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"™ ~~ ~- ■i"t On the Trot — Br MORRIE KURLANSKY Seventeen in Tonights Feature Race on Elimination-Heat Plan H. K. MacPherson Goes in First SPORTSMANS PARK, Cicero, ill., June 26. — Thursday nights ,000 early-closing event for 20-class trotters received 17 en- t.rif»K tries n.nrJ and will will bp be raced rnr.pri t.rif»K tries n.nrJ and will will bp be raced rnr.pri on the eliminations-heat plan that means the lirst five horses out of each elimination heat will contest a final dash. In case a third horse wins this final, the three heat winners will come out for a fourth dash at a mile to determine the winner. In the first first dash. dash, O. O. L. L. Mears Mears first first dash. dash, O. O. L. L. Mears Mears "™ ~~ ~- ■i"t H. K. MacPherson, a charge of one of the outstanding men in the .harness horse training profession, Harry Fitzpatrick, looms as the one most likely to succeed. The four-year-old colt, winner of three races this season, including his last start a week ago, was meant to be a leader of his generation and was mentioned as "the dark horse" in pre-race calculations for the 1956 Hambletonian off his fine showing at the three-quarters mile track of Vernon Downs. The high hopes of his owner, a Toledo patron who a few seasons ago had a champion trotting filly in Lu Peck, never materialized as H. K. MacPherson, a son of Mears former free-for-all pacing star, Paul MacPherson, suffered from various infinnities that all too often prevented him from giving his best. The colts most formidable opposition should come from the Wisconsin invader, High-lawn The Great, an obscurely bred, but extremely consistent gelding wholl make his seasonal debut Thursday. A winner of his two starts at three, Highlawn The Great last season chalked up 11 victories in races and was four times second and once third. In the second elimination heat, Manistee Stables Sallys Dreamboat and Colonel Hill look like the post favorites. In the case of Colonel Hill, a royally bred six-year-old gelding trained by William "Doc" McMillen, it is a three-race winning streak, while the fleet - chestnut filly, a discovery of the 56 season, raced with success against some of the better trotters on the grounds. Colonel Hill, a son of Hambletonian victor, Bill Gallon, sire of many excellent trotters and pacers, from the great race mare and fine producer, The Colonels Lady, embarked on his career as a trotter only this spring after being converted from the pace. He won his first three starts in handy fashion and there is no telling at this point how good this gelding really is. Sallys Dream-boat created a minor sensation at last years Suburban Downs meeting when she won five of her last six starts. Victorious in 2:06% at May wood last month, Sallys Dreamboat, in her most recent outing, was a creditable third to. the very good filly, Ad Lib. t Notes from Detroit: While Detroit fans for Jthe last two weeks were able to watch the nations best younger trotters and pacers in action during the Wolverine Grand Circuit session, their attention now will turn to the 5,000-added Motor City Pace Thursday night. Like the rich Merchants and Manufacturers Trot, the Motor City is one of the oldest stakes in Michigan harness racing, dating back to 1896 when raced as the Chamber of Commerce with a ,000 purse. Through the years, it grew in size and renown and attracted the more famous pacers of that early era, including such standouts as Walter Direct and Napoleon Direct, the male line that produced Bill Direct, still co-holder with Adios Harry bf the worlds record for the mile, 1:55. Walter Direct was sired by Direct Hal, winner of the 1902 renewal, and himself a victor in 1905. Walter Direct in turn sired Napoleon Direct, the sire of Billy Direct, greatest pacer of his time. Then there was The Abbe, a handy winner in 1910, taking three straight heats after finishing second in the opener, and who started the line running through the brilliant Hal Dale, who sired the most expensive harness horse of all time, Adios, an outstanding sire who is credited with 16 two-minute performers, including world champion Adios Harry. The spectacular Single G., ranked as one of the truly great sidewheelers of all time, made his appearance in the stake a winning one back in 1915 when he -won in three straight heats. His times were 2:03K , 2:03M and 2:05:, showing that pacers o/ that day could make the current crop step to the limit for victories. As a matter of fact, the fastest time for a Chamber of Commerce stake was recorded in 1916 when Miss Harriss M was clocked in 2:01M» 2:01% and 2:04U in winning straight heats. That was in the days before tracks were as fast as they are today and gives an indication of horses attracted to the stakes as far back as 40 years agro. The clocking of 2:01*4 is more than a. second faster than times made by horses since the stake was renewed in 1952 at Wolverine Raceway. The modern record is 2:02%, held jointly by Warpath an 1953 and Meadow Gene in 1954. But all these records will be. endangered in the running of the stake Thursday, for the list of starters includes many of the fastest, pacers now in competition. Such stars as Steamin Demon, Flaming Arrow, Gold Rise, Grand R. Volo, Hi Hill, Jerry Perkins, Knight Chief, Royal Melody and Widower Creed have been flirting with the two-minute mark over half-mile tracks. The Wolverine track is the fastest now in years and there is a possibility that a new time record will be set in either one or both of the Motor City Pace, which will gross about 5,000 to make it one of the richest races for three-year-old and older pacers.
