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THE MAST — Champion steeplechase racer of 1953, heads Georgetown field. The Mast Seeking Third Georgetown Steeplechase Win in Row at Delaware Carries 753, Getting Three Pounds From Sun Shower in About Two Miles Feature By PALMER HEAGERTY Staff Correspondent DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 24. — Mrs. J. R. H. Thourons The Mast seeks his third successive Georgetown Steeplechase Handicap victory Friday afternoon as Delaware Park puts its gruel-, ing stakes course into action for the first time this season. The Mast, who accounted for the past two runnings under 157 and 148 pounds, will carry 153 pounds in this sixteenth running of the about two miles event and will be in receipt of three pounds from Mrs. Vernon G. Cardys Sun Shower. Rounding out the field will be James F. McHughs Sundowner, 140; Mill River Stables Monkey Wrench, 135; Lowry Watkins Tourist List, 134, and George T. Weymouths Banner Waves, 133 pounds. Should he be successful Friday, The Mast would accomplish a feat which evaded such clever fencers as Elkridge and Rouge Dragon, each of whom was victorious in two runnings of the fixture. That he is razor sharp for the effort was assured last week when he won Aqueducts Hitchcock Handicap over Sun Shower and others for his initial success in five starts this season. Prior to that effort lie had finished behind Extra Points on three occasions and had fallen in the Meadow Brook. The Mast will have the services of his regular rider, Bob McDonald. Sun Shower, in finishing second in the Hitchcock, was 12 lengths behind The Mast and Friday is favored by a weight shift of four pounds, which hardly seems sufficient to enable him to reverse the order of finish. Sun* Showers only triumph this season came in the Meadow Brook Handicap. Pat Smithwick, who has won previous editions of the Georgetown with Elkridge and The Mast, will be astride Sun Shower. The only other 1954 winner in the field is Sundowner, whose score came against allowance company. He also was third in the Meadow Brook, which seems likely to gain him some favor; especially under a 140 -pound impost. Earl Phelps will handle Sundowner in the Georgetown.
