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OWNER BUTLERS GREAT DAY. WINS FOUR OF THE SIX RACES AT EMPIRE CITY OVER A HEAVY TRACK. -Spur an Easy Winner of the Big- Race of the-Afternoon, with Borrow Second and- Roamer last Tippity Witchets Frivolity Stakes. New York, July 13. It was strictly a Butler day at the Empire City course today." The owner of the Yonkers course celebrated the opening of the Hilltop track by taking the Empire City Handicap with Spur and furnished the winners of more than half the program. Ballad, Counsel, Spur and Top Coat was the order in which the-victories were marked un, but the big race proved the most satisfying of all. Not alone for the ,850 in money, but more so because the four-year-old son of King James Auntie Mum showed a return to his best form, to lead home L. S. Thompsons Borrow by a two-lengths margin and defeat the speedy Roamer in decisive fashion. Much credit for the victory of Spur must be given to the horsemanship of AV. Knapp, who rode a perfect race on the Butler colt. He was content to rate his mount behind tho early pacemaker Roamer and, swinging wide into the good going at the head of the stretch, sent his mount for the winning dash where he had all the best of the track conditions. Roamer, as usual, was the one to cut out the running, but the son of Knight Errant did not stay well in the going and, under his heavy impost, tired badly in the final eighth. Borrow proved the one to chase the winner home and, while rounding the last turn, moved up in a manner that seemed to point to victory In the sprint down the straightaway, Robinson took him to the inside where the going was heavy and holding and this move played no small part in his defeat. The Empire City Handicap was run for the eighth time today, its history in condensed form being as follows: Year. AVinner. A.AVt. Jockey. Val. Time. 1907 Prince Ahmed.. 3 309 Ott $ 1,000 1-40 1908 Plnkola 3 105 J. Butler.. 11,800 1:54 1909 Maltbie 4 100 Page 3.S50 1:53 1910 Dalmatian ... .3 118 G. Archlld 4,850 1 :51 1914 Buckhorn 5 120 J. McOhev 3,200 1:54 1915 Gainer 4 109 T. MTagt 2,775 1:51 1016 Short Grass ...8 127 F. Keogh.. 3,500 1:51 1917 Spur 4 112 AV. Knapp. 3,050 1:50 Run at 1 mile in 1007. No racing at Empire City in 1911, 1912 and 1013. Run at Belmont Park in 1915. Second Straight Victory for Tippity Witchet. The Brighton Stables Tippity AAitciiet scored his second straight victory, when he was returned winner in a driving finish with AVillis Sharne Kilmers Stella Mia in tho Frlvolty Stakes, a two-year-old dash at five and a half furlongs, which was second In Interest to the Empire City Handicap. This race proved strictly a two-horse affair and the others were well beaten. The winner, a well-backed public choice, was joined by Stella Mia after racing a few yards. The pair quickly drew into a good lead and raced head and head until in the filial eighth. Here Tippity AVltchet displayed the greater gameness and gradually drew to the front to win by a half length. The brief history of the Frivolity Stakes is here outlined: Year. AAinner. Wt. Jockey. Val. Time. 190S Dick Roller 107 J. Lee ,740 1:09 1909 Cherryola 107 D. Austin.. 1.100 1:07 1910 Danger Mark .. .105 G. Garner.. 1,150 1:07 1914 Lady Teresa 104 J. McCalicy 075 1:07 3915 Hands Off 107 AV. Lllley.. 075 1:07 1910 Wistful 107 H. Shilling. 1,000 1:07 1917 Tippity AVitchet.107 M. Rowan.. 1,000 1:09 No racing at Empire City In 1911, 1912 and 1913. Run at Belmont Park in 1915. James Butler opened the season at his own course in a most auspicious fashion when Ballad carried the cherry and white silks to victory in easy fashion. Counsel made it two straight for the Yonkor.5 turfman by the narrowest of margins. The track dried out fairly well from the effect of the recent heavy rains and, while it was heavy and holding toward the inner rail, it was fairly good in the center of the track. Unpopular Decision in Fifth Race. Placing Judges Pcttingill and Smith made their third unpopular decision of the eastern season, when they awarded the fifth race to G. M. Miller. From the press stand and to those in the grandstand, the result did not even seem close, The Grader appearing the winner. AV. Cahill has purchased the platers Ellison and AVater AVitch from Harry Fink at private terms. Jack Odom has purchased the three-year-old maiden Tranby from John Sanford. George Odom, acting for the Brighton Stable, has purchased the three-year-old Harvest King from the Oak Ridge stable, for a price said to be ,500. J. Hanover will be the first string jockey for the J. AA Schorr stable for the remainder of the racing season, having signed a contract at the close of the Kentucky spring campaign. Jockey Frank Robinson left for Windsor immediately after the running of the Empire City Handicap. He will ride Bromo in the Frontier Handicap at that track. J. AV. Schorr reports a number of his racers, including the three-year-old crack Cudgel, are on tho ailing list following the shipment from Latonia. It is extremely doubtful if Cudgel will be able to fill his stake engagements at this track. Dave Heismann and Mort Mahoney were visitors at the track and will depart for Thorncliffe Park on Sunday, where Mahoney will be in charge of the mutuel department. AV. Brown has purchased the two-year-old Fragonard from AAaltcr House. Matt Dooley lias established a dally motor van express service from the Long Island tracks to Empire City, for the benefit of horsemen who were unable to obtain accommodations here. V The stewards for the meeting are Andrew Miller, Matt J. AAinn and AV. S. Aosburgh; Judges, E. C. Smith, C. II. Pettingill; Starter, Mars Cassidy, and " Racing Secretary, X. E. Scharmburg.
