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Phil Drake May Seek •Laurels International . Owner of English Derby Winner Is Willing to Accept Invitation LAUREL, Md., June 1.— Phil Drake, this years English Derby winner, today became the first foreign probability for the fourth Washington D. C, International at Laurel race course next November 11. By cable from London, John D. Schapiro, president of Laurel, announced that Phil Drakes owner, "Mme. Susy Volterra of Paris, France, confirmed on a British television show her willingness to accept an invitation to race her three-year-old bay colt in the mile and a -half Maryland classic. His coming to Laurel would add great interest to the race, since it would be the first time since 1923 that an English •Derby winner came to this" country. That year, Papyrus won at Epsom and then came to New York to finish second to Zev in a match race. His appearance would give -France another powerful representative in the Laurel invitational race. In 1953, Ralph Strass-burgers Wprden H. won the weight-forage grass race and last year Julien Dec-rions great mare Banassa gave C. V. Whitneys Fisherman quite a battle through the stretch before bowing by three-quarters of a length. It also means that Americans will be seeing the white and red silks of one of Frances greatest patrons of, throughbred Continued on Page Forty-One Phil Drake May Seek Laurels International Owner of English Derby Winner Is Willing to Accept Invitation Continued from Page One racing. Mme. Volterras late husband, Leon, the leading movie producer in France at the time of his death in 1949, was also a prominent as a breeder and owner of French .champions. In 1948, Volterra sold a half interest in My Love to the Aga Khan, and the colt went on to beat his own Royal Drake in the Derby. The next year saw Volterras Amour Drake finish second to Nimbus. His widow has maintained the stable in the same high fashion for the past six years and her horses have been among Europes top contenders during those seasons. Phil Drake, who is 16 hands, was un-raced as a two-year-old last year. Trained by Francois Mathet, a retired calvary officer, the colt made his first start at Long-champ on April 11 and finished second to Datour at a mile, two and a half furlongs. On May 12, again at Longchamp, he was an easy four lengths winner going*a mile and three-eighths. He is a bay by Admiral Drake — Phillippa, by Vatellor. Freddie Palmer, the English-born French jockey who rode him in the Derby, probably will make the trip to Laurel if present plans materialize. The occasion of this assertion by Mrs. Volterra was the forerunner of a big 24 hours for Schapiro. The following day he and Mrs. Schapiro had an audience with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace It will be recalled that the Queen, an ardent horse patron, was represented in last falls Laurel race by Landau.
