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Eastern States By NANCY LEE Review of Delaware Steeplechasing J. Knowles in First Major Score Shea Adds Ridgeyiew to Holdings MIDDLEBURG, Va., June 25. The curtain went up on steeplechasing at Delaware Park on the twentieth and the checkered vest fraternity turned out in full force to witness the ninth running of the Tom Roby Chase. While there was no pre-publicity on the event as to its international flavor, out of the seven horses going postward, four of them were French-breds Carafar, Mon-tadet, H y r c a n and Prince Horieux. Jockey Flint Schulhofer, who rode the American- jj bred Ancestor to capture the "official" International at Belmont this past May, annexed the Roby Chase on the French-bred Carafar for owner John M. Schiff and trainer Oleg T. Dubassoff. This was the third straight victory for this combination in three outings thus far this season, their most recent effort being in the Belmont Spring Maiden. S 4 Moving into the second day, the chase did not occupy the feature spot, the event being- the Proceed Claiming Chase. The winner turned up in George T. Weymouths Banner Waves, the nine-year-old bay gelding whom he purchased when Rigaii McKinney dispersed his stable. The gelding had not been to the winners circle since changing owners 1 and his rider, jockey J. Knowles, had ? never ridden over a chasing course at a major track before. Some lour years ago this young rider had been employed at the Weymouth stable to take care of broodmares and after about six months Zat the Greenville Del. stable, he moved to Eugene Weymouths Deer Crossing . Farm near Middle town, Del. After two years there he started riding the lead pony and last year at the Rose Tree Hunt Clubs spring meeting, he went postward for the first time; this race being on the turf. Monmouth Parks meeting brought him out to ride over hurdles and even though he had never schooled a horse, he rode the Weymouth colorbearer Interchange. At the t first fall hunt meeting, Fair Hill, he rode for the first time over brush, finishing second on Mrs. Simon T. Pattersons Thermion. He prefers the brush courses over the others, including timber. He tried schooling over the latter pribr;to point-to-point season this past -winter but had rather a rough trip. Looking over the chasing entries in the paddock were George L. Ohrstrom, whose French-bred Prince Glorieux finished second in the Tom Roby Chase; Mr. and Morris H. Dixon, Sr.; William Dixon, Mrs. Morris H. Dixon, Jr., whose husband and James McHugh are making a flying trip to Ireland; Arthur White, Mr. and Mrs David D. Odell, he having his first outing after a sojourn in the hospital; John E. Cooper, secretary of the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association, conferring with Bryan Field on chasing opening day; Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Cocks, Mrs. Sidney Watters Jr., Colin MacLeod the Virginia breeder whose homebred two-year-old, Besomer, broke his maiden on the 20th ; James Ryan, Sidney Glass, Mrs. John Thuron, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Ledyard, Danny Shea in the training ranks at Delaware, but just back from judging a horse show at Framingham, Mass., where Miss Eleonora Sears horse was champion, and trainer Shea schooled over the course to prove that passing years mean nothing ; former horse show owner Paul Torek, who is now a flat horse owner; Mrs. Simon T. Patterson, whose flying trips from Pittsburgh, Pa., to see her t horses run over brush means a one-day round trip, but she is always on hand when they start. Danny Sheas Merryland Farm near Hyde, Md., is still the same size, but to this he had added the Quarry Farm formerly known as Three Cousins, and his most recent addition is the Ridgeview Farm previously called the De Moss Farm, the latter farm being the connecting link between the other two places. He now has about 650 acres and 170 stalls, giving him ample facilities for his business of breaking and training yearlings," freshening and legging up horses from the tracks and boarding broodmares. There is a five-eighths mile training track and starting gates at Merryland Farm, while the Quarry Farm has a one-quarter mile indoor track. New fencing has recently been construsted at the Quarry Farm and all three, farms are double fenced, making it an ideal set- up for race horses. With competent grooms and experienced exercise boys to handle the horses, "graduates" from Merryland are; ready for the race course when they leave the farm. The venture, is a big un- dertaking, as trainer Shea also stands s stallions at Merryland. A jeep with a power take-off to run the conveyor caught on fire at Miss Julia Shearers Meander Farm near Orange, Va,, recently, and the main barn quickly went up in flames. Luckily, no horses were lost in the fire and the fire companies were able to save the near-by buildings. In the confusion which always accompanies a fire, someone turned the stallions Degage and Rangoon into a paddock together, but the error was discovered in time. The stallion Thellusson was led to a barn some distance from the fire. Broodmares, foals and yearlings had to be turned out quickly, but when the vet arrived to see what damage had been done, only two horses had even superficial scratches. A new stable will be Constructed soon. George C. Clarke, whose Belmont Plantation near Leesburg, Va., is among Old Dominion consignors to Saratoga, reports s three foals at his farm. Reimburseme has s a bay filly by Count Turf and was bred to o Alerted; Sun Mucia dropped a chestnut it colt by Ace Admiral and went to the farm n sire Hasteville, while Occupy Miss foal was ,s a bay filly by Beau Gem, and she was bred to Piping mck. , , 1 1, , , K -
