TROTTING Orbiter, Gay Robin To Race This Week

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31027, 5 April 1966, Page 4

TROTTING Orbiter, Gay Robin To Race This Week

The former New Zealand pacers, Orbiter, Gay Robin and Danny's Pal, will make their official debut in the United States at Yonkers Raceway in three separate mile races on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights (New Zealand time).

Gay Robin will start on Thursday in the 5000-dollar Class A-2 Pace called The Caduceus; Danny’s Pal will appear on Friday in the 5500-dollar Class A-l Pace called The Apmat; and Orbiter will make his debut on Saturday in the 6500dollar AA-3 Pace named The False Step.

The three races are named in honour of a trio of great New Zealand and Australian pacers, which raced with distinction in the early international series run at Yonkers.

In addition this week the 25,000-dollar Hal Dale Free-for-all will be run over 10 furlongs on Friday. This will feature only American pacers, from which three or four will be selected to compete against the New Zealand

horses in the 100,000-dollar International Pace on April 14 at Yonkers.

Orbiter, Gay Robin and Cardigan Bay have already been selected to race in the International Pace, over 12 furlongs. The remaining five positions are expected to be filled before the end of this week. Orbiter will race as Orbiter N. in the United States. The change has been made by the United States Trotting Association as an Orbiter is now competing as a trotter in Europe and a thoroughbred bearing the same name is racing at Aqueduct in New York. Orbiter is the most publicised of the New Zealand horses to arrive in the United States recently on the strength of his Imin 58 3-ssec under race conditions at Cambridge on January 5. After that performance Orbiter was purchased for 125.000 dollars by Messrs M. Miller, of New Rochelle, and D. Newman, of Westbury. Orbiter is trained and will be driven by D. Incko. By Johnny Globe Gay Robin is a seven-year-old stallion by Johnny Globe from Shadow Maid. He showed splendid form in New Zealand when trained first by A. M. Purdon and then by J. A. Carmichael. Gay Robin is raced and trained by L. Miller, the trotting writer for the New York “World Telegram and Sun.” Danny’s Pal is a six-year-old gelding by Young Charles from Lady Ella, one of several horses purchased by the New York trainer, F. Mollica. Danny’s Pal changed hands

for 32,500 dollars last December. Mollica qualified Danny’s Pal in 2min 4 2-ssec at Pompano Park before shipping the horse to Yonkers last week. G. Shodty was his driver. Among the horses expected to contest the Hal Dale Free-for-all are Adora’s Dream, Adios Marches, Vicki’s Jet, Cold Front, Irish Napoleon, Murdock, Hanover, Dancing David and the brilliant Californian pacer, Paper Boy. Paper Boy excepted, the pacers contested the American Preview Pace at Yonkers last Friday. Paper Boy came into national prominence at Santa Anita on March 26 when he won the California Pace, of 20,000 dollars. He recorded Imin 57 3-ssec for the mile, 'the fastest time of the season anywhere in the United States.

That was Paper Boy’s fourth win from five starts this season. He was unofficially timed to pace his last half-mile in an amazing 57sec.

Paper Boy was bought for 25.000 dollars at last December’s Tattersails Sale in Lexington by Messrs J. P. Marsh and A. W. Carlsberg.

Paper Boy is a five-year-old stallion by Victory Song from Willola.

Not only will this week’s four feature races determine which horses contest the International Pace, but they will serve as stepping stones for prospects in the Good Time Pace and the National Championship Pace, to be decided on April 21 and 28 at Yonkers. Both races carry a stake of 50,000 dollars and will be run over 10 and 12 furlongs respectively.