Straight Heats

The bettors liked Bangaway, an imposing bay trotter who had won most of his races this year, including four stakes. His backers were somewhat worried by the fact that in the field of 18, Bangaway and his rubber-tired sulky had been put in the 18th post position for the first heat--which meant outside in the second tier of starters. There is a sharp turn on the triangular track soon after the start, and it seemed possible that Bangaway might lose ground there or get in a tangle. Nevertheless, the mutuel patrons sent him off an 8-to-5 favorite last week in the Hambletonian Stakes (for three-year-old trotters), richest and most glory-laden of U.S. harness races, sometimes called the Hayseed Derby or the Corn-Tassel Derby because it is held in remote little Goshen, N.Y. (pop. 3,000).

Bangaway had no trouble at the first turn; his driver worked him up to fourth place, where he held on momentarily, then faded back. Out of the ruck of frail sulkies and flying legs came a bay filly named Miss Tilly, driven by 69-year-old Fred Egan and owned by Charles W. Phellis of Greenwich, Conn. Miss Tilly gamely fought off a closing rush by a bay colt named Volume to win the first heat by less than a length.

As a two-year-old, Miss Tilly was an alltime high money winner, but this year, in nine starts, she had not won a race. Last week she made up for all that. In the second and deciding heat, Driver Egan kept her in hand all the way and she was first by five lengths. Miss Tilly took down the third largest winner's share ($37,617) of the second largest purse in Hambletonian history.

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