view raw text
HAVANA TRACK VIRTUALLY A QUAGMIRE Skiles Knob Carries 136 Pounds to Victory Over Good Opposition in Saturdays Feature Race. HAVANA, Cuba, February S. The Oriental Park track today was virtually a quagmire, and only the sturdiest kind of horses were able to show to advantage in the difficult going. Rad as the track was It seemed to suit W. Feuchters Skiles Knob, which, despite his heavy impost, won the; Highweight Handicap, the main attraction of the afternoon, from good opposition. This made the sixth victory in handicaps for the son of Hurst Park since the meeting began. Skiles Knob carried 130 pounds and gave weight to such shifty horses as The Rlue Duke, which is rated as one of the best three-vear-olds here. Dominick got him away in front, with Deckmate and The Rlue Duke chasing two lengths back at the end of the first quarter. Round-, iug the far turn Gus Scheer moved up, making a strong bid entering the stretch. An eighth from home it looked as though Skiles Knob was leaten, but he responded to the call of Dominick and drew away, winning by a length and a half. Deckmate came fast at the end and beat Gus Scheer for second place by a length. Ambassador III., an even money favorite in the fourth race, was beaten a nose by Omeme in the final stride. The pair raced together from the last eighth post, Omeme getting the" decision in a fiercely contested finish. Aside from Skiles Knobs splendid performance, the outstanding incident of the days sport was the riding of jockey T. Murray, who rode the winners of the first three races. He landed Laudator a winner in the opener without much trouble, while In the second he brought home Quick In advance of the favorite, Sam Hill. His third success was on Hemlock, from the stable of Kay Spence. It was easily achieved. The biggest disappointment of the day was Unar in the closing race, in which he was an odds-on favorite. Unar led to the last eighth before quitting, Eginont winning the race, with St. Jude in second place, a half length in advance ojt,. the favorite. The management announced this afternoon that after next Monday there will be racing every day until the end of March, making one hundred days as advertised.
