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EMPIRE CITYS OPENING DAY Largest Crowd Ever Seen at Yonkers Course Is Present Lanius Wins the Empire City CityHandicap Handicap After a Thrilling ThrillingFinish Finish with Be Frank NEW YORK N T July 12 One of the largest crowds that ever attended the Yonkers course wit ¬ nessed the running of the Empire City Handicap and other good races that made up the opening day program The brick walk and lawn in front of the stand were packed the congestion being great at every point A strong wind blew at times raising considerable dust which caused much dis ¬ comfort Aside from that it was an ideal after ¬ noon for outdoor sport and the racing was im mensely enjoyed by the big throng present The absence of Old Rosebud somewhat detracted from the interest in the Empire City Handicap but G D Wideners Lanius victory proved decidely popular The Irishbred gelding was ridden by J Loftus and was substantially backed Loftus kept him in a good forward position while Tippity Wit chet was setting a dazzling early pace and not until entering the homestretch did he begin riding Lanius responded in game fashion and after passing Spur gamely and successfully resisted the sensationalc closing dash of the Latonia Derby winner Be Frank which would have snatched victory in another stride or two It was a great finisn and the enthusiasm of the crowd was aroused to a high pitch pitchThe The Empire City Handicap was established in 1907 and its interesting history briefly told is as fol ¬ lows Year Winner AWt Jockey Val Tiirie 1907 Prince Ahmed3 109 Ott 1660 140 1908 Pinkola 3 105 J Butler 11800 l51tf 1909 Maltbie 4 10G Page 3850 1 53 1910 Dalmatian 3 118 G Archild 4850 151 1914 Buckhorn 5 120 J McChey 3200154 1915 Gainer 4 109 T McTgt 2775 151 1916 Short Grass 8 127 F Keogh 3500151 1917 Spur 4 112 W Knapp 3850150 1918 Roamer 7 128 L Lyke 3850 151 1919 Lanius 4 115 J Loftus 3850 151 151Run Run at 1 mile in 1907 No racing at Empire City Cityin in 1911 1912 and 1913 Run at Belmont Park in 1915 1915G G W Lofts Ormbel a son of Duke of Ormonde Miss Bellamy scored in the opening dash He showed the way throughout but was forced to do his best at the end Annette Teller making a strong bid in the final eighth eighthThe The old campaigner Hank ODay found easy oppo ¬ sition in the second race and after racing into the lead when entering the backstretch was only can ¬ tering at the end The Glen Riddle Farms Pi ¬ raeus the medium of heavy backing in this race Vras eliminated from serious contention when he was pinched back at the start and forced to race wide afterward afterwardWEIGHT WEIGHT TOO HUGH FOE PETEE PIPES PIPESIn In the Katouah Highweight Handicap Peter Piper found his heavy impost too much for him after threatening seriously At the head of the stretch he fell back a badly beaten fifth The speedy Out the Way carried 129 pounds and ran away from his opponents at the call of Loftus who inci ¬ dentally rode two of the days winners winnersPaddy Paddy JVhack found the lightly weighted Dottle Vandiver a tough proposition in the fifth race and although winning his margin was a slender one oneThe The final dasli of the afternoon was a duel be ¬ tween Romany and End Man the first mentioned prevailing in easy fashion after End Man had lead to near the finish finishCol Col Matt AVimi was a new arrival today from Kentucky He admired the improvements made in the clubhouse and said he would remain in New York and Saratoga until the end of August when lie will return to Kentucky to prepare for the open ¬ ing of the fall season seasonMajor Major Tom McDowell will remain in New York until after the settlement of the Havre de Grace track sale dated for next Tuesday when he will move to Saratoga SaratogaHad Had the grandstand at Einpice City been twice its size it would not have accommodated the peopl present today todayJames James Coffroth manager of the Tijuana Racing Association will spend a few weeks in the east As soon as tilings quiet down in Washington I am going there to try and fix up the passport business to cross the border said Mr Coffroth and I have every belief we shall begin racing at Tijuana on Thanksgiving day In fact in the language of the betting man it is a one to twenty shot W T Wilkinson advanced Ormbel to 2500 after the finish of the first race and secured her herVincent Vincent Powers contract steeplechase rider for the Creentree Stable piloted Its Peter Piper In the Katonah Handicap and after its running he was suspended for live days by tlie stewards for rbugln riding
