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FIRESTONE BEATS ROSEBEN. GREAT SPRINTER DOES NOT SHOW HIS USUAL DASH AND SUCCUMBS READILY. Only One Winning Favorite at Oakland McCarthy Rides Unluckily Heavy Entries to. Stakes for Two-Year-Olds. San Francisco. Cal.. December 11. Rosebens defeat at seven furlongs was a sensational incident of tlic racing at Oakland today. At even weights Thomas II. Williams Firestone tool: the champion sprinters measure with such decisive case as to evoke wondering comment on the part of the big throng of spectators present. The conditions of the race enabled Hoseben to get in at 107 oiinds. This fact was not realized by the owners of the other four. Firestone. Ilanbridge. Koyal Tourist and Clamor, until too late. Scratching lxdng impossible under the rules, they were compelled to start, but none of them had the remotest idea of success. Fire-is tone was believed to be short of work, while the others were hopelessly outclassed. The race therefore was conceded to be a gift for Davy Johnsons big gelding. The ring held him at the prohibitive odds of 1 to 5 on and Firestone was quoted at 15 to 1. In the actual running the favorite lacked the dash and speed shown in recent races. He dwelt at. the start, failed to draw out with his usual irresistible rush and it took him some time to head Ilanbridge in running up the backstretch. The lead he established in the third quarter was of such brief duration that Firestone was already beginning to be acclaimed the probable winner. As a matter of fact The Big Train" had a hard time of it to beat Ilanbridge through the stretch for second place. Koseben has come to be regarded as practically invincible hereabouts and his defeat of this afternoon was a great surprise to the local race-going public. Firestones effort on this occasion was particularly brilliant, however, and but for Ilanbridges close proximity throughout. Uosebens race might have been accepted as this seasons true form. The best Monday card of the season was provided, a number of conspicuously good horses being engaged in the various races. The race next in importance to that just referred to was the last, in which eight superior-class sprinters faced the starter. It was captured by the Forsythe lilly. Twilight Queen, in convincing fashion. Only one favorite proved successful. Miss Mazzoni. She was the anedium of unusually heavy hacking despite her disappointing previous race. Jockey . I. McCarthy rodo four heavily backed favorites into second liosition. won with Hiss Maz-zmii and finished unplaced on Cloudlight. The Ilil- dreth jockeys work during the afternoon was re-f ga riled as below par. Secretary Percy W. Treat announced that, al though returns were incomplete, one hundred more entries had already been received for the two-year-old stakes, which closed today, than in the previous year.
