University of Virginia Library

It's Passin Gas
In The
Maidenhead

By Edward Bear
Daily Cavalier Staff Bookie

CROZET, Va. — It was a day
of photo finishes yesterday at
Crozet's plush Upson Downs
Race Course and the crowd of
some two thousand true aficionados
enjoyed every minute of
it.

Passin Gas scored a nose
victory over Peter Principle in
the featured Maidenhead Stakes
on the opening card of Upson
Downs' spring meeting. The
chestnut thoroughbred out of
Fanny Burp by Essbeedee was
whipped home by jockey Archibald
in one of the wildest
finishes this reporter has even
seen. Seemingly jet propelled,
Archibald brought him up from
the pack to catch Peter Principle
at the club house turn and
finally scamper ahead by a nose
to capture the $1,900 purse.
Cavalier Gaily placed a poor
third with rider Julio Pearson,
followed by Hewmongafry,
Cupid's Quiver, Dirty Leg, and
Pressed Ham, with Bumwad
wiping up the rear.

The photo finish camera got
another test in the fourth race,
the $9,000 Kerwood Derby, as
Zoom, piloted by jock Silly
Shoemaker roared past Mrs.
Thelma Prude's Schwartz in the
last fifty feet to win by a
whisker. Although Schwartz had
a three length lead during the
stretch run, Shoemaker kept
busy on the bay colt. "You can't
hold up on him," said the wiry
little jockey, an old veteran of
the Crozet course. "With all the
dope that the old nag had in
him, I knew he was gonna drop
any minute so I just kept after
'im." The victory by Zoom, his
fourth in fifty outings, was
worth $5,850.21 to Funny
Farms (owned by Benny Ray).

In other events, Half-Stoned
won the prestigious Edgar Shannon
Handicap with Rob Buford-Shea
aboard and Crotch Rot
scampered to an easy steeplechase
victory in the Silent Majority
Stakes. Crotch Rot's rider Joe
Willie Edgerton had nothing to
say after the race.