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I W E I G H I N G I N By EVAN SHIPMAN I DELAWARE PARK, Stanton, Del., June 29. For several long minutes yesterday morning we stood between trains in the Pennsylvania station, undecided whether to sally out to Long Island for Sunshirie Nells and Brazen Brats encounter in the Distaff or to journey down here to Wilmington for Evening Outs first ven ture over the track where next week she will run for the New Castle, richest of all filly and mare stakes. Finally and fortunately since Sunshine Nell and Brazen Brat were beaten at Aqueduct by Bob Howards Mabs Choice the call of duty seemed to lie with Mrs. George Wide-ners fine three-year-old rather than with the older .x, mares, and we headed south. Well, the Get Ready, sec- retary and handicapper Gil Haus thoughtful prelimi- nary to the important New Castle, turned out to be a thoroughly interesting contest. In spite of Evening Outs clever score, the mile and a sixteenth trip was not in itself particularly revealing, allowance conditions governing the weights favoring the filly to an extent that will certainly not be repeated next Monday. Evening Out, carrying the feather of 104 pounds, or 20 less in actual weight than was carried by either Grecian Queen or La Corredora and nine less on the scale for June, proved best with something to spare. However, the main thing was that these three prominent entries all showed well; running-in excellent form this a welcome surprise where Grecian Queen was concerned and finishir as if the longer distance of the New Castle will hcid no terrors for them. All in all, the Get Ready was a most auspicious race. . A A tk 3 Deceptions concerning members of the three-year-old feneration have come thick arid fast Xhis 5 season,- but w.e New Castle Candidates All Show Well Evening Out Leads Rivals From End to End Grecian Queen Recovers Her Old Form The Masts Active Career Comes to a Close do not include Evening Outs failure to catch Assaults little sister, On Your Own, in the recent Gazelle in that category. That defeat was. explained easily enough by the bad racing luck encountered by the favorite, and also by the fact that On Your Own was better than she had been given credit for. Evening but then had no need to rehabilitate herself; she has always been consistent, hard-hitting and courageous, and so she appeared in yesterdays test. This time, no chances were taken that might involve the daughter of Shut Out Evening Belle in any trouble. Jockey Hedley Woodhouse sent her right to .the front, nor did any of the large and classy field ever get really close to her, try as they might. She tripped off the fractions with a half in :46, three-quarters in 1:11, and a mile in 1:38- flat, finishing out in 1:44, well within herself, although her ears were pinned back and she was- working at it without being urged by her rider. AAA Although beaten some dozen lengths in a recent Aqueduct outing, Grecian Queen had given due warning of a return to form, a promise that was amply fulfilled yesterday. Under her crushing burden, the game little Heliop-olis four -year-old showed real eagerness for the fray, snapping to her task with a will at the opening of the doors, answering jockey Benny Greens every demand and buckling to her task with alUher- old fire in ;the stretch., althoughshe was by ;hof means abused in .trie drive. From r the quarter pole to the wire, Grecian Queen made up some four lengths on the front-running Evening Out, closing the gap on her courage, and she now looks like the sharpest kind of candidate for the New Castle, a race that she captured last summer in brilliant style and that went far toward earning the title as queen of her division. Less than two lengths off Grecian Queen, La Corredora also did all that could have been expected of her, she being bothered repeatedly during the last stages of the Get Ready by Nothirdchance, the latter leaning on her rival all during the drive. AAA All the eastern seaboard is in sad need of rain. Under the circumstances, track superintendent Clarke Pardee does what he can with sprinklers for Delawares infield steeplechase course, but still the going is extremely hard, so hard that fields are reduced to a minimum. Yesterdays Spring Maiden Steeplechase appeared to have lost much of its appeal when Montpeliers Shipboard and Lazy F Ranchs Coveted declined the issue for the reason given, but the stake actually turned out to be an exciting affair Imbursed, owned and trained by Morris Dixon, snatching the decision right on the winning post from the heavily burdened King Commander. Brookmeades Bavaria showed the way until the final turn for home in this two-mile chase, while King Commander and the eventual-winner waited in the immediate offing. All three had been well ridden, and for a moment it looked as if Pat Smithwicks patience aboard the topweight was to be rewarded, but young E. Deveau never let the favorite escape him and made the most of his 30-pound advantage in the run-in after clearing the final obstacle by a neat half length. AAA As we had feared and more than half suspected, last s i , ,i, -. V.-tf igt Continue f age Forty -Tire WEIGHING IN By EVAN SHIPMAN Continued from Page Fifty-Six Thursdays mishap ends The Masts notable career. The big black gelding had never been better in his life than when he came a cropper at the very first fence during the running of the Georgetown, taking off at the wing and crashing heavily. His over- eagerness was of course to blame, and we must add that it was quite characteristic of him. Often have we seen The Mast make a slight error at a first fence, but usually that would serve to give him warning, and he would thereafter settle down seriously to. the business at hand. Over the years, Jim Ryans charge has given: lovers of through-the-field sport great pleasure, this national animal compensating for his often erratic behavior with real brilliance when in the mood. As you may imagine, he was not the easiest horse in the world to ride. Far from it. And yet young Bob McDonald succeeded in establishing a rare "entente" with his mount, tolerating his whims but exacting a serious approach to work that The Mast might well have been loath to offer any other rider. Yes, they had their big days, this pair, and it may be said for horse and jockey that they often won as much applause in narrow defeat as they did in victory. The Mast has earned green pas- tures, and may he find them sweet.
