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IN DESPERATE FINISH I ♦ Bontaud Outlasts Princemaker in Union Claiming Stakes. • McAtee on Winner and Maiben on Belmont Colt Stage Sensational Riding Duel. i • i NEW YORK. N. T., June 19.— The Union 1 Claiming Stakes, which featured todays card!. ! at Aqueduct, at seven-eighths, furnished a| j stirring finish, in which Frank Farrells , hitherto regarded as faint-hearted Bcntaud was winner in a- hard drive by a narrow , margin from August Belmonts Pricemaker, while half a dozen lengths back came D. Gideons Prince Leopold, leading three other , starters. Jockey L. McAtee had the mount on the ] winner, while the Belmont representative WU ridden by J. Maiben. Pricemaker was backed into pronounced favoritism, while Bontqud was a luke warm second choice. , The Farrell starter was ridden with perfect . judgment and at the end McAtee rode des- J perately to win by the narrowest of margins. The start was good, but shortly after the barrier arose Bontaud crossed over sharply from an outside position and slightly impeded Pricemaker and Defiant. The latter recovered quickly, while Pricemaker wasi forced back. McAtee took every advantage cf the early speed of Bontaud and sent him into a brief lead that quickly disposed of Defiant, although Callahan, astride Prince Leopold, had him in a forward position under j a steady hold. In the meantime Pricemaker began to make up ground on the outside. """""""When straightened away in the stretch Bontaud had thoroughly disposed of the early followers and at the eighth post Maiben began to work on Pricemaker. Stride by stride he gained on the flying leader and at the] I sixteenth post was at his saddle girth. A few yards more and he was head and head. | ! : For a brief second he headed Bontaud and from then on it was a battle of riders. In a desperate finish, in which Maibens rooters and McAtee followers were cheering madly, the pair passed the finish mark and the 1 victory was Bontauds by the proverbial nose. Prince Leopold was six lengths farther back, but retaining a safe margin over the remainder of the field. The crowd which journeyed to Aqueduct this afternoon was well rewarded by some | interesting racing. The weather conditions were all that could be desired and the main t racing strip was at its best. ANOTHER FOR HAF. Haf made good in full measure in her first start for her new owner, George Pease, when i she was winner of the first race of the afternoon, at four and one-half furlongs, in a i j drive over W. G. Boths Gad, while Gipsy Flyer, from the W. V. Casey barn, was third.! . ! There were two withdrawals from the race l j j and Haf was a pronounced choice. There! i was little delay at the post and when the I start came the diminutive daughter of Star! -I Master was quick to find her stride. She shewed the way to Gad, which in turn had I I ; a safe lead over the remainder. Through! 1 1 the straight Haf clung to her task in impres- • j j sive fashion and, although Gad was hard j driven, failed to improve her position. Gipsy Flyer closed resolutely to be third, but was, donig her best to stall off the fast-closing j | Firmament. Missionary, racing for C. Buxton and ridden by M. Buxton, was the winner of the ! ! six and a half furlongs of the Friar Rock c I Purse, which was the third race and en-, - gaged a well-balanced field of sprinters. J. S. . "Wards Indian Trail raced to second place, while W. J. Howards Maclean was third. . I | The winner, from a poor start, dominated I1 the running throughout and at the end had several lengths advantage over Indian i Trail. The latter, a pronounced mud runner, followi d the early pace and showed a good i performance. Maclean, from a slow beginning, saved ground throughout, and although gaining some ground, could not seriously menace the leaders. Reparation, after being prominent the first part, lost ground j | at the stretch turn and went wide. j ROCK BASS UNEXPECTEDLY. Fourteen starters accepted the conditions s of the steeplechase, which was fashioned for maiden four-year-olds and upwards, and the [ winner came from an unexpected source when Robert L. Gerrys Rock Bass, ridden by jockey L Cheyne, was victorious in a JJ drive from Hugh Garths Sea Name, while "Walter H. Bowes furnished the third horse e in Abydos. As expected, the race furnished the usual quota of thrills, but poor racing r luck robbed the Qreentree Stable of a victory when Canaque, racing to the final obstacle with a safe lead, ran out of the course. . The field left in good alignment and Rock Bass was the one to furnish the pace. He was attended by Canaque, Tufney and St. j. Lawrence for the first turn of the field, while Sea Name and Abydos were amongst the Continued on sixteenth page. IN DESPERATE FINISH Continued from first page. trailers. Coming to the eighth fence Rock Bass made a bad landing but recovered quickly and once more raced in pursuit of the leaders. He made up ground rapidly and at the ninth fence he was a forward factor again. It was here that Romana unseated his rider, while Hebrides fell. Neither horse nor rider was injured. Canaque was racing along under steadying restraint, while Gray-lette ranged into serious contention. Rock Bass, then in third place, suffered minor interference from Graylette. Canaque came to the final obstacle with a safe lead and appeared all over a winner, until Bethel made the serious mistake of looking back. His mount ran around the wing and Rock Bass took the jump in front. He was followed by Graylette and Nea Name, while Abydos was closing resolutely under pressure. Rock Bass however, stood the drive well, and although tiring, was a winner by a length. Sea Name outlasted Abydos. Honorable, a starter in the race, broke down after taking the thirteenth fence. Mrs. T. O. Webber supplied the winner of the fifth race, which was at a mile and a sixteenth, when Deronda, ridden by Mari-nelli, led home a well-matched band. E. G. Soule was second with Wynnewood, while A. S. Woodliffes Episode was third. The winner followed the early pace, moved up resolutely rounding the far turn and at the end was going clear under mild pressure. Wynnewood raced prominently from the start and finished fast, while Episode barely lasted to be third ahead of Minto II. It was a rattling good finish that came out of the final race of the afternoon, which engaged a large field of maiden two-year-olds. Arbitration, carrying the silks of S. Rose, was winner in a hard drive from H. C. Fishers Swope, while H. P. Whitneys Noah, a first time starter, was third. At the start Escolane bolted across the track and bumped Arbitration, forcing the latter to take up. He finished resolutely and just got up. Swope was bothered in the run through the stretch and was going fast at the end.
