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Fays Reaper Captures Fairmount Holiday Event Wears Down King Bebe in Last Stride; 12,410 See Program By J. J. IIAIIN Staff Correspondent FAIRMOUNT PARK, Collinsville, 111., May 31, — Despite ideal weather and one of the best programs of the season, the Memorial Day crowd failed to come up to expectations. It was thought some 16,000 tracing patrons would turn out for the sport but the actual paid attendance was announced as 12,410, approximately 2,000 below last year. Wagering totaled 29,914., considerably less than the same day handle of 1954. Fays Reaper, owned by Mrs. . T. M. Pruett, who won the featured Red Bud Purse here about 10 days ago, won the Memorial Day Handicap, the ,000 one mile and a sixteenth main event, wearing down H. H. Rendlemans King Bebe, the public choice, in a driving finish. Art Schroeders Harry-Lou was third. The event proved a thriller, holding the large crowd in suspense until the final stride when Fays Reaper, ridden by Carl Daigrepont, proved strongest of the five who were lapped an eighth of a mile from the finish. At the end, the Centralia, 111., owned -daughter of reaping reward — Fay Foo, got up to win by a good head. Harry-Lou, a near choice with King Bebe, and who was forced to lose much ground, was a length to the rear of the Rendleman representative and a like distance before Mr. and Mrs. Pet Maxwells foe who topped the field to the last three-sixteenths. Calway Boy, Gus Fan and Eternal Hour, the latter coupled with the winner, were the other starters and finished in that order. The race lost some of its lustre when Eternal Hour, the only three-year- old in the race, failed to. break with his field and was practically left at the post. Following a "dark— Tuesday evening, Wednesday, the nine-race card will feature the Pine Lawn Purse — a five and one-half furlongs dash for three-year-olds and upward in which a field of seven, are expected to go postward. Because he used better horses last Friday, Saturday and Memorial Day, racing secretary John J. Klucina was unable to bring together a top field of allowance races but the Pine Lawn may develop into an interesting contest because there are many winners entered including Joyful Two, Horse Fly, Miss Crossbow, Getrtiea Last, Hab, Bight Again and Madam Croiand
