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FAVORITES ALMOST ROUTED Mud Sill Only Public Choice to Score at Oriental Park. Sensational Finish in the Fourth Race Elizabeth Lee 1 Meets With Mishap. Havana, Cuba, December 29. Ideal racing conditions brought out a large gathering of racegoers to Oriental Park this afternoon. The program was well balanced and hard fought contests were the order. The feature race, a sprint affair, which was run as the fourth race, furnished a sensational finish, in which Encore. Lytle and Clark M. passed the judges stand in the order named witli but a small margin separating the trio. Kncore quickly assumed the lead and forced a fast pace all the way. He was tiring at the end and it took the lest efforts of bis rider to retain the lead. Lytle and Clark M., which had closely followed Encore, finished with a terrific rush and just failed to overtake the winner. Lytle might have won had lie not been taken wide while rounding the far turn. Those who pin tiieir faith and money on favorites, had little cause to rejoice over the days results at Oriental 1ark. Mud Sill, in the closing race, was the only public choice to score. Skeets was the first favorite to disappoint when lie finished a poor third in the opening dash. The winner turned up in the Cuban-owned Golden Chance, which raced in a forward position close behind Skeets and, when the latter tired, forged to the front and won by a comfortable margin. Clcek. in a sensational closing rush, caught and passed Skeets in the final strides for second place. ROUGH TACTICS CAUSES A FALL. The performance of Iscligabibble in the second race was in sad contrast to his last previous start, on the strength of which lie was made a pronounced choice. He was away poorly and raced in the rear until turning for home, when lie finished witli a fast but belated rush. Dr. Cann won the race after an interesting ..simi- hard. fought--cohtest with -.lames Oakley, which forced the pace to the last eighth, where lie tired, but finished gamely. A mishap occurred on the turn at the backstreteh in tliis race, when Irvin, on Freshet, crossed in front of Elizabeth Lee, causing the latter to fall. Poland escaped with a shaking up and Irvin earned a suspension for ten days for rough riding. Petz was also set down for ten days for rough riding and Smith was fined 5 for the same offense. Another upset occurred in the third race, when lhedoden tired badly after going a fast half. After the elimination of the favorite, the real struggle narrowed down to between Count Boris, Kapid Firer and Elizabetli II., the first named winning under u splendid ride on the part of jockey Lunsford. AVavering won the fifth race, leading all the way, while Mud Sill made amends to some extent for the downfall of the public choices by scoring in decisive fashion in the final race of tlte afternoon. Peeper ran in the name of W. T. Duane, who purchased the horse yesterday from J. W. Iangle. G. It. Bryson reported the death of his plater Vermont, which lauded here a sick horse.
