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VESTER R. TENNESSEE WRIGHT— Leading trainer at the Keeneland spring meeting for the second year in a row, he saddled seven winners at the 11 -day session. Keeneland Wagering Up Over 1958 Average 44,716] At 11 -Day Meeting Blue Grass Day Highlight Of Session; Tomy Lee Stars And Heads Money-Won List By Staff Correspondent Keenelands 11 -day spring meeting which came to a close last Thursday with the renewal of the 2,550 Blue Grass Stakes was one of the most successful ever staged at the non-profit Lexington track. Although rain fell several days with the result that five of the 11 programs were contested on "off" tracks, the mutuel play averaged 44,716 per day, an increase of 3,216 over the corresponding meeting in 1958. Attendance was off slightly, the per diem turnstile count being 7,731. down only 97 a day from last year. The closing-day program brought about the biggest mutuel play of the meeting, with 17,245 going through the totalisator, a remarkable figure considering it was a Thursday. There were 10,099 fans in attendance that afternoon. The Saturday, April 18 card was highest in attendance and second high in wagering, with 12,708 fans sending 93,387 through the totalisator. The first Saturday of the season, April 11, saw 10,771 patrons wagering 44,412. The West Coast Kentucky Derby candi- date, Tomy Lee, was the star of the meet- j ing, winning the Stepping Stone Purse on April 17 in new track record time, and the Blue Grass last Thursday. As a result, he accumulated 4,507 in earnings. In the Stepping Stone, Tomy Lee ran the 7 furlongs in 1:21% to lower Tim Tarns record by three-fifths of a second. Turner Leads Owners Tomy Lees performance enabled the stable of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Turner Jr. to pace the owners at the meeting with the same 4,507 total. Hidden Talent, from Harry P. Guggenheims Cain Hoy Stable, and winner of the Ashland Stakes, was second high in earnings with 4,272. Vital Force, winner of a division of the Lafayette and second in another outing, was third with 0,869. Cain Hoy was second on the owners list . with 0,022, while T. Alie Grissom, whose i stable won six races, had six seconds and four thirds, was next with 5,444. Bill Hartack was the leading rider and had the amazing average of 28 per cent winners. He tallied with 19 of 68 mounts and on two occasions had four winners in I I seven chances. He performed the feat first j op April 17 and duplicated it five days later. Three riders tied for second, with Ken Church, Clarence Meaux and Steve Brooks each booting home seven winners. Vester R. "Tennessee" Wright led the trainers with seven victories, one less than he had at the 1958 meeting and when he also was the leader. Joe Bollero was second with five successes. Keeneland statistics follow : April 9 fo April 23—11 Days Gross distribution 58,200 Net distribution 27,000 Daily average net distribution 9,727.27 j ! Attendance 85,043 Daily average attendance 7,731 Mutuel handle ,891,872 Daily average mutuel handle 44,716 j . i I I j j ! Leading Money-Winning Owners Owner 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Won. Turner, Mr. and Mrs. F. Jr. 2 0 0 4,507 Cain Hoy Stable 3 2 0 20,022 Grissom, T. A. 6 6 4 15,444 Jacnot Stable 5 2 3 14,577 Claiborne Farm 2 3 0 13,970 Kennedy, Mrs. D. J. and Veale. T., II. 12 0 11,8191 Bowles, C. F. 10 0 10,069 i Brown, J. G. 2 13 9,240 Haggin, L. L., II. 13 2 8,875 Hillock, C. C. 2 0 0 8,777 Leading Money-Winning Horses Horse. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Won. Tomy Lee 2 0 0 4,507 Hidden Talent 1 1 0 14,272 j Vital Force 110 10,869 ! Chuckabuck 1 0 0 10,069 i Greek Chief 10 0 8,395 I I J Bumpy Road 1 0 0 8,167 Donee 020 7,260 ! ; I Tacking 10 1 5,965 Quantrell 1 0 0 5,527, Nadir 110 4,760 Leading Winning Jockeys 1 Jockey. Mts. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Unp PC Hartack, W. 68 19 7 9 33 .28 , Church, K. 55 7 7 13 28 .13 j 1 Meaux, C. 57 7 9 8 33 .12 j i Brooks, S. 59 7 13 7 32 .12 1 I Vincifora. R. 30 5 5 2 18 .17 j j iRotz, J. L. 39 5 4 4 26 .13 Sellers, J. 51 5 7 2 37 .10 1 Lucas, WD. 25 4 0 4 17 .16 1 Gross, E. 10 3 0 0 7 .30 Combest, J. 30 3 1 0 26 .10 Hansman,L. 37 3 6 7 21 .08 Nichols, J. 44 3 8 3 30 .07 Leading Winning Trainers Trainer Wins. Trainer. Wins Wright, V. R. 7 Clelland, O. 3 Bolero, J. M. 5 Coleman, W. K. 3 Davis, D., Jr. 4 Hoffman, H. 3 Rieser, S. 4 Noe, K. 3 Stevens. H.K. 4 Stephens, W. C. 3 The following stakes were decided: Stake. Date. Winner. Value. Phoenix Handicap, April 1 1 ; Bumpy Road $ 8,167 Ashland Stakes, April 16; Hidden Talent 13,072 Ben Ali Handicap. April 18; Greek Chief 8,395 Lafayette Stakes 1st Div. April 22; Vital Force 10,069 Lafayette Stakes 2nd Div. April 22; Chuckabuck 10,069 Blue Grass Stakes, April 23; Tomy Lee 20,607 The percentage of inning favorites was I below normal, as shown in the subjoined I tabulation : I Number of races 88 i Winning favorites 30 I Percentage of winning favorites .34 Dead heats for win 0
