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EMPIRE CITYS DISCOURAGING OPENING. Surprisingly Scanty Attendance to View Capital Racine Spooner Wins the Stake Race. York, October 20. Despite perfect fall fNcw weather and an extra good card, todays racing at the Yonkers track was witnessed by less than 1 KJ0 spectators. This was an absurdly inadequate patronage, considering the superior brand of sport furnished. No real turf stars were in action, as the majority of them have been sent out of the country, but a number of good horses participated in the various races, the Clark Memorial, in particular, engaging seven of the best racers in training, including Spooner. Arasee. Gowaii. Notasuiga, Question Mark, The Squire and King Cobalt. A most exciting and ever-changing struggle developed in the programs principal feature. It seemed as if the winner had dropped from the clouds, so suddcnly and unexpectedly did Spooner loom up in the closing strides. He had hardly been given a thought during tho early running, because of being -virtually left at the post, and his looming np as a contender midway of the stretch and subsequent sensational victory made everybody stand agape with surprise. Ihe Squire was the iirst to make play, then Question .Mark, with dazzling speed, made the middle running and when he in turn relinquished the lead to Arasee, many of the spectators concluded that it was all over but the shouting. They had. however, no soouT settled themselves down to witness an easily achieved victory than along came Spooner like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky and bad the race won before a realisation of the winners identity had dawned upon them. Indeed, the Emery gelding tired so badly that Cowan was pressing him closely for second place. This beautiful lilly had a rough and difficult journey and displayed amazingly good form in landing in as forward a position as sh did. Experts incline to the belief that Gowan is practically invincible at present as a stayer and that there is no horse in training, except ing Master Robert, that can exercise her at a mile and over. Proceedings began with the decision of a six furlongs selling dash. Burgher vanquished tho eleven fast ones opimsed to him with such ridiculous ease that many of the horsemen present began to look the winner over with suddenly awakened interest. It is generally liclieveil that Burgher does not belong in the company he found himself today, but is in reality a horse of near stake caliber, masqueradiug as a selling plater. Spellbound, the full-brother lo the famous Mesmerist, has a way of bobbing up unexpectedly. It seemed that lie had worked exceptionally well for the particular race he was started in on this occasion, hence the persistent support accorded hinw Ural rode Spellbound to victory like a comer. Had F.eauclere been favored equally with Say lor at the start of the third selling race. Tully Coulters unlucky gelding would not have been compelled to play second liddle to the slightly preferred one of the two in the betting. After Sweet had been caught napping with. Beauclcre at the start, the latter closed a gap of fifteen length and ran Saylor to a head. A similar fiasco at the start and subsequent lluke win at tho linish by the second-best horse occurred in the fourth and last selling race, its running being an exact counterpart. Gretna Green was the lucky one and Monfort the victim. Sweet rode the two defeated horses into close seconds after having been virtually left on Ixith. itoyal Captive wound up the racing with a resumption of her superior class winning form, which she had lost temporarily at Belmont Park. Killcreen. the runner-up. showed to be a good horse, while the reverse is applicable to Sinicoe. which seems to have left his brilliant Canadian form behind. Notwithstanding that twenty-six of the defendants arrested during the August meetitig for alleged violation of the anti-betting law had lioen discharged during the morning, the same old edict went forth before the races that all kinds of betting, oral or otherwise, was absolutely prohibited. The result was that speculation was more or less paralyzed. Everybody was under restraint and this feeling was intensified when a man by the name of William Itolrcrtsra-foniiiT bookmakers clerk in the employ of V. Cowan, was arrested, charged with recording a wager. Roberts was taken before Judge Beall and held for examination in ?500 bail. District Attorney Winslow was also there again with the stereotyped bluff that there was no betting at the track, that it was effectually suppressed by the sleuths under his direction. As it. is now. anyone caught writing a jockeys name on the program is liable to be hauled off to jail. Algernon Daingerlield states that the stewards of the Jockey Club will hold their investigation into the Fair Play-Frank Gill race tonight at the Windsor Arcade, iockeys Lee and Notter will lie present. Lee could not be located when wanted Immediately after the race. .1. II. McCormick denies positively that Fair Play had an attack of the strangles while being cooled after his memorable dc.feat in the Belmont Park Autumn Woight-for-Age Race. .lames R. Keono was an interested spectator of a remarkable trial at Sheepshead Bay on Sunday. A yearling chestnut filly by Ornus Balsam Fir. by Friars Balsam, worked a quarter in 22 seconds. Mr. Keenes Voter was sired by Friars Balsam, and on account of the fillys breeding he said he was anxious to acquire her. Jockey Joe Notter said at Yonkers today that he intended to ride at New Orleans this winter.
