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DAY OF EXCITEMENT Close and Interesting Finishes Mark Tijuana Racing. Lucky Button Lowers Colors of Motor Cop and Lion dOr in Main Contest. SAN DIEGO, Cal., December 29. Spirited racing, with finishes that roused the spectators to a high pitch of excitement, marked the sport yesterday at Tijuana, and when the rank and file wended their way across the border back to their native land they voted the day one to be long remembered. Thre were many tight fits and, barring the third race, there was not a finish during the afternoon that daylight showed between the first and second horses as they battled for supremacy in their mad flight to the finishing post. Cloudy weather prevailed, which was accompanied by an early shower, but scarcely enough to lay the dust The course continued fast and some of the time displayed shows the possibilities in the future of Tijuana records going by the board with good horses galloping over it A costly band of thoroughbreds paraded to the post in the fifth race, the afternoons f ature, being a handicap for a purse of 51 C at five and one-half furlongs. In this Motor Cop took on his old rival, Lion dOr, ths latter carrying the siiks of Com-mar.der J. K. L. Ross. Formerly they both raced for the Canadian sportsman, Irwin buying Motor Cop from Commander Ross for ,i j0. However, neither were able to win the rae, for Lucky Button was their downfall. That fleet daughter of Sweep and Buttonhole beat Motor Cop by a nose. The start was one of Harry Morrisseys best and tire field was away in almost perfect alignment. Motor Cop immediately cut out the running and set a sizzling pace. He kept his advantage until nearing the end, wherf Lucky Button under her light impost ranged alongside of him and in one of those nip and tuck struggles the filly showed her muzzle in front as the two horses passed the finishing mark. Doctor Corbett ran a corking race to be third. LION DOR IS TJ3XTJCKT. As for Lion dOr, which got no part of the purse, it can be said that with better racing liich he would have probably vanquished the trio that beat him. That picture horse met with the misfortune of having been sharply cut off before the field had raced fifty yards. Jorkey Claver was forced to take him back, and when he was allowed to settle into his stride he was trailing his field many lengths behind the leaders. Making up the lost ground he sped through the stretch with the speeci of a comet and at the end lie was beaten less than two lengths for first honors. Or e of the longest-priced winners of the met Hi "arrived on time" in the sixth race, at one and one-sixteenth miles, when "Whippet s uck it out to win by a neck from Re-gTso Jockey 12. Fator, astride of the successful! horse, rode him faultlessly and keeping tamely at his task the horse continued gamely to the end. Black Betty, the favorite, f.rs.ed in last position. She was kicked at the pr-st by Whippet, which tends to show tr af Us- horse knew of one way of disposing of the- public choice. Two sons of the highly successful sire Seth foUiif it out in the fourth race, which was a sprint of three-quarters, exclusively for lw. ar-olds. They were Carlos Enrique ar.d Doiante. and as they really had the race to themselves, for eight lengths separated them from Knighthood at the finish. De-lante, at odds of better than 12 to 1, was returned the winner from his brother in blood. jockey ar. fator gains. Jockey M. Fator, who is engaged in a close race with jockey Chick Lang, now riding at New Orleans, for the leadership of American jock ys for 1922, rode Doctor Tubbs and Herder to victory this afternoon. Reports from New Orleans say Lang rode only one wirner today. This leaves Lang leading lior by four victories tonight. It would appear as if the race will be a close one, as I ator will have the advantage of next Sunday as an additional day to ride winners, while Lang will be forced to be idle on that day II I. Wilson, well-known Los Angeles capitalist, was a visitor today. He has been identified with racing in the past for many years, formerly having- operated the Butte, Ar :r or.da and Great Falls, Montana, tracks. The following horses have been placed on ti e E hooling list by starter Harry Morris-j fry Dr. Johnson, Candorosa, Paisley, Ring, Canvashack, Double Eye, Maysville, Margaret c, ikey T., Whippet and Kimono. Their behavior while at the post has been extremely bad. William "Kid" Nelson, a devout admirer of the thoroughbred, is here to spend the Continued on third pace. DAY OF EXCITEMENT Continued from first page. winter. Nelson amassed a fortune in mining speculations in Nevada. His knowledge of the runner dates back to the days of the old bay district race track in San Francisco, and of a morning it is his pleasure to visit the stables and hunt up old cronies and talk about the times when "Wheel of Fortune and others wore the stars of their day. The crack western Canadian mare Cara-bossc is being prepared to race for honors in the New Years Handicap, at one and one-sixteenth miles, which will be run next Monday. Should she accept weights she will be put to the acid test, as such horsas as John Paul Jones, Rebuke, Fairway, Crystal j Ford, Tailor Maid and other good ones are also being pointed for the race.
