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GOVERNOR GRAYS DERBY WINNER OF DERBY AT JACKSONVILLE ADDS LATONIA FIXTURE TO HIS SCORE. Latonia Racing Opens Under Conditions That Testify to Rehabilitation of Sport in Estimation of Cincinnati Public and Great Meeting is Sure. Cincinnati. .. Jane la ii„. Latonia Jockey Club in Ha long history Merer had ii greater day nor a greater crowd for the upeaiag of ■ spring meeting than was today aad its uapurb gathering at the ■agaiaceat raciag ground across the river in the green cuvi rod hills of Kenton Coaaty, Kentockj i"i some of Ibe ilvus.inds w 1 1 . . packed tae stand Mini the crabhouse. Swarmed tae hoi ting ring aad Ike paddock, or spread themscrrcs over tae grassy sward in front f tae ataad aad beside Ike club-boose, or found their way to tae shade beaeath the treea of the infield the areather any have beea t-m Hot. but for raciag it was ideal. The crowd was made up of roan aeatatire people froai Ohio, Ken lucky aad Indiana principally, bui numbered in the rasl Huong there were others from distaal points. It was ■ crowd vastly different in character froai •n:u that gathered at "lair Latonia" on the Derby day* of ■ eompsrstlTeiy receat period. It was more like the crowds of the eighties, when the lack was new and win n people went to the races for the sport thev extracted from them, it was a crowd thai stands as a testimonial to the return of the thoroughbred and the raciag he makes to the hearts of the people under the assurance that integrity is the Watchword of the track management and that the commercial side of it only has :i secondary place. In a word it was a day to gladden the hearts of all who live by raciag and of all who wish well lot the sport and its attendant industries. N..v as to tin raciag. it was as g 1 as the best ever seen aajrwhrre. The feature of the card was. of course, the twentv ninth running of the I.alonia Derby, with a gaaraoteed cash value of 10023,999, of Which the winners portion was $:;..v.o. the secoadc ■hare 9790. the third 30 and the fourth .7.".. The withdrawal of V. :. Vankes Boaad the World. T. Y. Fl nils Slirrv Night and .1. 1.. Respesa* Vote head left eight three year olds of the male sex to go the mile and a half. The public choice Waa tSoreraor Qray, the bay gelding by Barry rJorraaaaa Salnnia. the latter the dam of the fast colt Vald. . •lu.-l. carried the colors of It. N. Smith iV Co.. re spcethcly son in-law and wife of apt. .1. T. Williams, of Spring Station. Ky.. who selected the horse as a weanling and bought him for the insig nitieant sum of iji.17.~i. In making him the choice the public expected him to win and he did. but they were not prepared for any such surprising performance as this gelding. trained to the minute by James S. F.verman. a true ..hi of Latoalaa hills aad dales, and masterfully ridden by jockey Rice, gave them. Held in mild re-straint for the first mile, while Colston was hading the party, with Mud Sill at bis flank and White ■Fool next in order, jockey Kice began to move up with lioveinor Cray and passed the i"st marking the ead of the mile, half a length ill alliance in 1 ..i:it.. Around the far turn Colston hung at Cover nor Crays Hank lor a sixteenth of a mile and then he was done. GojfUlBOC Cray came on with an admirable burst of apeed and entered the stretch three lengths before Star Charter, which was ill lurn two better than the locally owned Messenger Hoy. they having easily displaced the tiling Colston and Mud Sill. Uader wrapa and apparently with little effort. Governot Cray steadily increased his lead until at the finish in 2:90$, time that fell only a fraction ■hot I of the American record, he was the winner by six lengths from Star Charter. John . Schorrs colt, which in turn had five lengths the best of Cene Lata Messenger Boy, with White Wool loiirtli. Anv Port fifth. Colston sixth. Mud Sill seventh and I nele ltt a last, all strung out. The ovation that Covernor Qray received when lie led his field home as the fox bads the pack was a tilting tribute to the true race horse that he is. and the applause when the time was hung out was again tremendous, the crowd easily recognizing that Hie Derby and track record held by Baa d"Or at 2:32", made in the Derby of is:»s. in which he raced He- mighty Plaudit to his Waterloo, had beea broken by more than two seconds, and had all of them known that the time was so sensationally close to Hie American record of 2:39s, set at Washington Park July Id, isjis. by Goodrich, then a three year-aid, -Nitli 108 pounds up. they would liave been, if it were possible, even more demonstrative than they were. The pushing, jostling throng in the betting ring were speculatively Pent as attested by the volume of the wagers during tin afteraooa, it executing last yearhy nearly forty per cent. Withal it waa a good . aatared throng and unmindful of the many discom torts. The followers of favorites fared well, as tour tit st choicea were returned winners. Their sin-cess began when Floral Day landed in the opener with BOOby and Bose of .leddall following her closely. American Girl in this race would have been a much more serious factor but for being cut down and it is thought that she was made practically useless as a racer. The 910,099 COit, Worth, was easily best in the second race and won eommandingly. He only arrived at the coarse from Louisville about an hour prior to the running of the race. H. C. Halletiheck scored a double when Adams Express led home John Criffin II. . and Melisande in the third race. The suicidal tactics employed by the riders of John Criffin II. and Melisande aided Adams Express greatly to the victory. Bourlxii l.eau. which is showing continuous improvement with all his starts, made a hid for greater honors in tin- handicap division when he took Ocean Round and Counties into camp. He was in receipt of a good deal of weight from each, but went at his more seasoned opponents with n will, disposing of "cean Bound, which had offered him the most stubborn opposition in the early stages, in game faahion during the stretch drive. He won with plenty to -pare. Countless was a trailer after the first quarter. The closing race also went to an eastern owner, making it four for the invaders during the after-BOSa PetroaiBS was the lucky one and best of the barters, winning handily from Superstition, with ■ewwlae just beating Joe Morris, last years La-Ionia Derby winner, by a nose for third place. Before the raciag Presiding Judge c. i Price had a loag talk witli the riders, dwelling particularly on the fad that there had beea too mack rough riding at Louisville and that there must be none of it here. He warned the jockeys that an offense of this kind would be severely halt with. Jockey T. Rice was the first to offend and was given a double does of discipline by Judge Trice. For his tirst offense, which came in the third race, while astride John Criffin II.. he was tined ISO, but when he again resorted to rough tactics in the fifth with Ocean Hound ho was suspended for five days. Chat. C. A. Tilles. tie- chief owner of the track. earns from St. Louis to view llie running of the Derby and note the opening. He was greatly pleased with the changed conditions and waxed enthusiastic over future prospects. Hi- gave unstinted praise to Geaeral Manager John Hachmeister for the methods that brought aliout the confidence shown today and also attracted such a representa tive attendance to the track. Mr. Tilles departed tonight for St. Louis, where he has extensive busi ness interests. tleneral Manager Hachmeister was all smiles to niht over the s.i tisfactory results that his untiring efforts have accomplished. "From what I can learn it was the biggest crowd that ever witnessed racing in one day in the history of the course," said he. "Old timers tell me that it brings back to them memories of the glorious days when Latonia was a word to conjure with and stood for much in racing. It will be my aim while I am in charge of affairs lure to caler to the public and reach out for the best there is in racing. 1 «m greatly gratified over today*! splendid turnout and results." II. K. Kaapp, steward of the Jockey Club, was among todays visitors. He was considerably impressed with the appoiatmenta here and sought out Mr. Hachmeister to congratulate him. He said: "This is my first visit to any of the western courses and I .im really glad I came. For picturesquencss Latonia has the world beaten and no one could find fault witli the splendid attendance today and the lacing." This moriiiiers work outs included the following: Althorpe Mile in 1:50. BeaeJi Sand — Mile in 1:44. Belfast Mile in 1:1,. Delaney Three quart ers ill 1:11!. Descomaeta Mile in 1:44. Detect- Five eighths in 1.01. Bthej Samson live eighths in 1 ;04r. Foxy Mary Three quarters in 1:17. Gay Fisher — Half mile in SO. Harrey r. Mile in 1 4»;3. High Brow — Half mile in oil. Ida May Mile in 1:45. Judge Walton — Half mile in 50g. King Solomon- Mile in 1 : IP. Kings Daughter -Three quarters in l.lot. Kormak — Mile in 1.12-!. I.abold -Three quarters in 1:1T|. Layminster — Mile in 1:4.". Mollie Pitcher— Half mile in 50. Oakley -Three quarters in ltlBf, Oaaaa — Mile in 1:47. Setback -Mile in 1 :44. Spring Hoard -Half mile in .10. Sjlvestris — Mile in 1:Ti0. The Manager--Half mile in 50. Toison dOr— Five eighths in 1 : i. Vanen — Mile and one-half In 2:40; first mile In 1:44.