view raw text
MizClementineinHandyAccounting Downs Royal Fan At Garden State Calumets Fine Mare Shows Return to Best Form Over Muddy Track; Amoret Third By WILLIAM C. PHILLIPS GARDEN STATE PARK, Camden, N. J., May 7. — Calumet Farms queenly Miz Clementine this afternoon won her first race since coming out of retirement last month, handily beating R. J. Ashtons Royal Fan and her stablemate, Amoret, in the featured six-furlong Easton Purse. The five-year-old daughter of Bull Lea and Two Bob, representing the best breeding lines of Mrs. Gene Markeys thoroughbred empire, was confidently ridden by Willie Hartack to a winning margin of one length while running the six furlongs over a muddy track in an exceptionally fine 1:10%. Royal Fan, who appeared hopelessly out of contention midway the turn, closed fast to take second honors from Amoret by a neck. The Calumet Farm entry was favored at l-to-2 by the crowd of 18,046 that, turned out in uncomfortably cool and" damp weather. Recall Maturity Heartbreaker Miz Clementine, following in the footsteps of her dam, -has been considered one of the gamest of her sex during her racing career. She won only one race in seven starts in 1955, but carried high weight in all of her races, and only once did she finish out of the money. Her greatest, triumph last year was when she beat Determine in the Santa Anita, Maturity, but she was disqualified from that victory and placed second. She was taken out of active training in the fall of last year, then finished fifth making her debut this season 10 days ago in the Colonial Handicap. Hartack was scoring his second victory of the day after returning from finishing second with Pabius in the Kentucky Derby. He piloted Miz Clementine, weighted at 115 pounds, around the compact field of eight while improving her position on the turn, while Amoret wended between horses under the guidance of Walter Blum. Miz Clementine challenged and took command straightening into the stretch, but when she moved up outside the early leaders she pocketed Amoret behind the top ones and Blum was forced to take his mount in hand. Miz Clementine handily went on to her victory, and Amoret probably would have been second but for hav- j ing to wait until .clear before coming around rivals mid-stretch. - Most of the early events were run on the slow side, due to the muddy condition of the track, but Vincent L. "Shadow" Sheas Peggys Brandy managed to turn the six furlongs of the fifth race in 1:11. The four-year-old Double Jay colt bore out badly when punished by Frank A. Smith through the stretch, but still he was up in j time to best A. De Sabatos racer by a neck. The latter was a length and one-half in front of the top-weighted favorite, George Finemans Weep and Wail, who finished well after having raced wide through the backstretch. Peggys Brandy, who paid 8.80 had failed to win a race through last year and this spring, but today was being dropped slightly in company.
