On the Trot: Marcia D. Regains Local Popularity Trotting Races Hold Added Lustre, Daily Racing Form, 1954-05-26

i — — . ![ On the Trot • By MORRIE KURLANSKY Marcia D. Regains Local Popularity Trotting Races Hold Added Lustre Burright Returns to Winning Form MAYWOOD PARK, Maywood, 111., May 25. — Marcia D., Paul F. Davis Evergreen trotting mare, in her seasonal debut on i — — . Saturday Saturday showed showed local local Saturday Saturday showed showed local local fans all the grace-and beauty of the diagonal gait combined with speed and finishing power to regain at once her position as one of the most popular harness horses ever to race in Chicago. The Illinois-owned 10-year-old with the shining black coat won both heats heats of of the the Chicaeo Chicago heats heats of of the the Chicaeo Chicago Harness Writers Trot, a ,000 event fashioned for 12-class trotters, with authority and her double victory reflects great credit on the driving ability of her regular pilot, Paul Compton. Gifted with a high turn of early speed, Marcia D. was first at the clubhouse despite the fact she started from an outside position in the first dash, but let Little Steve take over on the back-stretch to stay in second position. Gene Burright, behind Little Steve, set a somewhat moderate pace until the last quarter, but when Compton asked Marcia D. the all-important question the issue was settled in a matter of a few strides. Cliff Win was a close-up third and Johnny Brown raced creditably to finish fourth, while the rest of the field was well beaten off. In the second heat, Marcia D., starting from the rail, had no difficulty to lead the field into the back-stretch, but again her reinsman conceded the lead to the upsurging Johnny Brown and, later on, dropped back to fifth place after the entry of Little Steve and Still Better made a combined drive for the top, with Cliff Win in their wake. At the three-quarter pole, Compton took Marcia" D. up for a moment in order to get racing room and then made his bid around the final turn, going three-wide but, nevertheless, gaining ground with every step. Marcia D. won by a length, a margin of no great significance since the mare was only coasting once in the clear, and her time of 2:08 by no means can be taken as a criterion of her speed. With the reappearance of Marcia D., the fast-class trotting races have taken = on added lustre and most horsemen are of the opinion that there was never a better group of top trotters on hand for both overnight and early-closing events as this season. If one recapitulates what happened during the first 30 racing nights here, he easily recalls the excellent performances by Clever Tee, Taylor Ridge, Daisy Astra, Cliff Win, Little Steve, Johnny Brown, Steve Tell, Francis Mc, Decoration Day, Nancy Lee Day, Buckie B. and Hal Tass. In addition to Marcia D., many other good trotters are scheduled to make their. Chicago debut before long to make competition already is. Dee Stover, as president of the Illinois Harness Hosemen Association, in a letter to members of this organization expressed his gratitude for the program regarding purse structure and purse distribution set up by the Maywood Park Trotting Association, and it is his belief that the current purse plan was made in the best interests of all horsemen and would be of great benefit to all of them in the future ...CD. Shine, breeder-owner-trainer from Phenix City, Ala., escaped serious injuries Saturday night when his mount, Wild wood Vie, after repeated breaks, fell on the backstretch. Roy Adams has been engaged to drive the Shine horses in their upcoming engagements ... Stay Lucky, the speedy pacer, in his third race at this meeting finally held on long enough to annex a CC-class pace Saturday. The son of Brook-dale can leave the gate like greased lightning, but more often than not is caught in the stretch. If there were any sprint races here, Stay Lucky could match strides with the best pacers on the grounds. Harry Burright is back in winning form and followed his victories on Friday with a triumph in Saturdays three-year-old pace with Floyd M. Griebels Bonnie Prince. Bonnie Prince is a filly and The Black Goose, another three-year-old pacer here, is a gelding, though both names suggest a different sex . . . Chuck Rumley, son of C. F., was not to be outdone by his father, who entered the winners circle twice Friday ... On Saturday, it was Chucks turn to win two races, one behind the La Grange-owned mare, Blackie Havens, in the second race, a C-class pace, the other behind Orpha Star, four-year-old pacing filly owned by Mrs. Frieda Spencer of Belvidere, HI. The mustachioed teamster also was second with veteran pacer Tru Bob in Stay Lucky s race. A very interesting pacing event scheduled for Wednesday will see Hugh K. Funderburgs Billy Wasson, winner of four races here, the last three in a row, vie with ten fleet rivals for a ,000 purse in two dashes at one mile. The Congressional gelding, who twice was timed in 2:05%, fastest pacing time of the meeting, drew the fourth post and will be opposed by Battle Prince Dee Stover, a winner here on-May 7 in 2:06% in a dead-heat with Frisky Hal; Red McKlyo Howard Beissinger, victorious in four races here and second in both his other two starts; Josedale Double Hal, a stable-mate of Red McKlyo, who will have the sulky services of Jake Mahoney; Ima Hanover Dale Red Ross , veteran pacing mare owned by the Rizzuto brothers; •Mary Jane Clark Roy Riegle, another Congressional Offspring owned by Cecil Clark of Union City, Ind.; Peggy Barnes Jack Beasley, free-legged flyer owned by Dorsie Spittler from Terre Haute; Heyyou Chuck Rumley, anf. extremely handy half-mile track performer owned by Charles W. Mongan of Oregon, 111.; Myrtle Truax Harry Burright, a winner of five races this season here and at Santa Anita; GuyGanonian Dan Peacock , speedy representative of the Norman C. Towne menage; and Frisky Hal Lou Rapone, owned by the Illinois Stables of Karnak, 111.