view raw text
I New Jersey L By Fred Galiani Decathlon Faces AcicTTest in Tyro Stakes Pollys Jet, Needles Will Be Among Rivals Trainer Is Sanguine About Colts Chances MONMOUTH PARK, Oceanport, N. J., June 29. The only double stakes winner of the meeting has been Mrs. Irving Gushens Star Rover, who came out of New England to win the Select and Lamplighter Handicaps. Now, following in the trail blazed by the gray colt, is River Divide Farms Decathlon, the juvenile sensation of New England who is here to try conclusions in the forthcoming Tyro Stakes. Decathlon, unbeaten in four starts, including two stakes, will have to test the equally unbeaten Pollys Jet; the one-time loser, "Needles, and some other stalwart juveniles, in what shapes up as the most promising two-year-old race of the year offered thus far. Rollie Shepp, trainer for Robert Diensts River Divide Farm, was surrounded by a raft of license and badge applications this morning, filling out the necessary data required to start a horse at the track. The rotund trainer was sanguine as to his chances on the Fourth, although he is well aware of the task in front of the colt. "I think hell run all right," said Rollie, "but he may have a tough job. Ive never seen Pollys Jet," but they tell me he is a real top horse. But Decathlon will turn in his usual good effort." The Olympia Bog Blessed colt is a nicely built bay, who runs with a sidewinding action, throwing his left front and hind legs out in an .alternate paddling motion. He has won all of his starts, but twice now has been off poorly, a habit which may one day lead to his defeat. He did it again in the ;recent Narragansett. Nursery Stakes. - - Moves Back and Forward in Gate "What Happened then," explained-Rollie, "Was that hewasbackirig up in the stall when the gates were opened. Hes nervous, sort, and he movesback and forward -in the;gate. I. hope that wont, happen again. Then therider lost his whip" 70 yards after the start, which didnt help either;1 Yet with all that bad racing luck, Decathlon went out to win the stakes by a head. Asked if the youngster was the best horse he ever had, Rollie was quick to answer in the negative. He says the . best he ever trained was High Fidelity, although he has a soft spot for, a sprinter called Red Grange. "Bought him for, 00 and won 64 races with him. in the Midwest,! around Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois and New Orleans," recalls Shepp. Decathlon has ali the marks of a good colt and may emulate Star Rover in bringing another triumph to New England, although that sector has seen the last of the colt. Shepp will keep Decathlon in Jfew Jersey for forthcoming stakes here and in New York, and is planning on bringing his entire stable to Atlantic City if plans jell. With the two-year-olds, fillies and colts, holding the center of thie stage here Saturday and Monday, handicap horses seek laurels in other fields. William Helis, Jr.s Helioscope, winner of the Suburban Handicap, left early this morning for Aqueduct, where he will compete in the Carter Handicap on the holiday. Helioscope will tangle again with King Ranchs High Gun, in what should be one of the best sprint races of the season. Sammy Boulmetis, as usual, will ride Helioscope, giving up the mount on Pollys Jet in the Tyro. No rider has been named yet as a replacement. Helioscopes regular groom, John Welch, and exercise boy Bobby Cunningham, went up with the handicap star. Creevy to Break Widener Yearlings at Farm Jack Creevy, who has the George D. Widener horses on the grounds, will return to Erdenheim Farm at the close of the meeting and commence breaking the yearlings there. There are 12, all homebreds, at the farm, mostly by the home sires Battlefield and Eight Thirty . . . Joe DiMaggio was a parterre terrace box visitor Tuesday. . . . Hank Moreno and agent Lenny Goodman checked in and will stay the remainder of the meeting . . . William Helis, Jr.s Roman Fair suffered a badly cut right eye in his last race when he was hit by a stone or clod during the running, reports trainer Howard Hausner . . . Frank Catrone arrived with the dozen Circle M Farm horses in his care from Delaware Park. The former jock confirmed the" story printed here the other day about the trainer who was conned into galloping live turkeys before he bought them, to see what sort of action they had. "I ought to remember that," said Frank, "I was right there when it happened." Romolo DeSantis, who used to race under the namq of the Lakeside Farm, now uses the nom de course of the Mar-An Farm, which is named for his five-year-old daughter Maryanne. DeSantis hails from Hammon-ton, N. J. His horses are trained by Sammy Sacco . . . The fourth annual Monmouth Park golf tournament will be held on July 24 at the Homestead Country Club in Spring Lake and Jim Devlin will be back in his customary role as the tournament director. The affair is open to all racetrack personnel . . . When Little Donots won the second race Tuesday it was the initial victory for owner Donald Sweeney, of Long Branch. The filly was the first thoroughbred saddled by the local patron, whose principal business is training polo ponies . . . Porter Roberts, pleased with the perform-v ance of J. M. Roeblings Portage Tuesday, stated that he would point the daughter of War Admiral CarruV lion for the Miss Woodford Stakes" here on July 20. I 1 e 1 let f i c - j I J 2 0 .
