A roundup of the sports information of the week
HORSE RACING—Nearly half a million in gross purses offered at major tracks last Saturday turned the day into the top-quality racing afternoon of the season. At Monmouth Park the mighty Belmont Stakes Winner Sword Dancer, only 3-year-old in the 10-horse field, running under the sure hand of Willie Shoemaker, captured the 1¼ m. $113,730 Monmouth Handicap by two lengths over Amerigo, solidified his position as the leading sophomore in the country. In a fine field of older fillies and mares Mrs. Harry Lunger's Endine defeated Polamby by½ length to take the winner's prize of $108,312 in the 1-m. Delaware Handicap for the second year in a row. Dunce, with only three victories in 13 starts, surprised the crowd with a rail drive in the stretch for a 1½-length win over On-and-On in the $140,425 Arlington Park Classic for 3-year-olds. In the $82,100 Dwyer Handicap at Jamaica 3-year-old gelding Waltz, ridden by a masterful Sammy Boulemetis, took the lead from the start and ran home a head in front of Middle Brother for new 1 3/16-m. track record of 1:54 4/5.
BOATING—Dominating Larchmont Race Week (Larchmont, N.Y.) like two eagles over a covey of sandpipers were John Mercer's 12-meter Weatherly, skippered by Arthur Knapp Jr., and E. Chandler Hovey's Easterner, with Bus Hovey at the helm. Continuing their weekend matches, Weatherly took three straight (see above). Dick and Beverly Becker, 210-elass sailors from American YC won top honor: Kathleen Cullen Memorial Trophy. Other winners: Jimmy Sykes, Manhasset Bay, skippered Lightning to junior championship; Skip Etchells, Stars; Warner Wilcox, Internationals; Pete Bordes, Thistles.
BOXING—Bill Rosensohn took a flying trip to Goteborg, Sweden to settle plans with Ingemar Johansson on the September title defense—found that Ingemar had a fresh idea: put the fight off until 1960. Explained Ingemar: "I have heard people from Florida and California say the time is not ripe as early as September. They feel public interest cannot be turned up again that soon."
Eddie Machen, top heavyweight contender until he was used as a stepping-stone to world championship by Johansson last September, unveiled a right of his own, pounded Reuben Vargas into a sixth-round TKO in a 10-round return match at Portland, Ore.
PHOTO
"WEATHERLY" LEADS "EASTERNER"