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"BABY" RACE FEATURE First Juvenile Contest of Year in Cuba Attracts Interest. E. F. Whitney Youngsters Fnish First and Third More Close and Sparkling Finishes. HAVANA, Cuba, Jan. 2. The principal In terest in todays racing at Oriental Park waa centered in the first two-year-old race of the new year in Cuba. It was run as the opening attraction and ten "babies" made up the field. The E. F. Whitney entry, Gymkhana and Parmachenee Belle, ruled favorite, though a plunge on Cassie Ann almost gave the honor to the Fitzgerald representative. From a racing standpoint it was a much better contest than is usually provided by green racers on their first appearance on the turf. With the rise of the barrier E. F. Whitneys Gymkhana, a chestnut daughter of Jim Gaffney Our Hannah, by Yankee, strided to the front and, setting a fast pace throughout and though doing her best at the end, held May Baxter safe in a game finish. The latter finished fastest of all and would have won in another stride or so. The winners stable companion was third and might have done better, but her rider was of little use to her at the end. Cassie Ann did nothing to warrant the support accorded her and ran greenly, as was the case with the others. The same ideal conditions that have prevailed here during the entire holiday season were in evidence again today, and, though there is always a falling off in attendance after a big holiday, the gathering at. Oriental EaYkfliTs""afeTn1jbri"was surprisingly "large. SEPARATED BY INCHES. Another one of those sparkling finishes that have been seen frequently at this meeting came with the decision of the third race. Five of the nine starters crossed the winning line separated only by inches, and not until the official placing was announced were the spectators certain just which horses would be awarded the purse. Black Baby earned first place by a neck, with Walter Whitaker second, a head in advance of Col. Pat, which in turn was a similar distance before Milda, the latter and Castilla separated by a nose. Col. Pat was the pacemaker to the stretch, and then tired, and then began the battle royal, which resulted as mentioned above. There were more thrills in the fourth race, in which Ethel W., after setting the pace throughout, just lasted to beat Amelia S. by a head with Drapery in third place and finishing fast on the inside. The winner raced Happy Buxton into defeat in the first half, but the effort told on the old mare when Amelia S. challenged and she was forced to the limit to withstand it. Strong support developed for Almirante,- which was not warranted by her performance, as she failed to figure prominently at any stage of "the contest. End Man threatened to make a runaway of the three-quarters of the fifth race and at one time during the early running was six lengths in advance . of his opponents. However, he tired badly near the end and was lucky to last long enough to get the verdict by the best "part of a length, driving hard to withstand the fast closing rush of Forest Queen.
