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Sharbot Defeats Sun Tan Gal by Neck As Favored Sickles Image Runs Sixth Tamarack Stable Filly Gains Her Third Tally of Detroit Meet in Rose Leaves Stakes By DON FAIR Staff Correspondent DETROIT RACE COURSE, Livonia, Mich., June 19. — Clarence Hartwicks Sickles Image, 1953 "Mare of the Year," went down to defeat here this stormy afternoon in the fifth running of the 0,000 Rose Leaves Stakes before a crowd of 17,966 spectators. Tamarack Stables Sharbot, an improved four-year-old daughter of Pavot and Bright Blue, ridden by Harold Keene, earned a driving neck victory in the six furlongs allowance stake/ defeating seven other high class fillies and mares. Second honors in the sprint went to Ivan D. Peats Sun Tan Gal, who was slightly more than two lengths before McDermott and Wellmans Task Fleet at the wire. L. L. Hollands-worths Eternal Frolic finished a close Sharbot Triumphs In Rose Leaves Defeats Sun San Gal by Heck As Favored Sickles Image Runs Sixth in Detroit Stake Continued from Page One fourgth while Sickles Image wound up sixth. Sharbot, a bargain claim in Florida this spring for ,000, became a triple winner at the current Motor City meeting when she scored her most important accounting. Under the allowances of the Rose Leaves, the Tamarack Stable miss was pegged at 108 pounds but jockey Keene came in two pounds over weight and she then stepped the three-quarters mile through a heavy rain and over a good track in 1:12%. She paid 6.80 straight. Sharbots success in this fourth renewal of the Rose Leaves was worth ,540, the winners portion of the 1,160 gross purse. Sickles Image, away alertly and a for-iward factor from the start, raced in close attendance to Sun Tan Gal and Task Fleet, as the latter pair dominated the running to the stretch. Sharbot, fifth but within striking distance at the initial quarter-mile marker, moved up boldly approaching the final turn, while Sickles /Image showed signs of having had enough and chucked it, despite jockey Billie Fisks efforts to keep her going. Responds to Keenes Brisk Handling Sharbot then responded readily to Keenes brisk handling and, after a sharply waged duel with Sun Tan Gal, was along in the last strides to earn a gamely achieved accounting. Task Fleet held on well to the last eighth mile, then failed to stay with the top pair and reached the wire a tiring third, a neck before Eternal Frolic, who gave a good performance. Sickles Image, making her first start of the 1954 season, was, of course, a keen disappointment. The Hartwick mare had early speed and Fisk had her well placed to the stretch, but when he called on her for the drive she simply didnt have it and steadily dropped back. Sickles Image, put in training late in April, undoubtedly will improve, and veteran observers expressed the opinion that she needed her Rose Leaves Stakes race. Whirling Blues from the Leon Slavin-owned Paper City Stable, scored a well-deserved triumph in the Marine Corps League Purse. Responding. to a hustling ride from jockey Dick Lawless, the Michigan-owned winner, a fashionably bred daughter of Whirlaway and Heavenly Blue, by Blue Larkspur, sped to the finish of the six fur- x longs with slightly more than a length to spare over her nearest rival, Triple R Stables Dark Theatre. Two and one-half lengths back, Thomas F. Devereuxs favored Gaylon ran third, while Peter Mclntyres Parlor Pink was along for fourth in the field of eight three-year-olds. Charles Rufis Potterac, well ridden by Tommy Barrow, defeated eight other useful sprinters in the six-furlong Theta Sigma Purse.
