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Festival King Has Fine Speed In Preakness Workout in Slop Covers 6 Furlongs in l:122/s; Sundown II., Rico Tesio and Sword Dancer Seen in Moves By JOE HIRSCH PIMLICO, Baltimore Md., May 13. — Reveling in the sloppy going, that resulted from heavy rains last night and this morning, C. B. Fischbachs Festival King, prep-ping for Saturdays 83rd running of the historic Preakness Stakes, stole the spotlight during training hours today at old Hilltop with a smashing 6-furlong move accomplished in 1:12%. Under jockey William McKinley Cook, Festival King, a chestnut son of My Request, skipped along in faster time than any of the 6-furlong races run here yesterday afternoon. Second of Triple Crown Races Several more Preakness candidates also worked this morning while others arrived by van from nearby tracks as the tempo of activity toward the week ends significant 13-16miles fixture stepped up noticeably. The 50,000 Preakness is the middle jewel in racings Triple Crown, a traditional series of classic races that invariably produces the nations three-year-old champion. A field of 12 now seems firm for the Preakness, which will gross a record 91,-800, of which the winner will net 37,700. Brookmeades Sword Dancer, second a nose to Tomy Lee m the Kentucky Derby, is likely to go off the favorite, opposed by Meadow Stables First Landings Mrs. Jacques Braunsteins Royal Orbit, Emil Dolces Manassa Mauler, Claibornes Dunce, I Continued on Page Four 4 , -yMk zSiii7--A FESTIVAL KING — Worked 6 furlongs in 1:12% oyer the sloppy Pimlico course in preparation for Saturdays Preakness Stakes. Festival King Sharp for Preakness Works 6 Furlongs In 1:1 2f in Slop Sundown II. and Rico Tesio Drill Together at Pimlicof See Dozen Certain Starters Continued from Page One King Ranchs Black Hills, Elkcam Stables Open View, Miss Patrice Jacobs Our Dad, Briardale Farms Rico Tesio, Robert S. Lytles Sundown II., Lester G. Robinsons Marauder and Festival King. All will carry scale weight of 126 pounds. In other developments of the day: 1. Rico Tesio and Sundown IE. engaged in a little Preakness of their own this morning, over a distance of 7 furlongs. The English-bred Sundown n. won off by some seven lengths, timed in 1:28%, but it may -have been a costly victory since he ran down badly behind, despite bandages. Rico Tesio, who could not keep up with Sundown II., was timed in 1:30%. 2. Trainer Elliott Burch was on hand from New York as Sword Dancer breezed an easy 6 furlongs in 1:17%. "Hes fit enough," Burch remarked later. "I didnt want to do too much with him and am satisfied with the way he is coming up to his race." 3. Open View arrived from Garden State Park this morning, while Dunce and Our Dad were due from Long Island this afternoon. No Riders for Dunce, Our Dad 4. Neither Dunce nor Our Dadhave a rider as yet. Dunces trainer, Moody Jol-ley, who was due in Baltimore late this afternoon, said he was unable to obtain the services of Howard Grant and will make a decision on another boy in the next day or two. Hirsch Jacobs, trainer of *Our Dad, said from New York, he also is still shopping for a jockey. Lester G. Robinson, owner-trainer of Marauder, hoped to firm up an engagement with Joe Culmone today. Jockey Cook drove down from Garden State Park this morning to work Festival King, who "went the* first quarter-mile in :23%, the half in :47%, the 6 furlongs in 1:12% and galloped out the seven panels in 1:27%. Needless to say, trainer E. W. Kuykendall was beaming over the move and was invoking all the power of rabbits feet and assorted luck charms for a continuance of the "off" going. "Hes from an Ocean Wave mare so hes bred for mud on both sides of his -family," said Kuykendall of Festival King, who was a decent 11th of a field of 17 in the Derby. Not quite as jubilant was trainer Eddie Cox, whose Sundown n. showed raw heels where he had run down through his bandages in this mornings move. "He loved the track," said Cox, who was in the irons for the work. "But he ran down as usual. I slapped some sulfa powder right on the raw spots, and if the legs dont fill up, I think hell be all right for Saturday." Rico" Tesios Trainer Comments Joe Piarulli, trainer of Rico Tesio, did not seem despondent over Rico Tesios failure to keep up with Sundown II. "It was his first major work on this track," observed the former Philadelphia school teacher, "and horses do get a little tired here until they get used to the strip. Then Chris Rogers had no whip with him either, and this horse can use a stick in the mornings. I was pretty satisfied and he came back good, which is the important thing." Horsemen coming from New York, who witnessed Dunces fine, three-length victory at Belmont Park Monday, were highly impressed by the performance. Several knowledgeable professionals consider the strapping son of Tom Fool and Ghazni the one to beat for all the money here Saturday, and in line with this thinking, the Daily Racing Forms oddsmaker has cut Dunces price to 6-1, making him equal third choice with Royal Orbit behind Sword Dancer and First Landing. At one mile, Dunce beat such decent al- lowance horses as Derrick, Hoist Away, Audience, Princes Gem and Moony, the latter beaten only a neck by First Landing in the Everglades at Hialeah this past winter. Dunce rantbe eight panels in 1:37, the best time of the day over the Belmont strip, and drew out near the finish like a good horse. Seventh in the Derby, Dunce has the breeding and the equipment to win a classic, and apparently has lacked only the desire in past races. Open View Drills Today Open View, with Karl Korte up, is likely to work tomorrow morning. The possibility exists that if todays rains continue and an "off" track seems likely on Saturday, trainer Ray Metcalf may bring Atoll down from Garden State Park to run as an entry with Open View. This combination was eighth Open View and ninth Atoll in the Kentucky Derby. Reggie Cornell had Royal Orbit out on the track for his customary gallop this morning, the big Royal Charger colt again full of life and very much "on the muscle." Cornell is highly pleased Royal Orbit had a race over the track on Monday and feels, that gives his horse a big edge over the other major contenders. Fourth in the Derby after suffering early interference, this one is coming up to the Preakness at a fine edge. Casey Hayes was due in from New York this afternoon and is understood to be planning a final blowout for First Landing on Friday morning. The two -year-old champion continues to attract a good deal of favorable comment on his appearance from local horsemen, and both Reggie Cornell and Elliott Burch tab him as perhaps, their most dangerous opponent in the Preakness. Cornell remarked this morning that First Landing seems a great deal more zestful than he was in Kentucky, where he finished third in the Derby after a moderate start. Annual Alibi Table Today Preakness trainers, who have been prep-ping over heavy breakfasts in the old members club each morning, will dine in semi-formality tomorrow morning at the annual session of the famed "Alibi Table," following training hours. After heaping dishes of the Stevens tempting bacon and eggs "and fresh strawberries, served up by the ageless "Harry," the conditioners will be subjected to a round of questions by the assembled press. Owners, trainers, press, officials and others connected with the Preakness will also be feted on Friday evening at the Sheraton-Belvedere, where the famed Bourbon Street Dixieland Band of Bill Matthews, specially imported from New Orleans for™ the ccasion, made history last spring with J infectious and incessant renditions ofj "When the Saints Go Marching In " The! Matthews quintet will again be on hand| Friday night, as they will at the course throughout Saturday for the entertain- ment of the 37,000 or so expected to be] on hand. All reserved seats for the Preakness have been sold for many weeks and one of the largest crowds to jam Pimlico in many a year is anticipated by management. CBS will televise theJPreakness over coast-to-coast facilities, and turf writers from lead-i ing eastern newspapers are already beginning to file* from the local press box. Gates open at 9:30 a. m. Preakness Day, the early arrivals to be amused bv massed bands, horse shows, drill units and what-have-you until the magic moment wheni "Maryland My Maryland" signals the imminence of the Preakness.
