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SHOWERS AT HAVANA Changed Track Conditions Give Mud Runners First Opportunity. The Boy Defeats Belle of Elisa-bethtown in La Pimta Handicap, the Feature Race. HAVANA, Cuba, December 21. A sudden and unlooked for change in weather conditions occurred today and mud runners had an opportunity for the first time at the present meeting at Oriental Park when heavy showers set in before the running of the first race and made the going muddy. The change in the footing caused but little change in form, as there was a good solid bottom to the track. The feature race, the La Punta Handicap, a dash of three-quarters, furnished the best contest of the afternoon. There were only four starters and they passed the winning mark in a compact bunch, the winner turning up in The Boy. which hugged the inside rail, made all the pace and in a driving finish beat Belle of Elizabethtown by a head. Master Hand, a first-time starter at this meeting, was third, beaten a half length for second place, with Chief Sponsor half a length farther back. Master Hand showed a good performance. He was outrun and a distant follower in Use early stages, but closed an immense gap and at tile finish was fairly flying. The early pace was fast, The Boy running the first half in 47. The Polymelian colt Piegan, carrying the silks of his breeder and owner, W. R. Coe, easily accounted for the opening dash of five and a half furlongs. He rushed into a long lead in the first eighth and held command thereafter, never seriously menaced. He appears to be a colt above the ordinary. MARY REIGEL AT HER BEST. Mary Reigel found the going to her liking and ran away with the second race, in which Blaise, because of his well-known partiality for soft going, was the favorite. While the favorite ran forwardly throughout he never could overtake Mary Reigel and at the end she was only cantering six lengths in the lead. Another pronounced good mud runner in Has, a son of The Manager, in the stable of B. Mock, was returned victorious in the third race. Despite the changed track conditions Hohokus was the favorite and right well did he race, but Has was at home in a going in which he always shows up well and the others never had a chance. Pas won by a safe margin, while Hohokus, after passing Golden Chance in the last sixteenth, easily held the latter safe fcr second place. Duke of Wellington showed the way in the fifth and in a driving finish beat Horeb by a length. Gantner cut across in front of the others with the winner when the start came and in the stretch run rode Horeb quite close. The latter was next to the inside rail and little Stutts was unable to do his mount justice. Ex-President General Menocal was among the distinguished visitors this afternoon and was accompanied by his son, Paul Menocal, and his cousin, Dr. Frank Menocal, and Dr. Eugenio Molinet Jockey Glick was suspended for five days by the stewards for rough riding and jockey Gantner three days by the starter for disobedience at the post A. Keffenbergh, a well-known dairyman of Boston, also was among todays visitors. Itoger L. Farnham, the New York banker, and M. W. Dodge, attorney of the same city, who have been attending the races, left yesterday for their homes. RACE FOR CUBAX-15REDS. There will be a race carded next week exclusively for horses bred in Cuba, of which there are quite a number at Oriental Parle. Frank S. and Havana Electric, both in the stable of Frank Steinhart, are among the better ones which will be eligible for this race. By winning a couple of races Wednesday Harry Stutts, the red-headed youngster from Hot Springs, Ark., caught up with T. Brothers, the Kentucky lad who has led the local jockeys since the meeting opened. Secretary Martin Nathanson is now framing races for youngsters and it is planned to offer three races each week for them after the first of the new year. The first juvenile dash will as usual be carded on January 1. Owing to the fact that seven races will be carded both on Christmas and New Years Day racing will start at 2 :15 p. m. Among todays visitors at Oriental Park were Mr. and Mrs. Charles Salomon, William H. Wheeler and H. D. Benck, who arrived recently from New York. The colts and fillies in training at Oriental Park which will become two-year-olds on January 1, when they will enter upon their active racing careers, are receiving the Continued on twelfth ps.se. SHOWERS AT HAVANA Continued from first page. finishing touches in track deportment. They are being schooled at the post each morning to insure their proper behavior when they face the barrier in l-aces. Starter Milton is of the opinion that a better behaved lot of yearlings has never been seen at the local track. The youngsters are also acquitting themselves creditably in their morning gallops and a number have shown in their work-outs that they are possessed of speed. The juveniles in the stables of W. R. Coe, Thomas Monahan, B. A. Jones, William Brothers and T. E. Mueller have shown unusual promise for racing.
