HAMBLETONIAN STAKES

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25933, 13 October 1949, Page 7

HAMBLETONIAN STAKES

WIN FOR MISS TILLY “Under the hottest sun of this summer season, with the temperature hovering close to the 100 degree mark, little Miss Tilly, the crack junior trotter of 1948, which had raced disappointingly in her previous starts this season, came into her own again at Good Time Park in August, giving veteran Fred Egan his second winning cjrive in the Hambletonian Stakes,’’ says the “Horseman and Fair World” (Indianapolis). “It was a big day at Good Time Park, there being nearly 16,000 spectators to watch the 18 three-year-olds race for the second largest purse ever offered to harness horses, the Hambletonian Slakes value being 69,781.08 dollars. This has only been exceeded by the 73.000 dollars at the first Hambletonian Stakes at Syracuse 23 years ago.” Bangaway, the favourite for the first' heat, was one of the first to show out, but he lost his chance when he broke in the early stages. Egan had Miss Tilly well placed from the start, and she led to the half-mile in Imin Isec. After covering the first six furlongs in Imin 32sec, Miss Tilly finished well to win by half a length in 2min 3sec. Bangaway was sent out favourite for the second heat, but he soon lost his chance by breaking. Miss Tilly gave nothing else a chance, leading all the way. Her sectional times were: two furlongs, 30sec; four furlongs, Imin Isec; six furlongs, Imin 31 l-ssec; mile, 2min 1 2-ssec. In winning the richest trotting event in the world, Miss Tilly earned 36,617.39 dollars, making her total stake earnings nearly 88,000 dollars. This makes her the sixth top money-winning trotter of all time, and also the third top money-win-ning trotter in training. Miss Tilly is the seventh filly to win the Hambletonian Stakes. Her 2min 1 2-ssec heat is the third fastest in the history of the race, being topped only by Hoot Mon’s 2min heat in 1947, and by Hollyrood Dennis’s 2min IJsec in 1932. Miss Tilly is trained by F. Egan for Mr C. W. Phellis for whom . Igan was successful in the 1940 Hambletonian Stakes with Spencer Scot. Mr Phellis bred the 1947 winner. Hoot Mon. which he sold as a two-year-old to the Castleton Stud Farm for 50,000 dollars. Hoot Mon comes from the same maternal family as Miss Tilly. His dam, Missey, is out of Tilly Tonka (2niin 2jsec), the dam of Miss Tilly. Tilly Tonka was killed when she was struck by lightning at the Walnut Hall Stud Farm on June 26. Her foal, which was a sister to Miss Tilly, died when it was two days old. Tilly Tonka was believed to have been in foal to Scotland at the time of her death. Nibble Hanover, the sire of Miss Tilly, took a record of Imin 58£sec.

It is predicted that the 1950 Hamhletonian Stakes will be raced for a purse of 100,000 dollars.