view raw text
; BIG SURPRISE IN HOPEFUL J. McMANUS ROCKY OBRIEN. DESPISED OUTSIDER. WINS STAKE AT SARATOGA. Sweep Finishes Second and. Ocean Bound Is Unplaced Sir John Johnson Breaks Track Record in Winning Handicap, Saratoga. X. Y August 14. James MeManuR Rocky OBrien won the Hopeful Stakes today by a margin that Presiding Judge McDowell pronounced half a length. The winner carried his full weight of I- pounds and made concessions to all his opponents, except Ocean Bound and Sweep, which were respectively penalized three and eight pounds. Always in the second group, he came to the front in the last furlong, but had all he- could do to stall oft Sweep. The latter drew the extreme outside position at the post. Nevertheless. James It. Keene declared to win with him. He was not prominent until near-ing the homestretch. whe,n he began to advance. ISutwell saved ground straightening out and then set the colt down. He finished gallantly anil was closing on the winner as the goal was reached. Rocky O Biien. tiring in the last sixty yards, bore to the inside and to some spectators appeared to interfere with Sweep to an extent that caused the prediction or a claim of foul. To those in the press stand the winner seemed to have a clear lead at the deciding line. Ocean Bound was conspicuous until three furlongs had been run. Half way around the turn she yielded abruptly. She came back to the stand walk Ing firmly, but after having been cooled out could hardly walk from the track to her stable. As she limped away she particularly favored her left forefoot. French Brooks, her trainer, said that that foot had been the worst since she became sore. Grasmcre had no excuses. He started from fourth position, got away weih was third, lapped on the winner finishing the half, and receded in tlio stretch. He looked trained to the minute and evidently lacks some of the essential qualities of a Jiigh-class race horse. Barleythorpe outiooked and outpaced the field. He led for over live-eighths, to the surprise of many turfmen, who said lie did not look as ir within a month of a race. Although high in flesh he iH-rformcd like a Hit tire clvampion. -After the race it was expert opinion that he would lie formidable at Sheepshead Bay. His next engagement U in the l uturity. II. M. Ziegler i-ame from Cinciu natl to see the race and, was well pleased with his colt s performance. CitndlelK-rry furnished the sensational feature. He jumped into the air when the gate was sprung, just as he did on the occasion of his tirst start, and was almost left. John Ilylatid timed him the first eighth from the fall of the Hag in 14 seconds. In the next furlong he got fairly In his stride and began closing on the next nearest. Around the turn and down tlie stretch he ran like a veritable phenomenon, eventually finishing fourth at Barleythorpes saddle skirts. If tlie distance had been seven-eighths he would probably have won. He Is -It. T. Wilson, .Tr.s Futurity candidate and as such is entitled to respect. When he learns to get away from the jiost he "Will he a factor in the two-year-old racing of the year. James K. JCcene expressed the opinion that had. Sweep had the post position from which Grasmcre started he would have won. He came up front New York last night to watch the running of his colls. Sir John Johnson, with 100 pounds np. won the Merchants and Citizens? Handicap, and in doing so. established a new track record for a mile and three-sixteenths, when he ran the ilistanee in 1:5S. The best previous track record was l:,riS?. made when Running Water won the same event in 1007. The winner was never headed. He galloped in front to the stretch, where Bouquet challenged for the lead. Given his head, he quickly realized an advantage of two lengths, and although all out at the end, managed to stall off the mare, which, whipped out. also faltered in the closing strides. Fayette was a false alarm. He was close to the pace for nearly a mile and then weakened. Swerving to tlie inside in the last fifty yards he lost third place by a head to- lieaueoup. The latter ran last for the greater part of the journey. Berkeley ran with Fayette and Bouquet for about three-quarters and then retired. After fouling Prince Cal and forcing him against Rose Queen, which was squeezed against the rail until pulled up. Lady Irina finished first in the closing sprint: The crowding occurred close to the last furlong post and directly opposite the lietting enclosure. Spectators were almost unanimously ot the opinion that Lady Irina would be disqualified. Powers, who rode Rose Queen, went into the stand and made a -claim. After hearing it. the stewards confirmed the original placing and suspended Upton, who had the mount on Prince Gal. for the meeting It was one of the most astonishing decisions ever rendered here. That Lady Irina. under punishment, was the aggressor was apparent to evcryliody wji.v saw the crowding. That Upton was helpless and K. Martin was the real offender was also evident. Tonight "What do you think or that decision?" is heard on almost every side. On the turn Lady Irma suffered from crowding and lost at least three lengths. Upton was blamed for that. For the subsequent glaring foul "Martin alone was to ldamr. The attendance was the largest in two years., exceeding that of hist Saturday by ten - per cent. Finer weather could not have prevailed. Tlie track was at its best. Having" had a liberal top dressing of sand it is not so fast as last year. Favorites were beaten in four of the six races. Cherryola and Rio Grande lieing the two that won. The steeplechase produced a good contest between three to the final stages, with n driving finish between Byzantine and Grandpa. Economy objected to the Liverpool the second time around and bolted out into the field.
