view raw text
BUMPER ATTENDANCE Unusually Large Crowd Turns Out at Oriental Park. Chief Sponsor Makes Auspicious Debut in Cuba Sun God Scores in Fifth Race. HAVANA, Cuba, December 2. The attendance at Oriental Park this afternoon equaled in point of numbers that of the opening day, when a banner crowd turned out-Speculation was keen, the volume in the mu-tuels showing a big increase over the first two days of the meeting. The racegoers here are waking up to the fact that mutuels are a good system for spec-lation. The prediction is freely made that after the holidays the new system of speculation will be a big success. Interesting contests came with the running of several of the races, two of which were won by maidens. Memphis, which is being handled by W. B. Finnegan, won the first in a driving finish from Little Niece, which was close to 100 to 1 in the betting. Keiser had the mount on the winner and it was his first winning race. Last winter Finnegan gave jockey W. Pool his first success when he saddled Marcella Boy, a maiden in the Finnegan barn. W. R. Coes colors were seen in front for the first time of the meeting when Wawona won the second race and was ridden by the aged Brunner, who has been galloping horses for the elder Karrick for nineteen years. It was Brunners maiden victory. Arthur Middleton, the old Havana standby, won the third. He led all the way, never seriously threatened, and being under restraint at the end. Mad Nell was second, outgaming Big Son in a hot finish. It was a good band of horses that met in the fourtli race, at five and a half furlongs, which introduced the Canadian-bred Chief Sponsor to Cuban racegoers. The Giddings-bred gelding, carrying the silks of J. F. Hynes and ridden by P. Walls, triumphed in convincing fashion, holding Discussion safe when the latter challenged in the last eighth. AVilliams Bros, furnished the winner of the mile and fifty yards of the fifth race, in Sun God, scoring by a wide margin in a canter. American Legion, second choice in the betting, had no chance after being pulled up at the start. DOUBLE FOR T. BROTHERS. The concluding dash fell to Billy Lane, ridden by T. Brothers, making it a double for the latter. Roy Dillard is now in charge of the pari-mutuels. Dr. Ricardo Dolez, former president of the Cuban senate and one of Cubas leading sportsmen, was among the distinguished visitors Thanksgiving Day. He was accompanied by his family. M. H. Morrison was a recent arrival from Houston, Tex., with the horses Marshall Tilghman, McMurphy and Lost Fortune. All are vetrans of the turf. A. P. Doyle is here with a stable of five horses, including the eight-year-old mare Thistle Queen. The others are all much younger, including Max Gold, Susiana, Veronica and Blackstone. Jockey Fred Merimee, who rode at Oriental Park during the early part of last year, has returned and will ride as a free lance. J. S. Whatley is here training the horses Assumption, Hemlock and Fair and Warmer. Assumption is now a six-year-old and proved a good bread-winner here last year. The only horse in the stable of R. Grooves is Huntress, eleven-year-old mare by Allan-a-Dale Miss Gussie, which John J. McCaf-ferty campaigned in Cuba last year with a moderate degree of success. Dr. Valdevieso of Havana has been appointed one of the official track veterinarians at Oriental Park.
