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PRISCILLIAN IN A CANTER WINS THE RICH COMMONWEALTH HANDICAP WITHOUT EVER BEING EXTENDED Firestone Runs a Good Race Simon Pure Takes the theIndependence Independence Steeplechase and St Kevin KevinIs Is Killed by a Fall New York July 4 Independence Day card at Sheepshead Bay develoiHid racing of rare excellence on the flat and also furnished the 25000 spectators present one of the most thrilling crosscountry spec ¬ tacles seen 1n years in which every contestant but two fell and with their riders were more or less Injured the horse St Kevin being killed outright while jockeys Dnpee and Huppe sustained serious hrulses hrulsesThree Three big stakes were ddwn for decision tha Commonwealth Handicap practically a renewal of the Suburban as to distance weights and class of horses engaged the Independence Steeplechase over the full course and the Spring Stakes for two yearbids The program was so good that there wan only one race the fifth a selling affair over the grass course which did not bristle with stake Ingredients Nearly every highclass horse in train ¬ ing except Ballot Colin and Celt was in evidence Todays attendance reminded one of old times al ¬ though not nearly of the numbers that would have witnessed the sport under normal conditions Still it was easily the largest crowd of the meeting The most conspicuous feature was the number of women present The grandstand resembled a huge flower bed and all this despite the drenching showers of rain which fell around noon time and probably deterred many visitors from making the long jour ¬ ney neyOne One objectionable feature of the Suburban day had lHen eliminated through the welldirected activity of the Coney Island Jockey Club management and that was that only few ipolicenien were in evidence evidenceThe The original thirteen swell thoroughbreds named overnight In the big race was reduced by with ¬ drawals to nine which was subsequently increased to ten by the adding of Royal Tourist at the elev ¬ enth hour Jack Atklh was the conspicuous abscn Pleased however by the presence of Priscil i which on this occasion was to measure strides f l topnotchers the racegoing public was filled A curiosity to pee what Mr Belmonts unbeaten Aiding could do against horses of high class over a eonMdernble distance of ground In the actual run ¬ ning Priscilllan simply played with his opposition No more confident looking ride on the part of his jockey has ever been seen hereabouts It took Walter Millers full strength to keep the wonderful racer back to his opponents during the early running and It was only after the jockeys arm grew tired that Ills restraint on the favorite was relaxed The re ¬ sult was electrical Priscillian leaving his opponents as if they were anchored and finished slowing down and weaving all over the stretch as a consequence of haulingThomas the sensational pulling and hauling Thomas Williams first jockey rode the winner and his second jockey Gilbert rode the runnerup his own horse Firestone The latter proved himself Immeasurably superior to the others It is under ¬ stood that Miller persisted in accepting the mount on Prlseillian in the face of a vigorous protest on the part of H K Rowell Mr Williams trainer aitd he may have displeased even to the point of being dismissed by his employer Rowell said that Miller who was in receipt of a retainer of 1500 per month or 1SOOO a year from the president of the Callforul1 Jockey Club was not living up to Ills contract in the matter of weights and therefore violated the same In view of the intimate friend ¬ ship that exists between August Bclmont and Mr Williams and the fact that PriscllHan could not have lost with any kind of a jockey up if he kept his feet the incident will probably be passed over Despite the short price all the people backed Pris Hlllnn and left the track with bulging pockets pocketsStar Star timbertoppers participated in the Inde ¬ pendence Steeplechase over the slippery grass course The expected happened The most skillful fencers experienced extreme difficulty in keeping their feet Simon Pure the coming champion at the sport un ¬ less all the earmarks of one are misleading trailed Ills opponcnts In leisurely fashion for nearly two miles of the journey and then ticked them up one liy one at will in the last circuit of the track trackA A 11 Spreckels should have gathered in the sub ¬ stantial first money in the Spring Stakes with his jraii l twoyearold Torbellino The halfbrother to Dr Leggo was beaten by his incapable rider The fault was so glaring that the spectators hissed the finish put up by McCahey Statesman the victor which has been prominent in twoyearold races since early spring was a maiden before he won todays stake stakeThe The Spring Stakes is an fld fixed event first run and won by Tremont in 1SSC Its tabled history since 1900 Is as follows Year Winner Wt Jockey Val Time 3100 The Paradvr 117 McCuc 1730 110 1901 Chllton 112 Shaw 075 114 J002 Hurst Park 117 Shaw 3545 113 J 1003 Gallant 114 Minder 3520 l13i 1904 Rcd Friar 117 J Martin 3420 1132 1905 Bill Phillips 114 Redfern 3435 114 1900 Kthon 122 J Martin 3910 134 J 3907 Chapultxpec 114 Notter 3820113 3908 Statesman 114 I McCthy 3240 130 130Favorites Favorites were very much in evidence virtually virtuallyonly only one of the six on the card Footpad in the Spring Stakes failing to score scoreTwo Two arrests were made during the afternoon Samuel H Klein of 108 West Sixtyfirst street jind Ralph Dreyfuss of 233 East Fiftysecond street both of Manhattan The charge in each instance consists of making memoranda of alleged wagers on a program
