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I 1 On the Trot * By MORRIE KURLANSKY « Almiras" Worthy Proves Superior Queens Gandee Steadily Improving Del Insko Nearing His Own Record MAYWOOD PARK, Maywood, 111., May 9. — Almiras Worthy and Queens Gandee, two second choices, annexed the two divi sions of the ,500 Arthur T. Gait Trot on Friday night. The Worthy Boy gelding, owned by C. M. Saunders, trained by Harry Fitzpatrick and driven by the latters son, Jim, downed the heavily favored Darneau by half a length in 2:05%. James Sutliffs Spencer Tell gelding, Queens Gandee, with Connel Willis at the reins, outfinished the longshot, Future Hope, and 9-to-5 favorite, Valentina, in his division in 2:06 Vs. Capable Jim Fitzpatrick also had the distinction to capture Fridays best pacing event with Almiras Worthys stablemate, Divonbay. The Goose Bay outbrushed the pacesetter, Chief Jim, in the final sixteenth to chalk up a well-deserved and popular triumph in 2:05%. Almiras Worthys victory in the tougher second division of the featured early-closer came as no surprise to anyone, although he had been soundly trounced by Ralph H. Kroenings Quel Veinard colt, Darneau, the week before. In last nights race, however, trainer-driver Dick Williams was cautious leaving and wound up in seventh place in the eight-horse field. Once the earls-leaders, Model and Wildwood Beth, had raced each other into defeat and Almiras Worthy started to make his move on the backstretch with only three-eighths to go, Darneau was a fraction of a second late taking up the challenge and was forced to race three-wide around the final turn. The chestnut colt, however, closed with courage and was getting to the winner in the final yards, but the finish line was too close for the four-year-old to get past his older rival. A winner of 10 races and a tx-ifle over 0,000 last season when he joined the pretentious Ohio stable, Almiras Worthy demonstrated his inherent class at Santa Anita a few weeks ago" when he won an early-closer in the respectable time of 2:01%. Model, one of the outstanding juvenile trotting fillies on the Grand Circuit last season and already successful this year at Hazel Park, showed a lot of early speed to get the lead from her seventh post before reaching the backstretch to be temporarily headed by Wildwood Beth. Passing the stands the first time, trainer-driver Gene Riegle once more took command with the Darnley daughter, but the filly apparently was used up too soon for she had little left when Almiras Worthy trotted in earnest nearing the final quarter pole. As for the other starters in this second division, Lady Iosola Miller once again produced a good effort to finish third, though three lengths behind Darneau. Rexall Boy, at the outset of this meeting regarded as the trotter to beat in fast - class events, indulged in a costly break, but managed to garner fourth from Model. Louie Yates, Wildwood Beth and Lady Brookwood apparently were overmatched in this minor stakes event, finishing far back. Queens Gandee, a steadily improving Indiana-owned trotter, proved best injhe first division to win handily in 2:06%, a new half-mile track record for the five-year-old Spencer Tell son. Trainer-di-iver Connel Willis had his fleet charge in contention from the word go and found ready response when he asked Queens Gandee for his best speed in the homestretch. It was the fourth victory out of seven starts this season for Queens Gandee and, though he is rapidly climbing the classification ladder, the bay gelding should hold his own in, the upper trotting echelons. Iowa-owned Future Hope, an eight-year-old Darnley mare, probably trotted the best race of her career and should have little trouble to win one or two races in her classification before this meeting ends. Valentina raced evenly without apparent excuse to take down third money. The disappointment of this first division was Darneaus stablemate, Bengazi, a winner of over 0,000 in a not undistinguished racing career. Driver Dick Williams tried to challenge the leaders passing the half-mile mark, but the nine-year-old Algiers stallion simply didnt have it and wound up a well-beaten fifth. Bluemound and Dorothy Sky Raider raced with the early pace for a while, but did not relish the first half mile in 1:02% to drop out of contention. Easter Haven, driven by owner Floyd Griebel, scored a wire-to-wire victory in a B-class event to lower his individual, record to 2:05%. Harry Hankins Kim Creed, in what was his seasonal debut, closed strongly to finish second. The Jimmy Creed stallion bears watching in forthcoming races for his classification group. . . . Jubilmars Scotch Treat, with the very successful Glen Kidwell at the reins, downed another field of B-class pacers in 2:05%, holding fast-finishing Sporty Prince safe under the wire, though getting _tired a bit in the final sixteenth. Leading driver Del Insko, winless for two nights, made up in grand style on Friday to win the first two races with Flyings Nance and Roxburgh G. O., respectively. The young reinsman is now credited with 34 wins, just five wins short of the Maywood Park record set by him last year.
