view raw text
? On the Trot I Br MORRIE KURLANSKY — . . 1955 Champs in Sportsmans Stakes B Haven Works Mile Route in 2:05 | Riley Walters Suffers Heart Attack - MAYWOOD PARK, Maywood, 111., May ■ 10. — The big news of the week came . from Sportsmans Park when nomina-; tions for The Inde- .. : pendence, two-year-old - pace, 2,000 added; . The Chicagoan, three-J year-old pace, 2,000 : added; The Columbian ■ - Trotting Derby for :• three-year-olds, 2,000 ; added, and The Gov-J ernors Cup for four- - year-old pacers, 2,-j 000 added, were re-: leased. The entry list reads like Whos Who C of harness racing with such 1955 seasons : champions as Saboteur, Belle Acton, . Quick Chief, Dotties Pick, Blue Goose, i First Discovery, Darn Gay, and Frisco C Creed eligible for the rich events. A host of * free-for-all campaigners have been nominated for the series of early-closing events to make the co-ordinated Fox Valley-Chicago Downs session at the new five-eights track at Sportsmans Park the world center of harness racing activity during the months of June, July and August. Wilbur Long: worked the world champion pacer BHayen, owned by college student Sally Jane Austin of Round Grove, 111. in a very creditable 2:05 the other morning-. The gelding- will be shipped to Rosecroft Raceway on Friday to make his seasonal debut at the Maryland half-miler Monday night. Unfortunately, there was no opportunity for BHaven to start here before embarking on his eastern junket. However, the Eddie Havens son is entered in several free-for-all eevnts at Sportsmans Park later in the season. On his trip to Rosecroft BHaven will be accompanied by Hayes Fair Acres excellent trotter Darn Safe, who also has an engagement at that track next week. Benny Schue will fly out there to drive Darn Safe. . . Received news that veteran trainer Riley Walters suffered a serious heart attack yesterday morning at Wolverine Raceway and is in critical condition in a Detroit hospital. Walters made harness racing history with such outstanding horses as Royal Blackstone and Green Valley, both victorious in important stakes on the Grand Circuit and major pari-mutuel tracks . . . Red Scott shipped the horses owned by Victor and Morris Zeinfeld of Maywood to Roosevelt Raceway . . . Al Winger arrived with his public stable from winter training quarters at Springfield Fairgrounds The Illinois Harness Horsemans Association offered financial help to E. F. Wagner of Springfield, who recently lost four horses through accidents. To further help the veteran horseman in his predicament Chicago Downs association will give him a position during their meeting. Driving rain and flying mud didnt prevent the hardy trotters and pacers and their sulky pilots to put on a great show on Wednesday night. In fact, the featured B class pace provided one of the most thrilling finishes of the entire meeting. George E. Wilsons five-year-old gelding Ross Abbe with Clarence Curtis at the reins garnered the lead soon after the start and set the pace for more than five-eighths of a mile when he was challenged by Bruce Nickells free-legged colt Grand Scott. The pair raced head and head down the backstretch and around the final turn with Abbe Run, driven by Glen Kidwell, a menacing third.. It was not until the last few yards that Grand Scott gained a slight advantage over his game rival but the High Volo colt was lucky to have reached the wire to save his victory from Abbe Run. Virtually blinded by the flying mud Kid-well had to wipe his glasses during the stretch drive and lost valuable ground. If it hadnt been for this mishap Kid-wells mount undoubtedly would have won the race the way he splashed through that final sixteenth. For Bruce Nickells, it was the second triumph of the night as he guided Dwight W. Davis Crimson Tide to an easy repeat victory in an earlier race. Nickells still maintains a commanding lead in the driver standings, he being credited with 23 wins out of 69 starts. Kidwell also scored a repeat victory on Wednesday night reining the Wisconsin trotter Dusty Commodore to a handy win in a C class trot. The largest purses on Friday night will be distributed in the two divisions of the featured 19 class pace stake, each section going for ,375. In the first division, mile track seasons champion Hi Los Bomb will have an opportunity to rectify his recent poor showing in his Maywood Park debut as he meets much less accomplished opponents. Little Miss Judy, conqueror of Easter Haven and Gallant B. in her seasonal debut last week, looks like a repeal winner in the second division, especially as the filly drew much closer to the rail than in her first outing where she had to come out of the eighth berth. Jerry Baiers much improved colt Selkas King will have j another opportunity to add to his laurels 1 in Fridays AA class pace where he will be 1 opposed by Easter Bunny, a recent arrival • from New Orleans, Honor Roll, Blue Goose, t Dickie Frost and Linett. In his present great form Selkas King can be expected to chalk up his fourth consecutive victory, a feat accomplished only by two horses at this meeting, the trotting mare Dixie Tass and pacing gelding Abbe Run. Two horses that have distinguished themselves at Chi- cago harness track in past seasons will make their 56 debut in Fridays BB class pace, namely Jim Dillard, whom have the services of leading driver Bruce Nickells, and Bella Marie, whose reinsman Gene Riegle was the leading, reinsman of the ""ox Valley meeting conducted here last year.
