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■ 1 - : ■ , ■ 1 ! • I I r . r ; - t , ■ f ; 1 - 1 . , i ? . . - Vantage Ekes Out Head Decision in 1953 Debut Van Berg Gelding Is All Out to Whip Seventh Sun at Sportsmans SPORTSMANS PARK, Cicero, 111., May 15. — Vantage, a four - year - old gelding owned by Marion VanBerg, eked out a head victory in her first start of the year when he defeated Seventh Sun in the featured Walter E. McCarron Purse here this afternoon. Racing coupled with McGrathi-ana, the winner headed the field on the stretch turn but was all out to get the decision. McGrathiana finished third and Balsa was fourth. Seventh Sun was in trouble on the inside approaching the stretch turn and was forced to take back and come to the outside. His rider, Willie Morrisey, claimed a foul against the entry, but the claim was not allowed. Vantage, who won nine races in 35 starts last year and who was rested in Nebraska throughout the winter, showed good form on his first appearance. McGrathiana set most of the pace with Vantage, held under restraint by Palmer Domenico. Both Van- tage and Seventh Sun made moves near-t ing the stretch turn, with Vantage on the outside and Seventh Sun on the rail. Fol-: lowing his trouble, Seventh Sun was taken up and to the outside of Vantage and closed strongly. Ten horses went to the post but the others, with the exception of Laughing Fox, who had early speed, were outpaced. The return of pleasant weather brought out a good-sized Friday crowd of 9,150. Vantage ran the seven -furlong distance of the feature in 1:27%. The entry paid .40. William Hal Bishop provided two of the first five winners and they were ridden by Harold Keene. The racers to carry the silks of theh old horse trader from Anna, 111., to success were Snapheel, in the fourth race, and Patio Patter, in the fifth. Each was well backed, with Snapheel being an odds-on , choice. It was the third consecutive success here for Snapheel and the second for Patio Patter. , There was a lack of long-priced winners in the early events. Triple Flight, in the first, an dPajara, in the second, a pair of i second choices coupled up for a 6.60 i aDily Double, with Pafundi riding the open- • ing winner and Don Wagner being on l Pajara. The latter came from last place to defeat the favored Cockofthewalk. Under Pressure, a four-year-old from i i • l i Florida who was making his first start of the session, was backed into odds-on favor-► itism in the third race, but was unplaced. The affair was taken by Our Gift, ridden by William Zakoor. Our Gift led all the way.
