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Airmans Guide Captures Debutante Grant Filly Whips Greek Top by Two Favored Viewpoint Fourth Behind Sandys Sis W. In Churchill Downs Event By Staff Correspondent CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 2— There are many more valuable two-year-old filly features, but Hugh A. Grants Airmans Guide mildly surprised by far the largest throng that will see one in 1959 when jockey E. Gross nusuea her to a two-length victory in the 59th Debutante Stakes of 5 furlongs. Buchanan and Mundys Greek Top came from far back to be second, two and a quarter lengths in advance of Mrs. S. H. Sadaccas Sandys Sis W. as the favored Viewpoint finished fourth in the field of 10. The winner is a daughter of One Count and the good mare Navigating who had won the filly class in an Oakland two-year-old show and her only previous start. She returned 0.80 after skipping the distance in a showy :58%, a fifth off the track record, and earned ,392.50 of which ,267.50 was net. Typical Derby Day Scenes The Debutante, offered as the supporting feature to the Derby, was presented amid typical Derby Day scenes and fan- ►_ fare. With only a few minutes of play remaining in the early pools on the 85th running of the Derby, the easts First Landing and the wests Tomy Lee were vying for favoritism at 4 to 1. The wagering on the first four races represented a slight decrease from "D Day" in 1958, totaling 68,071 against last years ,015,540, but resident manager Russell Sweeney declared "The crowd is one of the largest in the history of the Derby. In fact the demand for seats represented an increase of about 25 per cent compared with that for any other year." In attempting to compare Derby crowds it might be added, parenthetically, that in the Roaring Twenties the innerfield was free, and that in late years the race has been telecast, locally as well as on a national hookup. The crowd today sweltered in midsummer heat of 88 degrees, which doubtless influenced the wagering in some degree, while increasing the demand for mint juleps. Airmans Guide, a well grown bay filly and a smart one. won by the simple expedient of killing off the presumptuous Pattys Song early in the Debutante, then drawing out under continued urging the final furlong. Greek Top "did not break" but could finish, though she never looked like winning. Sandys Sis W. ran evenly and well. The Tardy Viewpoint ran very greenly, ducking about through the stretch run and I when finally she had somewhere to go, she I could no longer accelerate.
