A roundup of the sports information of the week
HARNESS RACING—Jamin, fit as a fiddle on his artichoke diet, donned a pair of ear muffs to block out any distracting noise and left his American rivals breathing his dust as he trotted in three-quarters of a length ahead of Silver Song (60-1) in the first leg of the one-mile American Trotting Classic at Hollywood Park (see page 22). The second leg will be run October 31. Should Jamin take it, or the third leg, he wins the classic.
GAELIC FOOTBALL—Running, kicking and punching the ball around Gaelic Park in New York, the New York All-Stars held their Irish compatriots, the County Kerry-Gaelic Football Club, to a first-half 5-5 tie in a game for the international Gaelic football title. But after the midway point in the second half when they scooted ahead 8-5, the All-Stars found the ball as elusive as a leprechaun. County Kerry made two goals and retained the International title and St. Brendan's Cup with 2 goals 11 points to 1 goal 8 points.
HORSE RACING—My Dear Girl, ridden by Manuel Gonzalez, threw the 2-year-old filly championship into a muddle when she splashed around a muddy Garden State track to win the Gardenia Stakes by five lengths over Blue Crooner. Prerace favorites, Heavenly Body and Irish Jay, tagged behind for third and fourth places.
BASEBALL—The Continental League was given a major assist by the New York City Board of Estimate when it approved a $170,000 appropriation for the drawing up of preliminary plans for a $15 million, 55,000-seat sports stadium, a prerequisite to the completion of the new league. William Shea, founder of the Continental League, said he now hopes to select by November 15 the last three remaining cities needed to round out the league.
At the same time the Los Angeles City Council, incensed over the map Dodger Boss Walter O'Malley submitted for the Chavez Ravine Stadium, postponed consideration of rezoning the 315-acre area until November 5. The O'Malley map, which called for rezoning 192 of the acres for commercial purposes, included not only a stadium and parking lot but novelty shops, ice cream parlors and restaurants, looked, according to one committeeman, like a downtown Disneyland.
PHOTO
IRISH AND ALL-STARS LEAP FOR BALL