Akbar Khan Drives to Dixie Victory: Overtakes Jabneh, Blue Choir in Stretch to Win Going Away, Daily Racing Form, 1957-05-13

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Akbar Khan Drives to Dixie Victory Overtakes Jabneh, Blue Choir I n Stretch to Win Going Away English Importation More tf Than Length in Clear, While | L 16,007 Look On at Pimlico C Doc D. By CHARLES HATTON PIMLICO. Baltimore, Md.. May 11.— The d Do 56th running of the Dixie was proceeding q on schedule until the field of 10 swirled around the final bend. Jabneh had been 1 p. Fat swinging along on the pace, prompted by Aeschylus and Akbar Khan, the eventual 1 g victor. The worlds winningest jockey, • g« Johnny Longdon, had the American record-holder for the distance, St. Vincent, a 1 r heavy choice, charging down on them like an express train. Then the crowd of 16,007 a let out a roar, more of amazement than encouragement. Mrs. Marion Epplys outsider, . r Akbar Khan, had just begun to fight. Mrs. — Eugenia Bankheads Jabneh and Mrs. Harry Nathensons dusky Blue Choir fought it "j out before the pandemonium of the stands ~ all down the grassy homestretch. It was "ladies day" here on the old hill- le top, the nerveless Eldon Nelson driving s Mrs. Eppleys big chestnut to the line a length and a quarter before the spent but % still struggling Jabneh. The pacemaker had 1 a similar margin to spare Blue Choir. St. ■ Vincent could only be fourth under his top | weight of 125 pounds. The few who had backed Akbar Khan in what was the first I stakes success of his career in this country were rewarded for their perception at the rate of 7.20 for . The son of Tehran, from the Aga Khans stud, earned 9,850 of a gross purse of 8,600. Of this amount l a tidy 9,550 was net. Though the weather was showery, the j, grass surface still was hard, and Akbar Khan carried his 113 pounds over the mile * and three furlongs in 2.16 Vs. St. Vincent A had been beaten off in the four-fifths of a 1 second slower than his record run in the h first Dixie presented on the turf two years E ago. o of When he dismounted from the surprising b Akbar Khan, Nelson said: "He ran a lot P stronger race than he did last week in the Laurel.-Hes a headstrong horse who has to v be held together. The credit for his race g goes to trainer Clay Sutphin, who had him t in tiptop shape. I fust knew it when I c was warming him up." - s Jockey Nelson and his followers enjoyed r a profitable days sport. He compiled a total v of four winners. In addtion to booting the I winner of the stake, he won on Marksman g Jr. in the third event, Elberwhirl in the c sixth, followed in rapid succession by Ak- t bar Khan and Deluge. s There was an element of revenge in Akbar Khans score. He had been beaten v a matter of inches on the post by Cheva-tion in a heart-breaking finish for the Dixie a year ago. In the winners enclosure after the Dixie. Danny Van Clief, a member of The Jockey Club, presented Akbar Khans happy connections with the silver urn trophy, a foot-high affair with the finish of the 1877 match between Parole, Ten Broeck and Tom Ochiltree emblazoned on it in has relief. That was the race for which Con- I gress adjourned. The crowd was excellent, considering the humid, misting weather. Among others in J attendance were Blue Choirs owners, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Nathenson, who flew up 1 "from Miami; Mrs. Eugenia E. Bankhead, * Tallulahs sister, who flew in to root for ! Jabneh; Harry Isaacs, Dr. Leon Levys son, j Bob, and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Asbury. Laurel officials Morris Shapiro and Joe Cascarella also were present. The fashion-is plated old clubhouse . was crowded, The Dixie field did not begin to take the race seriously until they had traversed the stretch turn and went past the stands the first turn, with Jabneh bowling along on the lead, pricking his ears under a con-id servative rating ride at the hands of Eu-ie gene Rodriguez. For a few furlongs, Lofty Peak was second under sufferance. Akbar Khan and Aeschylus were perfectly placed just behind the first two, Blue Choir saving ground on the hedges. Longden had taken St. Vincent back to last place. Midway the backstretch, the aspect of the race began to change. Lofty Peak had enough. At the far turn, Aeschylus appeared to encouter a spot of interference, and Blue Choir thrust through boldly along the inside. Around that last bend St. Vincent was flying on the outside. They straightened for the run home Jabneh still led, but was beginning to weary of his task of trying to win all the way. Blue Choir was inside him, driving hard, Akbar Khan on the outside, free of possible trouble. They were set down in earnest for the short run home. St. Vincent began to hang under his weight. Akbar Khan spurted like a fresh horse. He had Jabneh measured in almost less time than it takes to tell it, I • - - g il d - - il j •- at it . . n as d | 1 5S n j is j j s, I a. "l . — "j ~ le s though that one fought on stubbornly, and Blue Choir was tiring the last yards. In a thumping finish, the briton prevailed by a length and a quarter, the same margin separating Jabneh from Blue Choi/


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1957051301/drf1957051301_3_5
Local Identifier: drf1957051301_3_5
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800