view raw text
Sea Sea O O Erin Erin Wins Wins Pea Pea body; body; Straight Straight Face Face Popular Popular Victor Victor 56,736 Witness 4 Suburban Score Gives Greentree Its Third Straight in Stake; Bassanio Second and Mandingo Third By BOB HOBWOOD Staff Correspondent BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L., I., N. Y., May 31. For the third year in a row, Greentree Stables popular pink and black silks flashed home at the head of a fine field in. the rich Suburban Handicap. Straight Face followed in the fleet footsteps of his predecessors, One Hitter and Tom Fool, as he surged up on the outside at the head of the stretch and went on to win the 2,500 mile and a quarter event by four and a half lengths over Ogden Phipps Bassanio, who led Mrs. H. P. Christiansens Mandingo by almost a length. Mrs. J. R. Hi Thourons Royal Vale, who ran Tom Fool to a nose in last years Suburban, finished another length and three-quarters out of the money after saving a world of ground at the final bend. A solid choice with the huge throng, Straight Face paid .90, .80 and .50 across the board, while Ted Adkinson, who was also winning his third straight Suburban, steered the son of Count Fleet over a dead track in a respectable 2:03ys. The track appeared at least a second slow to the mile in earlier races. Largest Crowd Since 1949 The crowd of 56,736 was the largest throng seen at Belmont Park since Memorial Day of 1949, and was the ninth largest crowd ever to turn out at a Long Island track. The gathering was in a wagering mood and the Daily Double pool of 08,152 topped the previous record for a New York Track by more than 0,000. Well-played horses rewarded the- form players in the races preceding the Suburban, which helped to swell the wagering total for the after-Continued on Page Five Straight Face in Clever Suburban Win As 56,736 Look On at Belmont Park Gives Greentree Its Third Straight in Stake; Bassanio Second and Mandmgo Third Continued from Page One no:n. The Suburban was also the richest running of that ancient handicap. John Hay Whitney and Mrs. Charles Shipman Payson, who maintain the Green-tree Stable in partnership, appeared in the winners circle to receive the silver cup presented by George D. Widener, Belmonts president. Trainer John Gaver and his assistant in charge of Straight Face, George Poole, also were in the magic circle. The stable was credited with 4,400 as the winners share of this richest Suburban. Straight Face is a gelded four-year-old son of Count Fleet from Expression, by The Porter, who has been plagued by injuries through much of his career. At two he won the Breeders Futurity and the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. He was sidelined after the Kentucky Derby, for-which he could not be propertly trained. This winter Straight Face began a promising comeback by winning two overnight events at Tropical i Park, then journeyed to Santa Anitk, where he finished fourth on a rough track in the Maturity. He appeared to have lost his form at Hialeah and Gulfstream Park, but began to return to his peak at this meeting, then won the Dixie Handicap in bril-i liant style and drove Native Dancer to a photo finish in the Metropolitan Mile. The Dancer was forced to pass up the Suburban by obscure injuries. He would have had to concede 15 pounds to Straight Face today, obviously a difficult task, as Atkinson did not have to put the gelding to a serious drive. After the race, Atkinson said: "He handled beautifully today. I had no trouble rating him this time." Eric Guerin, who finished ninth on Alfred G. Vander-bilts Find, the second choice, said, "He just wasnt there today." Besides the recent Suburban victories with One Hitter and Tom Fool, Greentree had won the stake with Devil Diver in 1945, with Eddie Arcaro in the saddle. Conn McCreary sent the lightly weighted Mandingo to the front at the start of the Suburban, but another lightweight, Count Cain, quickly took command, followed by Armageddon, while Straight Face was allowed to drop back on the outside. Royal Vale was far back, Straight Face had to race between horses in part of the back-stretch run, Alerted moving up on the outside soon after the horses left, the Widener I chute for the main track, while Impasse moved -outside of the favorite near the far turn. Find was just inside of the Greentree colorbearer on the rail rounding the far turn, but was unable to keep up. Count Cain soon ran out of wind, leaving Armageddon on the lead, while Impasse began a premature run that brought him into third place on the far corner and into second place passing the three-furlong pole, while Bassanio, who had always been in the first flight was a close fourth. Straight Face began to move leaving the half-mile pole, though not asked for a serious effort. Approaching the stretch, Count Cain was already finished and Armageddon began to fall back, while Mandingo and Impasse were fighting for the lead closely followed by Bassanio. Atkinson roused Straight Face sharply at the head of the stretch and "he sailed past Armageddon and Impasse and stormed up on Mandingo, who had pulled away to a three-length lead. At the same time, Jack Westrope" found a wide opening along the rail and shot through with Royal Vale just as it appeared that the English horse might be a factor, as he was last year, he began to hang, while Straight Face went past Mandingo as though he was .tied to the fence and quickly opened a daylight lead, Atkinson tapped the winner lightly with his stick through the final sixteenth and Straight Face added to his lead with every stride. Bassanio fought on willingly to out-finish Mandingo, while Royal Vale faltered at the end. Impasse finished fifth, followed by Armageddon, Matagorda, Nothirdchance, Find, Impulsiyo, Altered and CouBtCain. i I Hit T -I lo tm vi StscC wy2
