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REDUCED ATTENDANCE Result of Wintry Weather and Bad Track at Fair Grounds. King ONeill II. in Disappointing Performance Close Finishes Despite Difficult Going. NEW ORLEANS, La.. Feb. 26. The return of winter weather to these parts showed its effects at the Fair Grounds this afternoon when a greatly reduced attendance witnessed the racing. The heavy rains of last night flooded the track and left it in a bad way, causing many withdrawals from the different dashes. It was surprising the volume of activity in the betting ring and it kept the thirty-six layers busy to keep pace with the speculative wants. The mile handicap, exclusively for three-year-olds, bringing out some Louisiana Derby aspirants to battle for a purse of ,200, was the outstanding attraction and it resulted in the downfall of the erratic King ONeill II., which failed to get a part of the purse. Ho was a pronounced favorite and his showing was particularly .bad. The muddy going might have been the reason for his poor performance. It was far below his previous race when he beat some good three-year-olds. The consistent Telescope, which has steadily developed this winter, and emerged from the poor plater division to handicap rank, was the victor in the race after a well-sustained drive, in which he beat the lightly-weighted Amity Claim, the extreme outsider, with Brilliant Cast landing in third place. It is doubtful if any of those taking part in the race will figure seriously in tho result of the 5,000 Jefferson Park fixture, to be run the closing day of the meeting, March 17. Despite the difficult track the spectators were treated to some close finishes in which the winners margins were so scant that it required the judges decision to determine the result. GOLDEN BILLOAVS NAItltOAVLY. One of the best finishes of the afternoon materialized with the running of the fifth race, in which Golden Billows was a pronounced choice. Golden Billows was pounds the best in the race, but the inexperienced B. Brcuning almost threw the race away. Had anyone else but the diminutive Lang been astride Freezy Sncezy she would have won. Both racers near the end raced on their own courage, neither of their riders being a particle of help to them. Margaret AVare, under McDermotts energetic riding, almost slipped up to beat the pair out. The sixth race brought about a form summersault when Normal won in hollow style from Repeater, with Scare Crow in third place. In a preceeding race Normal raced poorly and was beaten off. He moved into the lead with a rush in todays race after going half a mile and Avon well in hand. Soviet and Tulane in the closing dash furnished a spirited duel, with Soviet the winner in the last few strides. Honolulu Boy finished in third place. HIDDEN JEAVEL A FAILURE. The public and sharp punters received a severe jolt in the third race, a three-quarters dash in which Hidden Jewel, at prohibitive odds, was beaten in hollow fashion by Lorena Marccllia and Ruby. The leading pair furnished a spirited finish, the margin of a nose separating them at the finish. The diminutive Lang, in an effort to wield his whip, dropped his mounts head with almost fatal results. The sudden Improvement of Ruby was startling. She displayed dazzling speed and led the others at a steady pace, but seemed beaten in the last sixteenth and was enabled by Langs blunder to almost nip Lorena Marcellia out in the last stride. Hidden Jewel was outpaced from the start and his defeat was foreshadowed after the first quarter had been traversed. Nine maiden three-year-olds and over engaged in the opening contest, a dash at a mile and seventy yards, and it enabled the locally owned El Astro to graduate into the winning ranks by a lucky victory over Gladys A7-., with Troutwick heading the others in third place. Parke hustled the winner into a good lead at the outset and the advantage ho gained as a result enabled him to outstay the fast finishing, but weakly ridden, Gladys Ar. Troutwick, contending sharply until the last eighth, weakened thereafter, but was good enough to outstay Mclntcsh. Parke made it two in a row in the second race when he piloted Mose Goldblatts Privilege which, racing to her best form, made a show of the others and won with much in reserve after leading from the start. Fehrah was regarded with much favor due to the going. She might have given the winner a stout argument, but Lang Avas of little assistance Avhen it came to guiding her Avith a degree of helpfulness. She raced forwardly on her own courage until reaching the stretch Avhere she dropped back and it enabled Jackson to go into second place and retain that position after shaking off Goldmark, an outsider.
