on the outside, Isasmoothie was closing fast along the rail, while Ted Atkinson took Lotus Eater out, but that colt was through running for the afternoon and quickly dropped back to last place. Tahitian King surged into command with a burst of authority in the upper stretch and went on about his business under mild urging, while Isasmoothie finished very strongly to take second money from the faltering Sun Warrior. Real Brother made a strong move coming to the eighth pole, then hung in the final drive, while Virtuous tired badly in the final yards to be fifth, closely followed by Caesar Did. There was some support for Wheatley Stables consistently disappointing Hilarious, possibly because he was ridden by Eddie Arcaro, but that colt started ninth and finished in the same place, never showing any indication that he would do better or worse at any stage. Tahitian King is expected to go postward against his old rival. Native Dancer in the Withers on Saturday, but will have to improve off this race to trouble the gray colt. This was the slowest running of the Swift since Chestnut Oak won it in 1 : 27 in 1929. Apprentice Ronald Behrens can be pardoned for going about with his head in the skies and his chest bulging for a day or so, as he hung it on Eddie Arcaro in the furious finish of the Oyster Bay Purse that preceded the Swift. Behrens was on Apheim Stables Teds Jeep, the odds-on favorite, while Arcaro was on C. V. Whitneys Counterfeit, who was trying to give him 13 ; . pounds, but failed by a neck. Counterfeit , appeared about to be beaten off curving for home, but held on gamely under Ar-caros ! urging. However, the master had to pause for breath passing the odds board, and that fleeting relaxation probably cost j him the race. Teds Jeep paid .90 and | stepped the mile and a sixteenth in 1:45%.
