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On the Trot t— Bj MORRIE KURLANSKY 1 Illinois Colt Stakes Series Featured Developed B#Haven7PeterVanGundy Gracie Colleen Seeks Repeat Score SPORTSMANS PARK, Cicero, 111., June 11. — Monday nights program once again features three races in the series of "Mnrfhf»m Tllirmis Hnlf. Stakes, which enjoyed quite a popularity during the Fox Valley Trotting Club meeting. Serving in general the purpose of upgrading the standard breed, these races are important stepping stones toward the rich Illinois State Fair Colt Stakes at Springfield during the August Grand Circuit meeting. In case you didnt know the purse money for each of the four divisions of the Springfield event is actually contributed by the Chicagoland harness fans as 1 per cent of the total mutuel handle both at Maywood and Sportsmans Park has been earmarked for these races, state and associations each contributing an equal amount of their respective share of the take. While this year each division of the Illinois State Fair Colt Stake will gross „ p cfA nnn n i*. JUn ill CJiucaa ui uu,uuu, j i ia jji luililu but** j within a few years Illinois-bred youngsters will race for purses surpassing those of the Hambletonian and the Little Brown Jug, the famous trotting and. pacing classics at Goshen, N. Y., and Delaware, Ohio, respectively, as the mutuel handle at Chicago area tracks is steadily increasing. Naturally, the states breeding industry received a big boost as - more and more mare owners are sending • their better producers to stallions standing in Illinois. Some outstanding performers have been developed in these special races for Illinois-bred trotters and pacers, the most remarkable examples being BHaven and Peter Vangundy. The -son of Eddie Havens, victorious in the initial running of the State Fair Stakes, went on to become track record holder both at Sportsmans Park and Maywood, his 2:01 mile at theRiver Road oval, being surpassed in Illinois only by Irish Hals 2 : 00% at Martinsville, home of the Great Midwest Trot and Pace Stakes, important events open to all registered two- and three-year-old • trotters and pacers. Peter Vangundy, last years winner at Springfield, seems to be destined to sooner or later to take the title of best state - bred harness horse away from BHaven, as hi srecord of 2:02% is considerably faster than BHaven s at- the same point of his racing career. Returning to Mondays events in the first division of the three-year-old trot stake, a horse who has already won the big prize at Springfield as a two-year-old and is gunning for a repeat victory comes out in Gracie Colleen, owned by C. E. Dickey of Poplar Bluff, Mo., and trained by Tom Wilburn. The Peter Collen daughter currently is the fastest three-year-old trotter in these parts of the country and, with her capable reins-man, should further add to her laurels, especially as the sophomore considered her most dangerous rival, Clye L. Myers Pauls Girl, is in the second division on • Monday night. The two-year-old pace stakes, endowed with a ,500 purse, received a record number of 13 juvenile nominations, among them a pair each from the Wilburn, Fair Acres, and Griebel stables. Again Wilburns mount, Rivertown, an easy winner at May-wood Park in respectable time, most likely will be the post time favorite, as the Victory colt was fortunate enough to draw the inside post position in the big field. Otherwise, the night is devoted to friends of Sportsmans Park employes, and they will be treated to a buffet dinner before the program gets under way. In a BB pace, named the Employes Friends Race, an octet of fast sidewheelers will vie for a ,400 purse at the mile distance. Ohio-owned Gander, a son of the great Volomite out of the worlds fastest pacing mare, Her Ladyship, 1:56%, for whom the princely sum of 0,000 was paid as a yearling, apparently is recovering his great two-year-old form and for the first time this season is able to start from the rail. This should be of some help, as the Saunders star is required to turn back such good ones as Blue Goose, fastest three-year-old pacer in Chicago this year; recent winners Denny Pointer, Novena Hanover, Meatro Pick, Easter Dawn, as well as Kings Ale and Miss Abbe Cash.
