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SOME EXCITING FINISHES , Drastic, at Odds-On, Barely Noses Koh-i-Noor Out. .. Al Pierce Also Only Manages to Win by Inches- Thelina E. Defeats Emma Weller. NEW ORLEANS, La.. February 20. An additional deluge that came in the night and early morning hours served to make the Fair Grounds track a quagmire for this afternoons racing. As the program originally offered was an ordinary one, it was further weakened by the absence of some of the best that had been named to go. Threatening weather also held down the attendance to a smaller number than has been noted here in some time. Many of the dashes were interesting despite the drawbacks, and as favorites and well-backed ones scored in most instances, the backers, at least, found their outing a profitable and enjoyable one. The feature purse came near to resulting in an upset, due to the narrowly achieved success of the overwhelming favorite Drastic His hntrgin of victory was less than a neck, over K6h-i-Noor. Another heart-breaking windup for the backers developed in the sixth race, when Al Pierce barelv managed to get lip in time to beat Hondo bv a head. Al Pierce was at a prohibitive price, and" his defeat would have been costly to his backers. Thelma E., a winner in her only previous start here, again showed a sparkling performance br landing the opener in game style from EmmaWellrr and Airnnt. Bnthilde continues in. her winning formjand accounted for the second racer in easy stvle. She was in to be. sold for. S400, and. immediately attracted the- notice of il. Field. R. E. Watklns. C. B. Heath mid Crippen and Frazier, all lodging claims for her. rippen and Frazier were the lucky ones, in the draw and Jed her to their establishment. W. F. Knebelkauip, whose horses hare been enjoying a full measure of success here,- added another purse to his. credit by the victory of Kil-ih.re Boy. which led throughout in the third race and won easing iip. Kultur,was the favored one in this, but he showed scant speed, and after the finish the judges ordered that his entry in future be not accepted liecause of his imminent breakdown. He came out of his race this afternoon with a decided limp. Pilsen. which lias"beeii w M performing erratically in these Marts, won the fifth race at one mile when he outstayed Tito and Don Dodge. NEW JOCKEY APPEARS ON THE SCENE. The filial number fell to Kebo iu easv. fashion, with Senator Broderick, on which the much-talked of Richcreek. a supposed crack apprentice, had the mount. The youngster is of diminutive size and rode a creditable race. Hamilton C. Applegate. secretary ,nnd treasurer of the New Ijiuisville Jockey Club, ,was an arrival today in the interest of the stakes offered for the Churchill Downs track. He expects to garner a record number of entries among the horsemen here. No official appointments have yet been made for Churchill Downs, according to. Mr. vApplegate.- anil it is unlikely that any officials will.: bo announced until after the organization of the New Kentupky Jockey Club has been perfected. Meantime Charles F. Grainger and H. C. Applegate are. arranging for the meeting and will look Mifter preliminary details. The concluding program of the Fair Grounds meeting, embracing the last eight days, was distributed to owners today. A feature of it is. that two-year-olds will be asked to go a half mile during the final days. James Osborne, who is assisting starter A. It. Dade, will accompany the latter to Hot Springs immediately after the close of the Fair Grounds meeting and engage in schooling youngsters to the barrier at the Oaklawn track prior to tlie opening . of racing there. The program book of the Jefferson Park racing is now in the hands of the printers and will shortly be distributed to horsemen here. The Preliminary Handicap, the Martin Behrman Handicap and the Carnival Handicap., which, still remain to be decided, will close f6r entries next Saturday. - That the Canadian tracks have in view a resumption of racing this year is indicated fin the fact that John H. Maddigan. president of the Niagara Jockey Club, who has been sojourning here, intends to depart for Toronto sliortlv. where a meeting of the Canadian jockey clubs will be ..held and at which -plans for the resumption will be thoroughly gone over.
