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OFF DAY AT EMPIRE CITY ! 1 Heavy Rain Makes the Track Muddy and Racing Poor. Teddy R. an Easy Winner of the Feature Race Horthclift a ; Good Mud Runner. YONKERS. N. T., July 25. A featureless card and a muddy track kept the bettei horses out of action at Empire City today, but the platers with mud-running ability turned out in large numbers to malec the sport interesting. A bis crowd was on hand to watch the racing in spite of the threat- 1 ening weather. ; The feature position on the card was as- 1 signed to the second division of the Rich i mond Turse. a selling dash at a mile and severity yards, for three-year-olds and over. By the time Valor and Ten Buttons had been , withdrawn, there were only five left to face the starter. J. B. McKees Teddy R. was easily the best in the going and the only real contest was that between Knight of the Heather and Sea Mint for second place. The Casey plater took it by a nose. Jockey J. Merimee, who rode the winner, guided the plater in an exceptionally confident manner. He allowed the colt to drop so far behind the loaders, while Sea Mint was burning up the track out in front, that it seemed as it the McKee starter was completely out of contention. He made his move when turning out of the backstretch, however, and, passing the horses in front of him one by one. forged to the front in the stretch and i drew away Into a five-lengths lead by the time the finish was reached. Trevelyan finished fourth and Sailing Along last. PIRATE GOLD DISAPPOINTS. The largest field of the day faced the post in the third race, over the about three-quarters course. Four of the original sixteen carded were withdrawn, but this left an even dozen to fight it out. The race was a condition sprint for three-year-olds and over, nonwinners of two races, but all in the field were three-year-olds. Pirate Gold, the Green-tree Stabios highly regarded colt, which was vell thought of as a Preakness Stakes candidate early in the year, was one of the good horses in the field. The Oakridge Stables Northcliff, making his first start of the year, raced to his best form and won easily by three lengths from .Taunebar, with Dan Boiling in third place. Blue Brush began in front, but was soon headed by .Taunebar, which held the lead momentarily until Korthclirt moved up and passed him. Dan Boiling finished gamely to dispose of the tiring Pirate Gold for the short end of the purse, but .Taunebar held second place easily by three lengths. The best finish of the day came in the fifth race, a condition dash at a mile and a sixteenth. Spugs, racing in the colors of W. Kearns, lasted to win by a head from Queen Blonde, with Maize only a neck farther back in third place. Breunings ride on the winner was not exactly masterly. He started to use the whip desperately on Spugs while he held a five lengths lead when three-eighths out. EDICT AT HOME IN GOING. The Rancoeas Stables Jim Gaffney filly Edict, found the going just right in the first race at five-eighths for two-year-olds. James Butlers Driftwood started away from the barrier in front, but Edict soon headed her and Fator easily kept in front for the rest of the distance. Sunday Best held third place in the running and when Driftwood began to give way in the stretch passed her to take second place easily by two lengths. Paula Shay easily disposed of the tiring Driftwood in the final eighth to take third place. Quesada, Juanebar and "Wayward Lady were all withdrawn from the first division of the Richmond purse, which was run as the second race, leaving Bridesman, Normal and Episode to contend the issue. T. J. Healy will return to New York tomorrow after a trip to Saratoga to inspect the horses of R. T. Wilson and W. J. Salmon. Jockey G. Carroll was set down by the stewards for three days for rough riding in the fourth race. Lady Zeus was claimed out of the fifth . race by M. Grant for ,550. In the absence of trainer Fred Taral, who has left for Saratoga, Runleigh, racing for the Hillside Stable, and High Prince of the ! Riviera Stable were saddled by W. Knapp and J. Loftus respectively. John Sanford, Frank R. Hitchcock and i Joseph E. "Widener arrived from abroad on i the liner Majestic Tuesday. A. H. Morris and Frank J. Bryan, stewards i of the meeting, were seen in earnest conversation with trainer D. R. McDaniel in the s clubhouse prior to the races. They questioned him, it is understood, regarding the s report that he had picked up a sponge from i the track, which was alleged to have been . ! i i i s s i ejected from the nostril of the filly Emotion, prior to the last race Monday. Lawrence E. Kerwin, former commissioner of elections in Nassau County, was among the visitors at Empire. John McKee, owner of Crystal Ford and several other horses, returned from his home at Sterling, Ky., where he officiated at a four days mixed trotting and hunting meeting as presiding judge. Jockey R. McNamee, the apprentice rider under contract to R. T. Wilson, who won the graduating purse at Empire City re-i cently with Vendor, was offered his choice of ?25 in cash or a cup as the prize from the association for winning his first race. He took the 5, but later returned it and said he wanted the cup. The first cup offered Mm was too small and the association acced- ed to his request for a larger one. The new one has been delivered and was to have been presented today, but trainer T. J. Healey took the boy with him to Saratoga last night and the presentation will have to be past-i poned for a time.
