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On the Trot I By MORRIE KUBLANSKY Cleyer Tee Has Split Personality Probaby Best Trotter Racing Here Wagners Establish Another First MAYWOOD PARK, Maywood, 111., May 11. Clever Tee, a small brown gelding owned by Ransom G. Yeager of Akron, Ohio, is what psychiatrists call a split personality. Mild mannered, gentle and easygoing to the point of being phlegmatic around the barn, Clever Tee is all determination and concentration on the race track to make him a perfect racing tool, a fact that is manifest in the consistency withj which this trotter finishes in the money. Moreover, trainer Earl Roush has the six-year-old in splendid condition, which bespeaks the Ohioans horsemanship. It is a rare feat indeed for any horse to win three races within three days but that is exactly what Clever Tee did last week. On Wednesday night, the son of Clever Hanover annexed a 16-class trot stakes in 2:06, fastest trotting time of the meeting, from nine opponents and came "back on Saturday to beat even better adversaries in both heats with authority and again posting fast times, 2:06 and 2:0Ty5, respectively. Since Lord Steward has left local ground for new conquests in the East, Clever Tee is rightfully acclaimed as the best trotter here and his earnings of ,091.50 in seven starts at this meeting put him on top of the money-winning horse racing at this wesi-sfde oval . . . On account of his good showing to Lord Steward the week before, Shorty De Ponti was made the favorite in the first heat of Clever Tees race and the five-year-old stallion was a threat for the first half-mile, but spoiled all his chances by making a bad break when his driver, Clarence Curtis, pulled him out of the second position behind the leading Johnny Brown to avoid being boxed in by the oncoming Cliff Win and Buckie B. In the second dash, Shorty managed to get the lead at the three-quarter pole, but while staying flat that time, could not resist Clever Tee and Hal Tass, Cliff Win and Buckie B. also passed him in the homestretch. Diagonally-gaited horses contested Saturdays supporting feature, an early-closing event for 14 class non-winners of 5,000 performers and with Lord Steward and Clever Tee out of the .way, Taylor .Ridge was able to resume his winning ways. Jim Kealey let Steve Tell, driven by Glenn Hawkins, set the pace for the initial quarter to take command rounding the paddock turn, never to be headed after that. Steve Tell, owned by William H. Laue of Hins-dalet in his first start of the year, came up with a surprisingly-good performance and finished second, almost upsetting Taylor Ridge, who was somewhat overcon-fidently driven during the last quarter. Trainer Dan Peacock, currently serving a five-day suspension, received ample consolation Saturday when catch-driver Howard Beissinger guided the five-year-old Lindon to a splendid victory in 2:06 in one of the most exciting finishes at this meeting.. It was the first start this year for the Libertyville-owned pacer, who won ten out of his 25 races last year and earned ,565 in his initial campaign. It looks as if Dan Peacock, a thorough horseman who was formerly associated with steeplechasers and made quite a name for himself as a polq player, will have his greatest season since entering the harness sport. Lindon was the i third winner for the Norman C. Towne Stock Farm stable, trained by the mustachioed gentleman from England who was behind Nutonias Grace and Lew MacPherson in their winning efforts. Ray and Bob, the Wagner brothers from Springfield, established another "first" for harness racing on pari-mutuel tracks when they won both ends of the Daily Double Saturday with horses owned by E. F. Wagner. Charming Honor, with Ray in the sulky, annexed the first race and Theodores First, the bread-and-butter horse of the Wagners, driven by Bob, downed seven rivals in the second race, whereupon Mama Wagner, presented with a Daily Double ticket for Mothers Day, proceeded to cash 51.40 for the combined family effort. City Counsel, three-year-old full brother to Kings Ale, won his second race at Yonkers Raceway last week, pacing the mile in 2:14 over a slow track . . . Black Haven, an Ulinois-owned-and-bred pacer and a winner at Maywood Park last year when raced by Edgar Leonard, now races successfully for Billy Haughtons public stable in New York . . . After the first 18 nights of the current meeting, the mutuel handle shows a definite uptrend despite the inclement weather that has prevailed since opening night. The average for the first 18 nights of the 1953 meeting was 83,-710, while this year the average handle for the corresponding period is 03,- 562, an increase of slightly more than 11 per cent. There were three rain-outs during the first three weeks of last years meeting and a like number, one of whiclf was a Saturday night, this year. Few breeders who have operated on such a small scale with trotters have had equal success with Elmer E. Dale Shaffer, former owner of Coldstream Farm, one of the biggest thoroughbred nurseries in the Blue Grass. Charlie Kenney, who has had charge of the Shaffer horses for many years, thinks Shaffer now owns the nicest prospect he has ever had and that includes some very fast trotters. This one is Touchdown, a bay colt by Victory Song 1:57 from the prolific producer, Ruths Baby, by Mr. McElwyn 1:594, whose foals include the exported Volume 3 2:02and, Voluptuous 4 2:03, Volcano 2 2:04, Volotone 3 2:06, Voltite 3 2:04 and Argyle 3 2:04.
