view raw text
On the Trot L By MORRIE KURLANSKY 1 Springfield Crowd Cheers Col. Baker Greyhound Field Led by Star Trotter Parker Byrd Paces One Mile in 2:01 STATE FAIRGROUNDS, Springfield, 111. Col. E. J. Baker, St. Charles, HI., whose stars like Greyhound, Algiers, Kings Coun- sel, Winnipeg and others are on the roster of many of the important Springfield State Fair stakes, was a daily visitor at the Fairgrounds. On Thursday afternoon the big crowd gave him a standing ovation when his Greyhound, the world champion trotter, led the starters to the post in the race named in his honor. . .Movie actor Charles Coburn, whose Rush Hour was a starter in Wednesdays Big 5 Pace, climbed in the saddle of the lead pony to parade the field of the Review Futurity amid thunderous applause from the huge audience to be his own best publicity agent. . .Kimberly Kid, a 5,000 yearling owned by Allwood Stables, Far Hills, N. J., after his splendid triumph in the Review Futurity No. 57, is acclaimed as the best three-year-old trotter this season, winning the classic event in three straight heats and setting a new seasons record in the second heat with a performance in 2:01 flat. For trainer-driver Tom Berry it was the fifth victory in this stake that goes back to 1894. The septu-genarian previously won it in 1930 with Hanovers Bertha 2:01and; in 1936 with Ruth M Mac 2:04; in 1938 with Earls Mr. Will 2:03; and in 1940 with Earls Moody Guy 2:02. The record for the race is still held by Greyhound, who won it in 1935 in 2:00. Jochovolo, the Salem, Illinois-owned trotter, who won last Saturday in 2:03 at Springfield, showed good speed in the Review Futurity and in all three heats was a contender for over half a mile, but lacked stamina in the stretch. His plac-ings were: 8-4-10 in the 15-horse field. Hambletonian winner, Helicopter, making her first start after the 17,117 classic had to bow to Earls Song, a daughter of Victory Song driven by Wayne Smart, in two straight heats of the Castleton Farm Filly Stake. Rex Larkin, Chicago manufacturer and owner of Poplar Hills Farms, Lexington, presented the trophy to Frederick Van Lenneps, co-owner with his wife of Castleton Farms. . .Mighty Sun, the California-owned free-for-all pacer, vho defeated H. D. Hanover on Wednesday, was acquired in 1948 as a yearling by S. A. Camp for 8,000, has long since then won himself out, but Gosling, the Allwood Stables 5,000 yearling purchase of 1951, Gosling, has still a long way to go before he shows a profit. So has Col. Bakers 6,000 yearling Firefighter, now a three-year-old, who hasnt even started. Dutch Dandy, the Castleton Farms three-year-old full brother to Mighty Duke, a maiden winner last Saturday at Sportsmans Park in 2:08, annexed the Review Futurity for three-year-old pacers Thursday afternoon at Springfield. The Hayes Fair Acres Stables Marvel Way won. the first heat of that race in 1:59. to be the first three-year-old harness horse in 1953 to beat 2:00. The aforementioned Gosling was unplaced in that race and so was H. D. Hanovers stable-mate, Kennesaw Hamover, a fast but erractic sort of a pacer. . .Irish Hal, the victor of Sportsmans Park 0,000 Invitational Pace, underlined his present good form by winning Thursdays free-for-all pace at Springfield in two straight heats. In the second heat, Irish Hal equalled his record of 1:59 made in a time trial last year. The Chicago-owned two-year-old pacer Parker Byrd is credited with the fatest mile for a two-year-old- harness horse in 1953, when he won the first Heat of the 1,883.52 Little Pat Stake at Springfield in 2:01. While Hayes Fair Acres Stables, Du Quoin, 111., could not win any of the Springfield stakes, their star trotter, Pronto Don, displaced Proximity as the leading money-winning trotter of all time. The eight-year-old chestnut gelding has enriched the Du Quion coffers to the tune of 55,236 since he went to work on the nations harness tracks in 1947 and the end is not yet in sight. Pronto Dons present total is some ,300 in excess of Proximitys earnings before her retirement two years ago. He went over the top by winning a 0,000 - event at Roosevelt Raceway last Saturday. In order to dethrone Good Time and become the leader among all harness horses, Pronto Don must earn something like 3,560 between now and the end of the season. It wont be easy but there arent many wholl wager the big horse wont better the 18,792 figure. The homebred son of Donald Truax has made 159 lifetime starts and has registered 85 wins, 30 seconds and 18 thirds. This year he has five wins and five seconds in 12 starts and has collected 6,049.75. Pronto Dons big races are still ahead of him. If he can win The Roosevelt. Trot 0,000, Sept. 17; The Gotham Trot 5,000, Oct. 15 ; and the Golden West Trot ?25,000 added, Nov. 21 hell be within whispering distance of the all-time money-winningr record of Good Time.
