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OPENING DAY AT LAKESIDE. The local racing season was inaugurated yesterday at Lakeside under the most favorable circumstances. The afternoon was clear and bright, and a fairly good card of six races was offered. The prospect for seeing the gallopers in action again served to attract quite an attendance, there being fully 3,000 spectators on hand to witness the first race. Of the six purses four went to the favorites, and second choices captn red the other two. The iacmg feature was an allowance affair at one mile which let that good colt Hobart in at 96 pounds, while Al Fresco was compelled to shoulder 112. The difference in weight caused Hobart to be favorite, and the son of Wawekus —Miss Yates ran a winning race, but Jockey H. Smith was unable to do him justice, and Al Fresco, cleverly handled by Nutt, won with something to spare by a neck. The race was injudiciously run so far as Hobart was concerned. He possesses great speed, and was forced to make the pace, and a slow one it was. Smith choked the colt through the first half in 52 seconds and loafed to the three-quarters in 1:18. At this stage the real racing began. Al Fresco, who had benefitted by the slow pace, made his run on the turn and challenged Hobart above the eighth post. When Smith saw Al Fresco at his side he hardly knew what to do, but at the second thought went to the whip. The colt responded gamely, but Nutt had something up his sleeve and landed Al Fresco a handy winner. The going was muddy and slow near the inner rail and the jockey that had presence of mind enough to keep out of it had good footing for his mount all the way and a shade the best of it. Tenbys win of the third race can be credited to this. Nutt took the center of the track at the start and stayed there throughout. On the other hand both Myth and Old Saugus were raced near the rail and anchored in the sticky going. Myth, despite the fact that he was not many hours off the cars after a hard trip from California, looked fresh and good and had a fine order of speed. He jumped out in the lead at the start and passing the half mile post looked all over a winner. At that point he was three lengths in the lead and his mouth was wide open. On the turn though he began to tire and when collared by Tenby in the stretch soon surrendered. Had Weber not used the Kittleman gelding so much down the back stretch and had kept him out in the center of the travk where the going was best he probably would have won. Rome Respass Florist— Bonnie Girl colt John Grigs by won the four and one half furlong dash for two-year-olds in rather an impressive manner. The youngster raced head and head with First Past into the stretch];and after a little bumping match came on and won handily. He is a heavy-headed colt and just as he was going under the wire he lunged his head forward and almost yanked Master Knight out of the saddle. The boy weighs leas than ninety pounds and rides a clever race. The other two-year-ola event, which was at a half mile, was an easy thing for Cheesestraw. She broke from fifth place flying.and, getting to the front in the first fifty yards, wasjnever afterward in trouble. Florence Anetia, who got the . place, swerved badly when Bloss urged h9r in the stretch. Braw Lad captured the initial five furlongs scramble with ease. Caywood rode him, and, after getting tangled up in the fbarrier at the start, he ran all around bis field. Hop Scotch got the place after being sent away on the run. A very inferior bunch of eight faced the barrier in the last race and J. J. T., afte r much trouble and hard paniahmsnt, wonoff-Jb y himself. Arthur McKnight, who has been Dick Dwyers assistant for a number of years was absent, but his place was competently filled by his younger brother, Morse McKnight.
