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SARATOGAS DULL AFTERNOON : Heavy Going and Scratching Detract from Quality of the Sport. . His Choice Wins Troy Stakes and Is Heavily Bid Up Air Raid Badly Cut Down and Shot. BY J. L. DEMPSEY. SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y., August 2.".. The Troy Selling Stakes, for two-year-olds under selling conditions and having a guaranteed value of ,500, of which ,950 net went to the1 winner, was the best offering of a mediocre program that was further affected unfavorably as a result of a changed track conditions due to a brief but severe storm Sunday afternoon. The race resulted in a spirited stretcli duel between His Choice, carrying lie colors of J. K. L. Ross, and Simpleton, owned by R. T. Wilson.. His Choice won by a neck and her success was in the main .due to her lefrig ridden a short course, whereas Simpleton raced wide and it entailed a loss of ground for him. Herd Girl, one of the outsiders, managed to land in third place after a fine stretch rush. The winner was entered for ,000 and Sam Louis bid him to ,000, but the colt was protected by an additional bid of . The outstanding incident of the race was the .injury received by W. R Coels Air .Raid, backed into favoritism. He got caught in a- mixup soon after the start and emerged from it with a badly cut left hind leg that led to his destruction. He was away prominently, but his injury occurred directly after the start and his rider was forced to null him up. It was with difficulty he liobblPd back" to the stand and when removed from the track a bullet ended iiis career. BAD DAY" FOR FAVORITES. Small fields were the rule throughout the afternoon, but some of the contests developed spirited finishes and in most instances were productive of upsets. Rhomb, in the steeplechase, and Thunderclap, in the mile and an eighth handicap, were the only successful choices. . Thunderclap, Spur and Fairy Wand were the only ones that started in the handicap, and th; finished, in the above order. The early running of the race was dominated by Fairy Wand, which showed the most speed for three-quarters of a mile, then gave way and was relegated to the rear. Thunderclap took up the running where Fairy Wand left off, but shortly after rounding into the stretcli McAtee wnsi forced to go to the whip, as Spur was pressing him closely and appeared as if lie would succeed in wresting tiie lead away, but in the last eighth the track was heavier than in other parts and he seemed to be mired and Thunderclap had no trouble in drawing away from him. One of the main upsets of the afternoon came with the running of the fifth race, in which Chasseur was thought to have the purse at His mercy and attracted unusually confident support. He flattered extensively for the first five-eighths by holding a good lead, but once straightened out for the: stretch drive Atlilone began wearing him down in steady style and the last sixteenth found her drawing clear. Chasseur had to be ridden hard to the end to outstay Joyful for second place. RIFLE AT TOP QF HIS FORM. S. M. Henderson, who purchased Rifle at a paddock sale at Latonia for the Ogden Stables account, had that one-time good racer back to iiis top form, judging by the easy manner in which lie scored over some highly regarded platers that took part iir the ,000 top price downward claiming race that opened the days proceedings. Rifle displayed a high order of speed right from the start by racing into a long lead and being taken a course that insured him the better footing, continued in the van to ultimately win easing up from Poacher, which had moved up steadily, but had to be ridden hard in the last eighth to withstand the pressing challenge of Grundy. The latter, under a stronger rider, might have been dangerous, for he ran an extra good race, considering that the going was held to be against him. Rifle was claimed after the race for ,003, an advance of ,005 over his entered price. Rifle cost Henderson originally ,700. This is the second horse that the Ogden Stable has lost by the claiming method during the meeting, Grundy, a starter in the same race witli Rifle, having previously been claimed for ,200. L. Williams has been put in charge of the Crown Stable during the illness of trainer James Johnson. Steeplechase jockey F. Williams contemplates going to France to ride. Of the thirteen entered in the final race only four went to the post, witli Harry Payne Whitneys Wildair a receding favorite, but still at prohibitive odds-on at post time. He ran disappointingly, for after showing a brief flight of speed that enabled him to sjtay in the -van for the first eighth, he was passed in a flash by Capt. Alcock, which held syay to the end to win easing up from Grayssian, Continued on second page. SARATOGAS DULL AFTERNOON Continued from first page. which, coming with a high burst of speed near the end; outstayed Wildaic for second place. There Were only three starters in the steeplechase and its running was spectacular and at times frought with uneasiness for the many who backed Rhomb at a short price. That racer, while showing -the irfost speed between hedges, fenced in such awkward fashion that his downfall seemed iminent on several occasions. The loss of ground he would incur when jumping would give the lead to Har-wood, for Kingstown Pier was always far back, but once over "the last hedge, which Rhomb got over almost sideways, he had no difficulty and galloped in a leisurely winner, passing the finish with Har-wood many" lengths in advance of Kingstown Pier for second idace. The horses owned by-E. W. Trotter were shipped last night to Latonia, where they will be rested until the opening of that meeting. Sunny Slope and Mile Dazie were also sent in the same car, the former to be transferred to Ilimyar Farm, hear Lexington, to be turned out until next spring, and Mile. Dazie into the care of Kay Spenee, who has charge of the horses owned by W. V. Thravcs Wow- at tho IjCxlugton track. J. II. Itosseter was among the new arrivals and will remain until the close of the meeting. It is his first-visit and -ho .-came, from .California and is en route to Washington, where he expects soon to ,bg released from government service, being a member, of tlip shipping board. Mr. Itosseter has at his W.ikiup Ranch in Califonia a highly prized band of weanlings, of which eighteen are sired by the famous Rock View, the dams being noted mares. Mr. Rpsscter spoke hopefully of the outlook for a resumption of racing on California tracks and it is probable that a concerted effort by influential interests., will soon be made looking toward the restoring of racing, on the Pacific coast. H. G. Bed well shipped a consignment of J. K. L. Ross owned horses to Belmont Park this afternoon. Fred Burlews string of four horses will be shipped to Jamaica at the close of racing here. W. M. Wallace will take ten of J. w". McClel- lands, horses, which include Hasten On, to Lex-" ihgton next Friday. Hasten Oil is an intended Btarter iu the Breeders Futurity Stakes. ,
