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TWO FOR SENOR A. H. DIAZ Cuban Turfman Scores His First Victories of Present Meeting. : Winners Difficult to Pick Only . One Favorite Scores Track Improving. . ITAYAXA, Cuba, December 4. There was little to enthuse over in the racing at Oriental Park today. The track was still heavy, but drying out. the wind sweeping flown the course and improving the going as tiie afternoon progressed. It should be in fair condition tomorrow. The public was at sea in selecting likely winners, only one first choice scolding, although several of the other winners were well backed. From a local standpoint the most pleasing incident of the day was the success of the stable- of Senor A. H. Diaz. The popular turfman scored ills first victory of the meeting when Douglas Fairbanks won the opener, easily defeating Major Bradley. The latter, on the strength of his runaway victory on Tuesday, was made favorite, although "the Diaz youngster did not lack support. Pickens sent Douglas Fairbanks into a big lead in the first eighth and the. Celt colt had little trouble maintaining ills advantage to the end. Don Thrush made it u double for the Diaz stable when he led all the way In the final race of the day, holding safe Mauokin at every stage of the race. Pickens rode both of the Diaz stable" winners. What proved to 1m- the best finish of the afternoon came with the running of the fifth race, and .T. Umensetter provided the winner of it in Gold Stone. King Worth was first to show in frYmt, hut ll was quickly displaced by Gold Stone, which, after moving into the lead, hung on gamely and successfully resisted the best efforts of Assign. The latter was gaining with every stride and would have won in another stride. The eight-year-old gelding Manganese made short work of his opponents in the second race. Dashing to the front witii the rise of the barrier he set a fast pace, drew away into a big lead on the far turn and was only cantering at the end. Bars and Stars, the favorite in the race, ran forwardly all the way and finished a game second. The Kentucky owner and trainer, J. Gass, furnished a surprise in the third race when Ned Miley-bright. quoted at 11! to 1 in the betting, led home a band of maidens. The winner passed the favorite on the far turn, then raced Uranium into defeat and drew away into a safe lead in the final sixteenth. Another surprise came in the following race, Jack Healey, a three-year-old son of Dalhousie, providing it. He was outrun to the stretch and his chances of winning seemed slim indeed. However, hardly before the siectators realized it he was taken to the outside, and displaying unsuspected speed drew up alongside of the leaders, and in a twinkling passed them as if they were standing still. He had a five-lengths margin at the end. with Eddie Tranter fighting hard to save second place from the fast finishing Tranby. That Cuba is a healthy place in which to keep horses during the summer months is evidenced by the splendid condition of the animals which did not leave the island last spring. Conspicuous among them are Unar, which has already -won two races; Betterton, Zoie and Hatrack. All have won at the present meeting. The general health of horses at Oriental Park was never better, there being hot a single serious case of illness reported at the track. Jockey Edward Cummins, who is attached to the W. F. Poison stable, left tonight for Louisville on receipt of news of serious illness of his father. W. C. AVeant sold on private terms to Mrs. C. K. Moore the five-year-old. Berlin, which finished second in his only two starts at the meeting. The horses Orlando of Havana and First Consul, belonging to O. Ysquierdo, arrived in charge, of trainer W. E. Suggs. Jim Gass has taken over the useful plater Scotcli Verdict and will train him in the future for his owner.
