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Speed Test Purse Serves As ThistleDown Feature Name Will Mearns Among Fifteen For Todays Half Mile Offering By R. E. HURLEY THISTLEDOWN, North Randall, Ohio, June 25.— Jess Ross Will Mearns, winner of the Flintstone Handicap here two weeks ago, tops the large 15-horse field in the half-mile Speed Test Wednesday, which carries a purse of ,000 and is the only race on the ThistleDown calendar which will be decided under five furlongs. Will Mearns will face such old adversaries as J. L. Coles Admiral George, Thurmon Gammons Auburn Tiger and J. D. Rogers Speak Free. . The last named gelding had the misfortune to be drawn on the also-eligible list along with Supreme Music, Champ Sorter, Weed Seed and Melzar, with the field limited to 10 starters because of the short run to the first turn. Hi Noble, Ala Queen, Continued on Page Forty-Six Speed Test Purse Serves As ThistleDown Feature Name Will Mdprns Among Fifteen For Todays Half Mile Offering Continued from Page One Royal Dasher, Mary H„ Vray, Verns Victor and Protocall complete the field in the Speed Test. Will Mearns,; a glossy black Polynesian gelding, started his local campaign beaten a head br Old Sea Dog in the opening-day feature which lowered the track standard for five furlongs, then came right back to capture the Flintstone by three and a half lengths with Admiral George the run-jier-up. If Speak Free fails to draw in the Flintstone, the winner will be the probable favorite despite being beaten in his last by Speak Free, who has racked up three straight wins over top company here and is in peak form despite his nine years of age. Admiral George, winner of two high-priced claiming affairs this spring in Maryland, will have his supporters in the Speed Test though beaten by both Will Mearns and Auburn Tiger. The Grand Admiral — Me Always gelding was elevated to the win-nirig position over Auburn Tiger in their last outing after being crowded in the stretch run though both were locked in a seesaw struggle. Auburn Tiger, a three-time winner at Ascot, has the speed to march with his classier opponents and will be out to avenge his disqualification.
