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i v ...i mi mi., l-MmSm--MmlM Detroit By Don Fair Baird Riding Wejl After Slow Start . Had 22 Per Cent Winners Last Season Rode Too Many Winners for GIs DETROIT RACE COURSE, Livonia, Mich., June 3. — Robert Lee Baird slowly is working his way toward the top of the rider standings at this meeting, an ascent ascent that that doesnt doesnt surprise surprise the the i v ...i mi mi., ascent ascent that that doesnt doesnt surprise surprise the the Detroit public particularly. The 34-year-old Texas-born jockey led the standings at the Livonia oval in 1954 and finished a tight second behind Lois C. Cook the previous year. He had a rather slow start here this season and heard a number of jeers and booes from the multitudes as he brought a succession of losers to the circle, but the howls have been been silenced silenced in in recent recent days days as as been been silenced silenced in in recent recent days days as as l-MmSm--MmlM Baird has won himself a few races. As of this morning, he was second only to L. C. Cook, trailing by 12 winners. One interesting: statistic about Baird is that in 1954 he won on 22 per cent of his mounts, a figure exceeded by only two others, Willie Shoemaker and Tony DeSpirito. There was a time in his career, however, when for a couple of days he rode 100 per cent, winners, and that is a previously unreported story that comes from World War n. Had Cha rge of European Stable During the war, Baird served with distinction in the Army infantry in Europe. He jockeyed a jeep over much of the mainland after landing with the earliest waves at Normandy, receiving two purple hearts for wounds. Then came the Armistice, and the officer in charge of Bairds division at Wauldmuchen, Germany had an idea for recreation that he hoped would help divert the troops during the interval that had to be spent before they could return to America. "Round us up some horses, Baird," said the colonel, "and well all be able to do some riding — maybe even have a few races." Baird said, Yes, sir," grabbing himself some transportation and went scouring over Europe for horses. Some of his best hauls were made in Czechoslovakia. He wound up with a stable of maybe 90 of mixed sizes and breeds— sufficient for a saddle riding program for almost everyone, including the colonel. Baird was boss of the stable. Once the mounts were assembled, a rough track was laid out and a series of races planned. Baird himself took a mount in every race, but for only two days. He rode every winner both days and the soldiers, indulging in a little wagering on non-pari-mutuel nature, thought this took much of the sport from their game. Baird was retired to the job of stab manager and trainer. Aside from the fact that Bobby once went two days in a row with 100 per cent winning mounts, the story affords a case of where horse racing was created spontaneously in a strange place, providing amusement and recreation to a group of soldiers in the same basic way it does to 30 million Americans today. Bierman Bruised in Pre-Race Mishap Fair Facts: Count Swedak, a roan juvenile son of Swjedak and Count Up, by Reigh Count, gave last Wednesdays Detroit crowd a thrill when he cracked the five furlongs track record in :58%. The colt, bred and foaled at Samuel Looks Hillandale Farm, Lexington, Ky., clipped one-fifth of a second off the old mark held jointly by Epic King, Sweet Patootie, and E. Gay •Drakes Dogoon. The latter raced to an impressive victory under Mike Basile Thursday afternoon in a six furlongs overnight event, stepping along in 1:10%. Carol Bierman, Dogoons regular reinsman, escaped with bruises when Buhl Stables Powder Blue flipped duringthe post parade for the first race and fell with the veteran jockey. Basile was Biermans substitute. This corner is reminded of the 1940%Kentucky Derby upset of Bimelech by Gallahadion, wno had Biermans saddle services. Van Hortons Music, game and consistent 12-year-old mare, the get of Good Goods and Swing Time, picked up another victory here this week. Music, a Brookmeade-bred, proved barren after several attempts were made to mate her. She won nine races and more than 5,000 last year. . . . Buhl Stables Jilted Gob, four-year-old Air Sailor-sired colt, sent the dockers into a huddle Friday morning after he worked five-eighths of a mile in :59% quite handily. Fractions for the clever drill were the quarter in :22%, three-eighths in :35, and the four furlongs in :47. . . . Mrs. Norman Hall is due momentarily from Miami with the three little Halls. . . . Hubert LeBlanc, former jockey, is handling jockey Tommy ONeiPs engagement book and he is also looking after apprentice Bobby Ayers, who is under contract to Winston Neil. . . . The Detroit Lions pro football squad will assemble for training in July, according to an announcement here yesterday by head coach Buddy Parker, who seldom misses a day of racing in the off season.
