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k— 2 ROBERT J. DIENST — President of the Beulah Park 1 Jockey Club, pronounces everything in readiness for tomorrows opening at the Grove City, Ohio, track. ♦ : • Star Rover Scores Af Suffolk Downs Gushen Colorbearer Posts Front-Running Tally Over High Ore in Feature Event By JOE HIRSCH SUFFOLK DOWNS, East Boston, Mass., May 5. — Mrs. Irving Gushens Star Rover made his first 1955 appearance in New England a most impressive one this afternoon, the swift, grey colt a front-running victor in the featured Framingham Purse by four and a half lengths. C. B. Fisch-bachs High Ore was the runner-up while another length and a half back came Oak-hurst Farms Jillion Barels. Irving Gushen, national president of the HBPA who with trainer Eddie Anspach greeted the three-year-old son of Flushing II. — Miss Moonbeam, by Pharamond II., in the winners circle, believes that Star Rover might be the best horse hes ever owned. This strapping sophomore, who whipped Murcain Stables Jeans Joe at Keen eland last month, went off at even money and rewarded his supporters with a 1:11% clocking for the six panels and a mutuel payoff of .00. Decathlon Impresses Perhaps the New England seasons outstanding two-year-old performance came in the fourth race when River Divide Farms Decathlon, an Olympia colt from the Bull Dog mare, Dog Blessed, swept home a pair of lengths to the good over four and a half furlongs in :5325. just two ticks off the track standard. Ridden by ■ Gene Martin, Decathlon went to the front , almost from the outset and was never i headed, easily handling the runner-up W. j C. Freemans Suave with Ro-Jo Stables Spice Around another three U ngths back i in third position. Decathlon, carrying 118 : pounds in his first outing returned .20. Decathlon was purchased at the Keene-land sales last summer for 5,500. The sixth race proved an exciting two-I horse duel through the entire six furlongs, F. M. Poncelets Don Duster drawing out ; slightly in the final 70 yards to edge | Sunnycrest Stables Floor Boss by three | parts of a length. It was another pair of | lengths back to Hampton Stables Its No Use for third money. Don Buster Pay .40. Don Buster returned .40 for his sixth victory of the season and was clocked in a brisk 1:11% with Michael Thomas in the saddle. The winner toted 119 pounds against 121 for the favored Floor Boss, who has seven victories to his credit this year. Thus between the pair, they have registered 13 times, a highly respectable showing this early in the campaign. A crowd of 9,835 turned out under greying skies with rain, threatening all day, finally falling immediately before the feature. Temperatures reached a high of 86 Continued on Page Forty Four Star. Rover Captures Suffolk Downs Feature Continued from Page Six yesterday in Boston while the thermometers read in the 50s at this seaside oval this afternoon. Star Rover, bred by Gushen at Doug Davis farm in Kentucky, raced three times as a juvenile, won one and finished second and fourth in his other efforts. He was hit with a series of coughs and other ills last summer, and was sparingly raced by Ans-pach. Wintered at Keeneland, the colt went out for the first time this .year on April 14 at the Lexington track and finished fourth, with a closing flourish suggesting that he wanted a distance of ground. Five days later Star Rover returned to handle a solid allowance field that included Shannon Comet and the same Jeans Joe that pressed Cain Hoys Racing Fool in the Blue Grass Stakes. Under 115 pounds and handled by the veterans Frank Solimena, Star Rover broke on top and was. never threatened-at any time thereafter. Jillion,Barels, who shared the topweight, fell in behind the leader down the backstretch and trailed him at a distance of two lengths until the far turn. Curving for home Jillion Bar els made a mild move toward Star Rover but went wide as usual straightening for home and was beaten for second money by High Ore. Solimena rapped Star Rover a few times in the final eighthth, although there didnt appear any dire need of this and the Gushen standardbearer simply galloped the rest of the way. ■/
