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SPECTACULAR STEEPLECHASE trr : Houdini Wins Valuable Brook Handicap by a Nose. L. ! Crack Jumper Sweepment Goes Down to Defeat in a Sensational Finish. NEW YORK. N. Y., September 15. The Brook Handicap Steeplechase, with ?10,O0O added, which rivals the Manley Memorial Steeplechase cs the most valuable jumping race of the American turf, fell to J. E. Wideners Houdini by a scant nose in a stirring finish at Belmont Park today. George W. Lofts Sweepment, conceding twenty-sir pounds to Houdini, was second by the judges decision, although some of the spectators did not agree. Skib-berecn, another Widener jumper, was third. Sweepment did not jump as well as usual In the early racing when Mergler attempted to restrain him behind Houdini, but once the Loft horse was given his head be began to clear the obstacles with the beautiful form that has characterized his previous racing efforts, lie then began to gain with every stride and open up a longer gap in the racing on the flat, no came to the stretch turn with a good lead over Houdini, bnt he blundered slightly at the last Jump and the Widener horse, being hard driven by Byers, came up rapidly to overtake him: The two horses reached the finish line nose and nose Sweepment still seemingly " in front, with Houdini gaining rapidly. From the stands it seemed that the race had ended by the Widener jumper pushing his muzzle ahead of bis opponents, and there was not a sound from the crowd when Byers rode Houdini back to the judges stand for weighing in. Jockey Earl Sande. who was married Wednesday night to Miss Marion Hildreth Casey, was given a hand by the spectators as he paraded on S. C. Hil-dreths Dunboyne for the Southampton Highweight Handicap, third on the card. He proceeded to demonstrate that the wedded state agrees with him by riding the Celt horse to a stirring victory over Dry Moon and Mercury. The crowd gave him further applause as lie rode back to the judges stand. The Southampton marked Dunboynes first start since he was purchased from P. A. Clark by the Rancocas trainer. The horse showed fine form and covered the three-quarters in 1:11, four-fifths of a second slower than the track record. Sande held him under slight restraint behind the leaders for the first half mile, while Mercury was showing his usual flash of early speed. Turning into the stretch the Hildreth horse made his move. The race ended with Dunboyne a neck to the good. Dry Moon was going fast and took second place by a nose from Mercury, although the latter held on gamely. DOUBLE FOR JOHN SANFOED. John Sanford completed a double with the running of the fiftli race when Chateau Thierry defeated Frigate and Court View after a hard stretch drive. Jockey Coltiletti rode the winner in a rare spirit of confidence. He allowed Court View and Frigate to make the pace until on the stretch turn. By that time Court View had. had enough and was giving way rapidly. Coltiletti then resorted to the whip and brought Chateau Thierry through between the two leaders. The Sanford filly struggled desperately for the lead through the stretch and forged uhead in the last eighth to win by a half length. Frigate was tiring at the end. The time for the mile was 1:37, which, though it was one and two-fifths of a second slower that the track record, was the fastest time of the day. The other Sanford success came in the preceding race, in which the Sweeper II. filly, Pierre Qui Roule, scored her first turf success in the running of the fourth race, a dash for maiden two-year-old fillies at five-eighths of a mile on the straight. She was held under slight restraint until the last eighth, when she moved up under a hard ride and fought a see-saw battle with Anna M. through the stretcli. She finally passed the Monahan starter and won by a head. Prelude was third. Matches Mary had an easy time winning the first race, at five and a half furlongs, from Clinchfleld and Margaret White. Matches Mary took the lead at the start and steadily drew away from her opponents until at the finish she was five lengths ahead of Clinchfield. The latter squeezed through next to the inside rail at the stretch turn and passed the others in tiie last eighth without, however, threatening the leader. Bridegroom Sande made it a double by piloting A. K. Macombers Story Teller to victory over a band of two-year-old maiden fillies in the final dash, another of those unpopular five-eighths affairs on the straight. Sande got the Macomber youngster away in front and kept her in front all the way, although she was hard pressed by Chewink in the early running. Chewink continued to hang on gamely through the stretch, but could not overtake the leading filly. Story Teller won by half a length. Mutches Mary was claimed after her victory in the first race by J. P. Lavin for ,020. Bcllsolar, which will be Exterminators only opponent in the Autumn Gold Cup tomorrow, received her preparation for the race at Saratoga and arrived at Belmont Park this morning.
