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THE CLOSE AT HARLEM, t Undoubtedly the worst track of the year was that at Harlem yesterday, the horses throwing water 1 irom their heels at each stride. l The feature race of the day was the Chicago Stakes, a dash of one mile for three-year-olds and 1 upward, with ,000 added. The race was taken by McChesney in impreseive fashion after a splendid 1 ride in the last quarter by Buchanan. Of the seven scheduled to start, Vulcain and Harry New were absentees, but the adding of Mureeca at the last moment, sent a field of six to the post. McChesney, -probably on his higher class, was made the favorite. To a fair start, Muresca, as was reasonably ex- pected, darted to the front, closely followed by 1 Duelist and Rolling Boer, with the others strung 1 out. Going down the backstretch, Muresca opened 1 -up a gap of two and one-half lengths on Duelist, which gradually lengthened the distance between him and Rolling Boer. Turning for home, how- j ever, McChesney, which had been badly outrun up : to this point, began to move up fast. Muresca 1 and Duelist turned for home necks apart, but the former was first to crack and fall away beaten. At the. last eighth post Duelist still had a lead of four lengths on McChesney but the latter under a vigorous and determined ride by Buchanan steadily wore him down, winning at the end handily by one length from Scarlet Lily which beat the tiring Duelist a nose for second place. Scarlet Lily made up ground fast in the last quarter and just got up in time in the last stride to get second place. Duelist was a much distressed horse at the finish. Rolling Boer ceased to be a serious contender after a half mile had been run. The Lady waB nowhere near up to a good race and might just as well have remained in her stall. Muresca ran -well for six furlongs. The stake was worth ,730 to tho winner. The steeplechase over the short course proved to be an easy thing for Henry Gibbs, which took kindly to tho going and fenced without the slightest mistake. He laid along in third position, but at the fifth jump, when the leader, Crest, fell, moved up fast on even terms with Old Fox. The latter two ran close together until after taking the eighth jump, where Henry Gibbs easily went to the front and was never afterward headed, winning, as his xider pleased, by three lengths from Old Fox, which beat Bristol six for second place. Bristol made up ground after taking the last jump and finished strongly. After Crest fell the race was strictly a three-horse affair. In the days opening race, a five furlongs scramble for two-year-olds, Goody Twoshoes, an outsider in the betting, proved to be much the best. First Florestan led and then Style, the latter appearing the winner at the last eighth post, but about here Goody Twoshoes moved up on her fast and passed into the lead, easily winning by one length from Florestan, which beat Zepho one for second place. Florestan rallied in the last sixteenth and finished stoutly. Zepho came with a rush at the end after making up much ground in the last fourth; Style faded away when the pinch came. Albemarle appeared to have a chance in the last eighth, but faltered when called on. Howendobler fairly ran away with the purse in the second race, a dash of five and a half furlongs for three-year-olds and upward. He ran Private Nolan into early submission and then came away without much effort, winning by seven lengths in a canter from Private Nolan, which beat Chanton four for second place. Sandflea ran a dull race, falling away easily beaten by the time the head of the stretch had been reached. The fifth race, a five and a half furlongs dash for three-year-olds and upward, resulted in a surprise. Lady Contrary winning easily by a half length from Silver Fizz, which beat Morops three and a half for Becond place. Lady Contrary displayed much speed throughout and appeared to be winning easily when a f arlong out, but had to be driven out t 1 l 1 1 1 1 1 j : 1 to stall off Silver Fizzs determined bid in the last sixteenth. Pirates Queen, badly outrun in the first half, made up ground fast in the last quarter and was wearing down Merops in the closing strides for third place. Haydon, the decided first choice in the betting, ran a bad race, falling away badly beaten by the time the head of the stretch had been reached. He was hopelessly beaten off at the end. The last race run at Harlem this year,, a dash of one and one-sixteenth miles, was taken by Scotch Plaid in a terrific last sixteenth drive with Banish. Scotch Plaid moved up fast when entering the last sixteenth, but was joined here by Banish, the two fighting it out hard to the wire. Scotch Plaid won by a nose, while Banish beat Chickadee five lengths for second place. Banish swerved slightly in the last thirty yards. Learoyd showed early speed, but he was scored into exhaustion by many false breakaways. Irving Mayor and Alaska, both prominent at the head of the stretch, tired fst when called on in the final furlong struggle.