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ThistleDown . By J. R. Batty Pondfield Busy Executive at Three Tracks Apprentices Guajardo, Thorpe Licensed Fifteen of 16 Juveniles in Race Winners THISTLEDOWN, North Randall, Ohio, June 25. Following weeks of strenuous effort getting the Preak-ness field together and more hard work assembling the band of three-year-olds which competed in todays Ohio Derby, Lou Pondfield can be justly termed one of the busiest figures in racing. Executive director at Pimlico and general manager at Cranwood, a neighboring and sister track to ThistleDown, Pondfield is actively engaged at the three plants, a total of 121 racing days. He spends the winter months in Miami interesting horsemen and owners in things to come at his three northern tracks. . .The local stewards announced that aprpentices Vidal Guajardo and Chester Thorpe- have been granted licenses to ride at this meeting. Both youngsters were permitted to accept two mounts subject to approval of the stewards and they displayed enough ability in the saddle to satisfy the officials. . .Blake Wymer is substituting as one of the outriders leading the post parades in the absence of Ralph Kimler, who was suddenly called home because of the illness of his mother. Wymer was an outrider at Beulah Park this spring and has served in various official capacities at tracks in the Buckeye state. The other red coat is Willie King. Daniel Watches Slinker Run in Derby Tom Daniel was here from his Birmingham, Ala., home to see his colors carried by Slinker in the Ohio Derby. .Daniel races a string under the name of Broadmoor Farm. Milton Kite is conditioning the contingent. . .Trainer Russell Downes, accompanied by Mrs. Downes and Russell Downes, Jr., arrived from Delaware where a few days ago they saw Pollys Jet chalk up his sixth straight victory. Downes came here to saddle Blazing Count for Barclay Stable, owned by John McShain. . .Rose Pondfield, wife of ThistleDowns , general manager, conducted Mrs. Downes on a tour of the huge plant here and the latter was deeply impressed with the many innovations. The local division of Barclay Stable horses is trained by Don Yates. . . Ronnie Krancer. former chart caller for this publication at ThistleDown and other Cleveland area tracks, returned from New York after attending a convention of TV Guide executives. Krancer is promotion manager of the Cleveland edition of the popular TV publication. Jockey Alfred Popara came in from Chicago to replace William McKinley Cook as pilot of Blue Lem in the Ohio Derby. Cook had a previous commitment at Arlington Park and was unable to fill-the local engagement, although named as rider overnight on the Fruehauf colorbearer . . Charley Jacobs, major domo -of Sportsservice, Inc., concessionaires at this track, came in from Buffalo, N. Y to witness the Derby. Jacobs recently visited Ak-Sar-Ben and relayed the message that our good friend Jake Isaacson is directing that Omaha, Nebr., track to another record-breaking season. . .George Ryall, turf editor of New Yorker Magazine, came from New York to cover the Ohio Derby. . . Whats in a name? R. Roy McClarin rides jockey Charles McKee and enters his horses with entry clerk and placing judge Cliff McCartney. On Wednesday McClarin ran a coupling, McKee rode Selinsgrove and E. Mclvor handled Spring Grove. Yi-ya Mc. Trainers Accept Weights for Route Event How often does it occur in midseason that 15 juveniles of 16 entered in a single race are winners? This fact was pointed out this morning in the fourth race here Saturday. An allowance test calling for two-year-olds which have not won two races, all bu one, Kiowa Red was a winner among the 12 in the original group and four posted "also eligible." Incidentally, this dash of five furlongs was titled the Black Gold, who included the Ohio among four derbys won as a three-year-old in 1924.. Another interesting observation about Saturdays card is racing secretary Fred Burton mustered together 14 seasoned routers to vie at one mile and a quarter in the eighth race, the fourth of the Northern Ohio series. Rather unusual that this many trainers would accept weights tendered their charges for a race of this exacting distance. This series of endurance races concludes on July 6 with the distance one mile and a half. . Six of the nine contests posted for the Derby day crowd were non-claiming races. Six-horse fields are a call takers delight, even Chicagos Louis Meen will agree, but Fridays fourth race here could have been a calltakers fright. Miss Goodie, Miss Argo, Miss Mig and Miss M. D., were in the same race but fortunately two of the misses were withdrawn. Isi Newborn, a three-year-old filly named for the Cleveland Press turf handicapper, graduated from the maiden ranks at Narragansett on Friday. It was her fifth start. Isi reported he had followed her the progressive system, but progressively less with each out and had only a deuce on her nose in her winning effort. . .Raleigh Leigh, assistant racing secretary and a placing judge here, is moving his family to New . Orleans, La., after this meeting ends on July 15. Leigh, originally from the Crescent City, has made nearby Bedford, Ohio his home the past five years and his daughter, Dixie graduated a few weeks ago from Bedford High School.
