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HAWTHORNES OPENING DAY. p P The inaugural meeting of the Chicago Jockey 8 Club opened yesterday and a grand opening it b •was. Everything around the course was in e excellent condition and the track was as fast as n it can be made. The grandstand and cafes have lc been newly painted and the handsome paddock a i has been improved until it is one of the finest g in the country. The grase through the infield is green and well kept and the steeplechase course is a picture. In fact there is not one j it •corner about the grounds that is not as spick t and span as labor and expense can make it. , Despite the fact that the opening was on an i off day, as Monday alwajs is, the attendance I numbered in the neighborhood of 5,000. It was i a most interested, enthusiastic and well entertained assemblage. The card offered by Secretary Kuhl secured extra large entry lists, but there was a lot of scratching and as a rule the fields were of reasonable size. Eighteen books drew in and they had more than they could do to handle the money. As five of the six races went to favorites it would be safe to Bay that the dozen 1 and a half pencilers got a good drubbing. T. P. Hayes captured the inaugural dash with i his big sprinter Opaque, and judging from the i way the colt won he can beat almost everything ; j at the track at three-quarters of a mile. Nice j started in the Opaque race, and in the field 1 j j there was a lot of speed. The play, however, , I l was divided among three. Opaque being a 6 to 5 favorite while Eugenia Wickes was quoted at t 11 to a Qoebel opened at threes but drifted back to 41 to 1 and was then backed down a 1 point. There was little or nothing to the race s as far as a contest was concerned. Opaque broke fourth but immediately went to the front and after setting a terrific pace which stopped the others he won eased up in 1 :14 flat. Qoebel was second and Boney Boy, despite a bad ride, was third. Only four started in the mile and a quarter r event which was run second and Monk Way-man, who is at his best at present, won all the way and never turned a hair. There was a very evenly balanced lot in the third event, which was a mile dash, and speculation on it was fast and furious . Q ueen of Song, Gold Fox and Galathee were each backed for "good things." The first named proved to be one and "delivered the goods" in grand style. McCann rode the filly and handled her skilfully. He took a long chance to get through on the first turn and then rated her along cleverly in front down the backstratch. On the bend for home Serrano made a strong bid, and opposite the paddock appeared to be very dangerous, but when Beauchamp called upon him he could not respond and fell back beaten. Below the eighth post Gold Fox passed the fast tiring Serrano and set sail for the Queen, but he could not get up. and at the wire was beaten a full length. Gold Fox had a lot of bad luck and considering this, he ran a very good race. Galathee was pocketed all down the backstretch and at no part of the journey was he dangerous. Racivan scored a lucky win over an inferior lot in the fourth race. In one of the breakaways Racivan stumbled and threw bis rider and then proceeded to run away, but before he had a chance to run far enough to hurt himself he was caught by a stable hand and led back to the post. J. Carter, who waB not hurt by his fall, pluckily remounted and won the race away off by himself. Rome Respass at last got it through "his head that Jockey Knight is not strong enough to ride a big, heavy-headed horse like Goose Liver and p P 8 b e n lc a i g j it t , i I i 1 i i ; j j 1 j j , I l t 1 s r put Taber up. The latter rode Gooee Liver to perfection and captured the fifth race handsomely by three-quarters of a length from Lo-bengula. Eleven started in this race but only eight finished and they were strung out for nearly a quarter of a mile. Muskalonge was left at the post, Benamela fell on the first turn, nd George Lee bled after passing the half mile ground and was eased up. The afternoons sport closed with a five fur-longs scramble for two-year-olds and Iznik won running away by a half dozen lengths. Barrack, away badly, was second and Fannie Wyn was third. Lord Weir, the favorite, who, it is reported, has worked very fast had no chance from where he got off, and, after showing a lot of speed, finished among the "also rans." Dick Dwyer was a trifle off and his starting was nowhere up to his standard. This is the first bad day Dwyer has had this season and it must be overlooked. Manager McAvoy was the busiest man in fourteen states all the afternoon and was on the go all the time. Some of his assistant are inexperienced and must be watched in order to avoid mistakes. The man that takes care of the jockey board seemed to be rattled. He had Hamilton posted as the rider on Iznik instead of McXickle in the last race. He also made a bobble in the second race. Instead of having Gray on Prince Blazes and Vitatoe on Ramona he transferred them. This error was not noticed and consequently went through. Taking every- thing into consideration McAvoy has trouble galore but overcomes them gracefully. After winning the fifth race Goose Liver was sold to Charles McCafferty for 00. He is a useful Belling plater. Bill LaDge, Everett, Mertes and Griffith of the Chicago ball club were visitors. So were Bob Hilliard and a bunch of the "Clubs Baby" players. Pleasing music was furnished by the Cicero Military band.
