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HEPHAISTOS A DERBY WINNER Takes the Empire City Derby from Letierman Easily. Bud Lerner Wins the Whirl Stakes While Conceding "Weight to Ail Opponents. YONKERS, N. T.. July 15. F. E. Browns Hephaistos was the winner of the Empire City Derby over the Yonkers track today, whilo John E. Maddens Bud Lerner gave away considerable weight in the five and a half furlongs of the Whirl Stakes and beat the best band of two-year-olds that could be mustered against him. It was a real half holiday at the track on the hill and there was such a tremendous crowd out that the lawn and stands were uncomfortably crowded. The weather was all that could have been desired and the track had dried out from its recent drenching. An excellent program had been provided for the occasion and in addition to the Derby and the Whirl Stakes there was a highweight handicap over the short three-quarters distance that was of real interest. Only four went to the post for the Derby and Hephaistos was opposed by the Green-treo Stables Letterman, Mrs. Louise Viaus Firm Friend and the Riviera Stables Lally. That was the order of the finish, but then there came a disqualification and Firm Friend was set back from third place and Lally moved up there. The start was a good one and Lang at once went into the lead with Firm Friend and, keeping well out from the rail, took the son of Friar Rock into a long early lead, while the others were in close order and racing along at a much more sensible pace for a mile and a quarter. It was apparent before Firm Friend had completed his rush through the backstrctch that he was beginning to shorten his stride and that too much use had been made ot him. Both Hephaistos and Letterman were giving resolute chase and gradually cutting down his lead. Then at the head of the stretch, as Sande chose a course on the outside of Firm Friend, Lang bore out with the Viau colt and bumped him and forced him wide. This afforded Letterman his chance and Fator drove him hard on the inside, but he was not good enough, and Hephaistos, after he had come clear from the tired Firm Friend, won by a length and a half. Letter-man beat Firm Friend a like distance and Lally was a full fifteen lengths farther away. JOCKEY LAIS G PUNISHED. Lang, when called to the stand, admitted that he had taken Firm Friend out intentionally, seeking the best going. After his mount was disqualified he was suspended for six days as punishment for his foul riding. John E. Maddens Bud Lerner, a handsome two-year-old son of The Finn and Dreamsome, successfully gave away weight to win the five and a half furlongs Whirl Stakes, which was worth ,050 to the winner. A length and a half back of him the Orleans Stables Belter Luck beat Richard T. Wilsons Tall Timber for second place and Vigil was a close fourth, he and Tall Timber having been coupled in the betting because trained by T. J. Healey. The start was a good one and Tall Timber and Bud Lerner at once set out to make the pace. Tall Timber was showing the way when he swung into the stretch and as Sande made his rush with Bud Lerner on the outside he forced him out slightly. But Sande swung his whip twice and Bud Lerner forged to the front and the race was as good as over as far as the winning was concerned, though Sande took no chances and kept him right at his task. In the meantime Better Luck had saved ground on the stretch turn and was closing up in gallant fashion. Inside the last eighth he caught Tall Timber and passed him. Then Vigil made his rush that was only a few strides short of taking the measure of the Wilson colt The race gives Bud Lerner importance in that he is tho first of the two-year-olds that has been successful in giving away weight to stake race performers. About as speedy a band of sprinters as could be mustered at the track on the hill came together in the Highweight Handicap over the short three-quarters distance and In a driving finish the Green tree Stables Exodus got up in time to beat Mrs. Louise Viaus Ten-Lec by a half length, while Rout-ledge was a good third, with IL M. Howards St. Allan fourth. Back of them came She-rando, Dominique, racing for tho first time under the silks of the Allies Stable, and Op-pcrman. Ten cheap platers met at a mile and a sixteenth in the opening race and the winner turned up in E. J. Bennetts Thorn-hedge, with W, V. Caseys Moody second and T. A. Sears TIcacey third. Thomas Welsh has returned from his Kentucky visit. Eighteen of tho Joseph E. Wid- oner yearlings will be shipped up to Belmont Park, vhere they will be broken. The racing string was shipped to Saratoga Saturday. Twrlve went in the shipment. FoKhall Keene was a visitor at Yonkers. Allie Loudon, secretary of ihe Hamilton Jockey Club, was at Yonri-irs distributing meeting books and doing missionary work for the second Hamilton meeting. Mose Goldblatt has a number of two-year-olds on the market that he hopes to dispose of during the present meeting. There are eighteen of the H. P. Whitney string and eight of his own on the bargain counter. They are all two-year-olds. This sale is to reduce the stable and at the conclusion of the Saratoga meeting Goldblatt will take a number of the Whitney two-year-olds now there to Kentucky.
