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June Fete Defeats Cherokee Rose Registers Easily In Betless Event Length and Half Separates Leaders; Royal Vale Comes From Last Place to Score By PALMER HEAGERTY Staff Correspondent DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 21. — In a special no-betting affair involving four prominent eligibles for Saturdays Delaware Oaks, Happy Hill Farms June Fete gained numerous admirers with an easy victory while covering a mile and one-sixteenth in 1:45 flat. Heads apart, and a length and a half behind the winner, came Cain Hoy Stables Coaching Club Oaks winner, Cherokee Rose, and Mrs. Marion W. OConnors Busy Nellie, with Circle M Farms Level Rippey another length behind. Contested between the fourth and fifth races, the Kiss Me Kate, named in honor of Walter M. Jeffords great race mare, winner of the Delaware Oaks in 1951 and the New Castle in 1952, the special event was designed solely as a conditioning race for the sophomore fillies. It served its purpose royally, for less than three lengths separated the first and last racers, indicating that all will be back on the week end for a try at the big money. Of the quartet to contest the Kiss Me Kate, only Cherokee Rose had a semblance of excuse. She was in a precarious position between horses leaving the backstretch and was eased off her rivals. She remained within easy striking distance, however, until June Fete drew clear in early stretch. Cherokee Rose, winner of four of eight races this season, including the Coaching Club, closed willingly but her bid was made impressive only when Willies Lester eased the winner in the last 50 yards. Guggenheim, in Attendance Capt. Harry F. Guggenheim, who was among the crowd of 12,500 which witnessed the defeaet of his Cherokee Rose, had scored an earlier victory when Devils Delight, another Oaks prospect, successfully launched her belated seasonal campaign. The Devil Diver miss was quite impressive while scoring by three and one-half lengths in 1:11 flat under Hank Moreno. The .40 winner scored at the direct expense of Brookmeade Stables Riant, with Cornelius V. Whitneys Small Favor, third. Following this race, Devils Delight went out an additional furlong and was timed the seven-eighths of a mile in 1:25%. Small Favor was sent an additional quarter mile and "got" the eight furlongsjn 1:39%. Even though being mildly urged in the late stages, Small Favor was unable to collar Devils Delight until nearing the back-stretch. The eighth running of the Tom Roby Steeplechase Stakes saw Montpeliers Shipboard establish a new course record for the about two miles distance when he was victorious in 3:43% under 149 pounds. The .20 favorite, ridden by Albert Foot, shattered by four-fifths of a second the previous mark held by Phiblant. Shipboard had a comparatively easy time of it, moving from last place to forge to the fcront along the backstretch the final time, then held the opposition safewithout difficulty. In winning his third race in four starts this year, Shipboard, a son of Battleship, picked up a net purse of ,000. Morris H. Dixons Imbursed was second, four lengths behind the winner and just a head before Mrs. Vernon G. Cardys Cam-fell Laird. Unleashing a closing burst of speed which was almost unbelievable, Mrs. J. R. H. Thourons Royal Vale moved closer to his second successive Sussex Handicap when he accounted for the six-furlong sixth race in 1 : 11%. Mrs. Chester A. Lyons Penocc was second, with Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords Post Card, third. The winner was a prohobitive choice at .00 and was ridden by Jack Westrope. Just as he had done in a local sprint offering last week, Royal Vale trailed for more than five furlongs. He had commenced his rally earlier but was taken up sharply when impeded between horses at the furlong pole. He seemed to possess no chance about 50 yards from the wire while still last. Despite his 122-pound impost, however, he exhibited long, ground-gaining strides to wear down the leader and prevail by a full length.
