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SARATOGA SEASON OPENS. SECOND LARGEST ATTENDANCE IN THE ARIS-TOCRATIC ASSOCIATIONS HISTORY. Dandelion Wins the Saratoga Handicap, with Tangle Second 0,000 Is Refused for Her Uncommon Mistake in Official Stake Book. Saratoga, N. Y., August C. The aristocratic Saratoga Racing Association Inaugurated Its sixth season of racing today under the most brilliant auspices. It was a memorable opening day In every respect. Excepting on one occasion, Saratoga Cup day of last season, the attendance and the number of looks in operation 204, far surpassed any previous record. The card was a splendid one and was fully sustained in interesting sport. Francis It. Hitchcocks pair. Dandelion and Tangle, were first and second In the big stake fixture, the Saratoga Handicap, at a mile and a quarter. From the start they had the situation well in hand and when called on came away simultaneously In the stretch. Tha president of the Saratoga Association declared to win with Dandelion, the announcement being posted at 3:10. His seeoud string. Tangle, with Miller up, was a formidable combination and experts waxed enthusiastic over the wonderful showing made by this magnificent daughter of Meddler and Hundspun. The Swartz Brothers of New York, who bought Bat Masterson from J. E. Madden In the spring, forthwith made an offer of 0,000 for her. but Mr. Hitchcock smilingly declined it. The running of the favorite, Bedouiu, was inexplicably bad. His owner and stable connections were visibly disturbed and chagrined over the total lack of speed shown by the Meddler gelding, which was last almost throughout, and a very bad last, at that. The. Picket seemed to lack early speed to an unusual degree, and did not loom up as a contender until at the very last, nnd then only for third place, which he lost by a few Inches. One of the pleasing features of the running was Bavenas meteoric flight of speed. At the end of a mile John Sanfords beautiful lllly had taken a .decided lead and looked all over the winner, but tired from lack of condition. The Saratoga Steeplechase was won easily by Charles Pfizers four-year-old hay colt Herculoid, by Savile Harpist, after being backed from 8 to 5 to 1. The fact that Herculoid was eligible to this race was not generally known until the official program made Its apiiearance this afternoon. He had been sent out in the entries on Saturday night, hut those .who held stake books of the Saratoga meeting or had perused the official entries as published in the Racing Calendar, were of the impression that the horse to start would be the nine-year-old chestnut gelding Herculean, by Watercress Hana. It was explained that a mistake had been made by an assistant in the office of Secretary Andrew Miller who had been entrusted with the work of revising the proof of the stake book. This printer had misspelled the name and in attempting to correct it. the careless reviser had made it Herculean and had given the pedigree of that horse. Herculean has not started in any race since he fell In the Empire Steeplechase at Brooklyn on Saturday, May 30, 1003. He was then the property of Ii. V. Bell. He had never won a steeplechase race and he was in such bad shape after his fall that Jimmy McCormlck, who was training him. presented him to superintendent Norton of the Sheeps-head Bay track. If he Is not dead, he is now doing chores between the shafts of a cart. Herculoid was the name which came to Daily Racing Form in the entries from Saratoga Saturday night. Reference to the official stake book of the Saratoga Racing Association disclosed the fact that Herculedli and not Herculoid appeared as eligible to the Saratoga Steeplechase and the Bever-wyck Steeplechase Handicap likewise. Herculoids name and pedigree not being mentioned in the book. A like condition of affairs was found to exist In the list of entries as published in the Rncing Calendar, the official organ of the Jockey Club. Inquiry was made of Dally Racing Forms correspondent if notice of a correction from Herculean to Herculoid had accompanied the entries or been posted at the Saratoga track. He said he had no knowledge of such correction and that the lists as given out by the entry clerk very plainly put the name nercu-loid. It was too late to get into communication with the secretary of the Saratoga Racing Association and Daily Racing Form, following the official stake book and the Racing Calendar, made it Herculean and got In wrong. It does seem peculiar, however, that the mistake was not discovered by the Secretary of the Saratoga Racing Association or some of his assistants in time to make a correction in the last Racing Calendar which was published on Thursday, August 2.
