THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SPORT
MIZ CLEMENTINE BY A NECK...ARCARO BY A NOSE...DETERMINE BY A FOUL...CREVOLIN BY $57,000
The Santa Anita Maturity last week was worth $163,360, richest race of the year to date. It drew the season's biggest crowd (50,000) and the largest handle ($3,167,936). It also furnished 1955's first big disqualification.
The mile-and-a-quarter Maturity was strictly between Determine, Kentucky Derby-winning gray owned by Andy Crevolin, ridden by Ray York, and Miz Clementine, a Calumet Farm filly with Eddie Arcaro on top.
In the stretch, Miz Clementine, leading by a head, began lugging out, shouldering Determine toward the center of the track. At the eighth pole Miz Clementine proved herself no lady altogether. Because the horses were so close, Arcaro had to shift the whip from his right to left hand. One crack of the left-handed whip and Miz Clementine swerved sharply to her right, bumping Determine and carrying both horses toward mid-track. The bump seemed to discourage Determine. He trailed Miz Clementine and the famed Arcaro profile across the finish line (above).
Up promptly went the official "inquiry" sign, while anguished supporters of both horses clutched their mutuel tickets. After due investigation, stewards declared Miz Clementine had indeed fouled Determine and the gray was named winner, Miz Clementine second.
Owner Crevolin (right) took his colt's place in the winner's circle (Determine went back to the barn without waiting for the stewards' decision) and picked up first-place money of $87,000. Calumet got $30,000, Miz Clementine's bump had cost Calumet $57,000.
NEW SPORTS OF SHAHS...
Touring the U.S., the Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlevi, and his Queen Soraya squeezed winter and summer sports into a few days of January. At Sun Valley, Idaho (above) they took a sleigh ride to the ski runs. Later in the week, the royal couple moved to the Sans Souci Hotel in Miami Beach, where the queen (left) and her husband (below) displayed fine form aboard water skis. While in Miami Beach the shah also played shuffleboard and tennis.
...KINGS & PRINCES
Nobility was at play elsewhere last week. Ex-King Peter of Yugoslavia and Queen Alexandra skied at Gstaad, Switzerland (above) while Prince Birabongse of Thailand embraced his mechanic after winning New Zealand Grand Prix in his Maserati.
SEVEN PHOTOS