view raw text
I On the Trot I By MORRIE KURLANSKT Lieut. Mike Out to Extend Streak After Fifth in Row; Kidwell Reins Insko Sets Fast Pace for Drivers MAYWOOD PARK, Maywood, 111., May 1. — Copa Stables much improved pacer Lieut. Mike, unbeaten in four starts at this meeting, faces the test of his racing career in Saturday nights featured pacing event when he meets such accomplished f o e s as Gunfighter, Irish Gallon, Boomtown, Jake Rodney, Meadow Bower, Lord Adios and Plutocrat. The Glen Kid-well-trained black son of Lieut. Commander surprised both fans and ; horsemen last week end by defeating a top : field in the excellent time of 2:05%. With . his capable trainer in the sulky, Lieut. Mike ! took the measure of Divonbay, Jake Rod-• ney and Cheri Adios in such handy fashion 1 as to make his odds of almost 7-to-l look like the overlay of the meeting. Though the five-year-old stallion had won his previous race as an even-money favorite leading from start to wire, witnesses of his race last week apparently still needed more convincing. It is doubtful that very many fans will underestimate the powerful combination of Lieut. Mikes speed and stamina and Glen Kidwells driving skill again Saturday night. In all of his four races at this meeting, Lieut. Mike was in a contending position at the final quarter pole, if not already in the lead. What impressed observers of his races most was the manner in which this grandson of world champion Billy Direct pulled away from his rivals once heading for the wire. The closest any of his rivals in these four races got to him when he crossed the finish line was two lengths, while in his seasonal debut he won by three and one-half lengths with speed to spare. The most amazing fact about Lieut. Mike, however, is that after showing promise as a three-year-old he was sidelined for most of his four-year-old campaign because of faulty underpinning. Proper treatment, a long rest and Kidwells masterful handling during the winter training period made a new horse out of Lieut. Mike and, while he earned his promotion to "Captain" already, the stallion might well be a "Maywood Park Colonel" after Saturdays race. If Lieut. Mike is to turn back his seven rivals, he probably will beat Golden Miss meeting record of 2:0425 as well as an extremely fast early pace can be expected, as Lou Meggitts impetuous front-racer, Jake Rodney, wont wait for things to happen in the final quarter. Another one who is likely to help set or press the early pace is the Canadian speedster, Meadow Bower, who showed marked improvement in his last outing. Boomtown also can be depended on to make things lively in the first half mile, while such strong finishers as Gunfighter, Irish Gallon, Lord Adios and Plutocrat will be there or thereabouts by the time the pacemakers enter the crucial final turn. All in all, it should be one of the most interesting races at this meeting and the winner of this mile dash, be it Lieut. Mike or any of the others, should make a worthy opponent of the local pacing leaders, Golden Miss and W. E. Cash, in forthcoming feature events. After 25 racing nights, Del Insko enjoys a long lead in the driver standings to be virtually assured of his second consecutive Maywood Park driving championship. Last year the young teamster, small in body but great in spirit and ability, wound up a 49-night session with 39 victories. Going into the second half of the current meeting, Insko already has 28 wins to average better than one twin per racing night. Glen Kid-well is in second place with 14 wins, while Dorman Perrin and Dick Williams are tied for third with 11 wins each. The rest of the 10 leading drivers, after a month of racing here, consists of Ken Boring, 10 wins; Tom Wilburn and Connel Willis with 8 wins each, and the trio of Ralph Ayou, Del Cronk and Everett Jefferson, each credited with seven wins. Percentagewise, Glen Kidwell, who finished in the money 32 times out of 48 starts, is the undisputed leader as Del Insko started almost three times as often as Kidwell. In the anticlimax department, Hollis Regur, credited with 56 wins at Chicago area harness tracks last season-, has the longest losing streak of all drivers competing here this spring. After 40 starts, the Iowan is still without a win, though he finished twice second and ten times third. That doesnt mean, however, the Regur-trained horses are entirely without success at this meeting. Billie, Hollis 25-year-old son, has done very well here winning six out of 30 starts and finishing in the money in ten races. The Maywood Park strip, recognized as one of the fastest half-milers in the country, is also one of the fairest and safest with its wide sweeping turns and its remarkable drying-out ability. If we call the Maywood track a fair one, it is meant that horses starting from an inside post position do not have an undue advantage over horses starting from the outside. After 250 races contested at this meeting, horses starting from the third position have won the most races, namely 40. Post position No. 5 is in second place with 39 winners, the rail position is credited with 37 winners while 35 winners started from the No. 7 post. Percentagewise, the No. 7 post is actually the win-ningest as there were a number of races with less than seven starters. The percentage of winning favorites at the midway point of the meeting is a few points below normal as only 60 public choices came home first. However, it can be safely predicted that at the end of the session, post favorites will have been successful at the rate of about 36 per cent as the month of May with higher temperatures and less rain always makes for more formful racing.
