view raw text
t C S C C | ] f • I Twenty Years Ago Today Chief Turf Events of May 6, 1903 Racing at Jamaica, Louisville, St. Louis and Worth. The most important race at Worth yesterday, a mile and twenty yards dash for three year-olds and upward, resulted in one of those stirring finishes that bring the grandstand occupants to their feet. In a spirited and exciting last sixteenth struggle Potheen just got up in time under a hard drive to nip Dan McKenna on the post. Rolling Boer finished third, four and a half lengths behind. At the start Ahola, displaying much speed, shot to the front and while running down the back-stretch opened a gap of six lengths. On reaching the turn for home, however, he began to tire and Dan McKenna was soon at his throat-latch. An eighth out the race appeared to be Dan McKennas, but jockey Hall, working hard on Potheen, gradually closed up on him and reached his saddle girth in the last fifty yards. Phillips had grown too confident on his mount, however, and allowed Potheen to get his nose in front when passing the judges stand. Ahola was well spent just after entering the last quarter. Canyon ran well for three quarters. Before the races at Jamaica yesterday starter C. J. Fitz Gerald was served with an injunc tion restraining him from using the starting gate known as the McGinnis barrier. The injunction was issued by a justice of the Supreme Court upon application of Patrick J. Ryan, who set forth that the McGinnis barrier was an infringement on his patent. The barrier, by the way, was patented by McGinnis first in 1897 with a renewal last December and during the winter McGinnis paid a visit to England, where it is said be succeeded in having it introduced at a number of the British tracks. Ryan alleged yesterday that he invented the gate and that at one time a royalty was paid him for the use of it. In view of the serving of papers Mr. Fitz Gerald went temporarily into the judges stand to assist Clarence McDowell, filling the place of C. H. Pettingill, who went to the post and used the barrier for the first three races. Then Ryan served the Metropolitan Jockey Club with another injunction, which made it impossible to use the barrier at all, so Mr. Pettingill was compelled to go back to the old recall flag system. Mr. Fitz Gerald in the meantime leaving the track to consult with his lawyers. The starting with the recall flag incidentally served to illustrate vividly the merits of the no-recall system. In the fifth race, with only three starters, there was a delay of fifteen minutes at the post, Mr. Pettingill having instructed the jockeys not to break until he cried "Come on !" When Flagstaff won the second race, H. F. Meyer, owner of Miss Nancy, which ran second, boosted the price of Flagstaff to ,800. At that point A. L. Aste, owner of Flagstaff, who was red hot under the collar, bid ,000 himself, whereupon Meyer turned away. Under the rules Meyer received ,000, which reimbursed him for part of the heavy wager he placed upon Miss Nancy.