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On the Trot By MORRIE KURLANSKY » . Poplar Citation Gets New Mark North Shore Pace Draws Eleven Insko Nations Leading Driver MAYWOOD PARK, Maywood, 111., May 13. — Kentucky-owned pacing colt, Poplar Citation, in an excellent effort won Tues days co-featured mile dash for sidewheelers in 2:05, a new half-mile track record for the four-year-old son of Illinois sire, Poplar Abbe — Citation. Driven by George McAllister, 67, a veteran of 50 years in harness racing, Poplar Citation, a 9-5 favorite, earned his laurels the hard way. Though leaving the gate in high gear, the colt was parked out the first mile, with the first quarter raced in a swift :30% and half in 1:02%. Taking command going into the second lap, Poplar Citation opened up a comfortable lead on the backstretch and had little trouble staving off Highlawn Victorys closing rush in. the homestretch. i A 6-race winner in 58, Poplar Citation had won two races this season prior -to Tuesday, including: his last start a week ago when he won in 2 : 11% over a muddy track. The colt had shown an impressive performance in an early-closing: event won by Cheri Adios in 2:04%. If it hadnt been for his bad luck when it came to drawing: post positions in his last seven races, the colt twice drew the eighth post- once the seventh post and twice the sixth post, Poplar Citation most likely would have fared even better than he did. He should not be out of his mettle in the higher-classification groups, either. The Maywood Park stewards meted out the severest penalty of the season when they suspended trainer-driver Connel Willis for 16 racing days, equivalent to the remainder of this meeting, for two inconsistent drives with the trotter, Queens Gandee, owned by James Sutliff. A heavily backed favorite in Tuesdays featured trotting event, Queens Gandee, under what appeared to be a listless drive, finished third to Kimberlite and Wildwood Beth, the 13-year-old Volomite gelding timed in 2:07%. Last Friday, Queens Gandee won the first division of an early-closer going away in 2:06%. Fridays top event, the ,000 North Shore Pace has attracted 11 swift pacers, including: the four-horse entry of Cheri Adios, Lord Adios, Meadow Ballad and Cash Adios, all owned by Ralph H. Kroening of Milwaukee and trained by Dick Williams. There of the quartet are close relatives. Lord Adios, Cheri Adios and Cash Adios are by Adios from Lillian Nancher, while Meadow Ballad, out of Fanny B., is also sired by Adios. Honor Roll, who a few seasons ago belonged to the top-class pacers competing in the Chicago area and still holds the track record at Magnolia Park, now Jefferson Downs, was claimed on Tuesday for ,000 by Joe Langer. The 10-year-old gelding won his race for owner-trainer Nick Ewing. The race for leaders driver honors here with but two and one-half weeks to go, appears to have been settled in favor of Del Insko, 27, the defending champion. When he guided his homebred pacing filly, Ethelway, to a repeat victory in Tuesdays fourth race, the ex-Iowan, who now makes his home at Beloit, Wis., scored his 36th win at this meeting. According to unofficial figures furnished j|y Larry Evans, publicity director of the USTA, Del was the nations leading driver, as of May 11 with a total of 46 sulky successes chalked up at Maywood Park and Aurora Downs. Tied in second place with 42 wins were Stanley Dancer, leading reinsman at Yonkers Raceway, and Lou Rapone, the pacesetter at Ba-tavia Downs and leading driver at Bay Meadows last January and February. William Haughton, the nations leading driver both in the number of races won and money earned by his mounts, at present is not among the first 20 drivers in the national standings as the .New Yorker was off to a late and comparatively slow start. Last year, Haughton won 176 races, while his mounts earned the amazing sum of 16,659. Bud Gilmour, second ranking driver last year with 155 wins, also did not embark on his 1959 campaign until the latter part of April, but is steadily gaining ground on Insko, Dancer, Rapone and Robert Farrington, who after winning the Aurora Downs title, won several races here and right now is one of the leaders at Painesville Raceway in Ohio. Talking of drivers, space did not permit us yesterday to mention that Jack and Joyce Hankins were successful Monday night. Husband, Jack won the second race with Polly Byrd, while his wife, Joyce, daughter of the late Mrs. Forrest "Grandma" Burright, won the fifth with the veteran pacer, Ross Abbe, owned jointly by the husband and wife team. . . . Even though Insko, under normal circumstances, should not be beaten in the driving competition, a battle for second place between Glen Kidwell, Tom Wilburn and Dick Williams will enliven proceedings for the remainder of the meeting. The Kroening stable unveiled another pacing hopeful ia a schooling race the other night. Ellens Adios, a three-year-old colt by the super sire, Adios, from the Mil-waukeeans former top-class race mare, Highland Ellen 1:58%, at one time the leading money-winning pacing mare of all time, made his long-awaited debut to win well in hand for trainer Williams. . . . The success of Tom Wilburn with young trotters and pacers continued Tuesday. C. E. Dickeys well-bred three-year-old trotting filly broke her maiden in the first race in the slow time of 2:14%.
