Gunner Lad Faces Stiff Omaha Task: Puts Up Unbeaten Record at Track Against Butch K. and Undone in Brandeis Memorial, Daily Racing Form, 1953-06-27

article


view raw text

: a Gunner Lad Faces Stiff Omaha Task Puts Up Unbeaten Record at Track Against Butch K. and Undone in. BrandeisMemorial By ART KENNEDY Staff Correspondent AK-SAR-BEN, Omaha, Nebr., June 26. — In presenting the sixth renewal of the ,000 added George Brandeis Memorial Handicap for three-year-olds and upward, over a mile and one-sixteenth as the feature of tomorrows program, Ak-Sar-Ben again honors the memory of a great Nebraskan and a-friend of thoroughbred racing. And the race as it has filled is worthy of its purpose in that it will bring together the three horses who have done most to distinguish themselves during the meeting, Gunner Lad, Butch K. and Undone. Saturdays card is further heightened in interest by the presence of the crack sprinting mare, Auntie, in the secondary feature. The late George Brandeis whose memory is saluted at Ak-Sar-Ben tomorrow was one of Omahas outstanding business and civic leaders, known throughout the entire middle-western region for his strenuous, personal activities connected with agricultural, educational and charitable programs. He is credited with having done a major share in saving Ak-Sar-Ben from disorganization in , the early 1930s when that civic venture was at the lowest ebb in its 59-year existence, by his leadership and financial assistance. He was a member of its board of governors, a president of the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben and at one time a King of Ak-Sar-Ben. Always a champion of the thoroughbred sport, he was chairman of the committee which conducted a successful campaign to legalize racing in Nebraska. Mrs. George Brandeis, his widow, will officiate as honorary steward tomorrow during the running of the feature and will present the George Brandeis memorial trophy to the winning owner. Two Best* Horses on Grounds While only six horses, representing five ownerships, are entered in the Brandeis, it is fraught with interest due to the meeting between two who must be considered the best horses on the grounds. D. T. Crab-trees three-year-old Gunner Lad and the six-year-old Butch K„ homebred pride of the Guy and Walter Shultz string. The younger horse has tallied an unbroken string of four victories in as many starts here, winning at both six furlongs and one mile and 70 yards. His most recent score was accomplished at the shorter distance, equaling the fastest time over the oval this .year and two-and-a-half lengths in front of six good sprinters, all of them his elders. He is being asked to bring off the toughest assignment thus fa,rin his young racing career. Weighted as he is with 117 pounds, he is carrying three pounds above scale, the only horse in the race so penalized. Butch K., who seems better suited over a distance, has tasted defeat four times at the meeting. But his triumphs have been more convincing than his failures and he will be packing top weight, 123 pounds, three more than when he scored his last victory at a mile and 70 yards. His most recent effort was over an "off" track and at sprint distance when he finished second, two lengths behind Undone. The latter speedster is again in the feature and will pack the proverbial feather tomorrow, carrying only 110 pounds. He will be making his tenth start since May 19 and will be after his fourth tally. His winning efforts have all been in sprints and on one occasion he established the best six furlongs of the meeting. Unproven at a distance, the handicapper couldnt assign him more. Playboro, another sophomore owned by the Colorftil Stable, nom de course of M. R. "Beans" Latimer, might rate an outside chance off his best efforts. The H. H. Mundy entry of Fabrideaux and Wood-break would seem a trifle overmatched in the Brandeis. Yesterdays program of twilight racing brought out the largest attendance in the history of the tracks late-scheduled cards. The turnstile count was 10,840, topping the previous record 9,692 established July 3, 1952. Mutuel handle amounted to 69,935, which was ,000 short of breaking the mark in that category established last season. 0


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1953062701/drf1953062701_5_1
Local Identifier: drf1953062701_5_1
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800