Sweet Susie

The champion handicap horse of 1944 is a flop-eared tomboy that her friends call Susie. Many consider her the greatest filly ever to race in the U.S. Says Calumet Farm's Trainer Ben Jones: "Next to Whirlaway, this is the best horse I ever trained. She's so much better than Lawrin and Pensive [both Kentucky Derby winners]. So much, really." Last week at Baltimore, racing under her official program name, Twilight Tear, she made a rompaway of the winner-take-all ($25,000) Pimlico Special. It was her 14th win in 17 tries this year, and brought her winnings to $167,555.

Testing her over the mile and three-sixteenths run at Pimlico were two he-horses : the stallion Devil Diver, the gelding Megogo. They should have known from past experience that Susie's soft brown eyes belied her power and drive.

Susie exploded from the starting gate with her wobbly ears cocked forward, her long stride eating up the ground. After just 50 yds., Devil Diver was three lengths back; at the wire, it was six. Megogo was never in the race. Without a single token tap of the whip, Susie had traveled the route in 1:56 3/5 -- the identical time set by Seabiscuit in humbling War Admiral in the same race six years ago.

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