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W. MARTINS VALADOR r Winner of Best Offering of Saratogas Friday Program. ; Takes Mile Handicap in Last Few Strides Day of Close and Exciting Finishes. m SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y., Aug. 22. Valador, the usual campaigner that races for William Martin, was winner of the best offering of the Saratoga Association this afternoon, a mile handicap when in a rattling finish he was up to beat the Greentree Stables Leopardess, while the Rancocas Stables Eaglet took third in front of Charles H. Thieriots Saratoga Cup hope Prince James. It was a day of close finishes and this was one of the best of the afternoon and it was not until the last few strides that the son of Short Grass cought the fast running filly from the Greentree stable. The start was a good one and Parke at once went out to set pace with Leopardess with Eaglet right at hand and Valador rating along back of the pair of them. Prince James, as usual, was slow to be under way, but he was galloping so strongly that he appeared to have an excellent chance to wear down the leaders. Though Leopardess was showing the way Parke had a good hold of her and she showed no signs of weakening when the head of the stretch was reached. There, Prince James had gained until he was a contender and Eaglet, saving ground on the turn loomed ,up dangerously. Callahan chose the outside with Valador and it was something of a handicap but the Short Grass colt was steadily gaining ground, while Eaglet tired under the drive and Prince James was not responding to the call of McAtee. In the last sixteenth it had developed into a bitter duel between Leopardess and Valador and though the filly fought along with good courage under a vigorous ride by Parke, the colt proved too good for her and just at the end he dropped his head down in front Eaglet saved third, but he was weakening at the end, though better than Prince James. Opperman and Rejection, the other two starters, cut no figure in the running. EASY FOR MISS STAR. Miss Star, making her first appearance under the silks of the Jones Brothers Audley Farm Stable, was an easy winner of the opening three-quarters dash. C. A. Stone-hams Dry Moon raced to second place, but was doing his level best to save that end of the purse from Selby Burchs Best Beloved and Lee Rosenbergs Sun Pal was a close fourth with the Ascot Stables Ten Eyck not far away. It was a good start and Miss Star, beginning from the outside position, went out to set the pace with Best Beloved in close attendance. The pair of them drew out with Dry Moon leading the others in the field. Going to the stretch turn Dry Moon made a menacing move and drew up on Miss Star, but McAtee chose the outside with him while Breuning saved ground with Best Beloved. In the last eighth Miss Star drew out until at the end she was two and a half lengths to the good and as already told Dry Moon just beat Best Beloved for second place. It Avas a great finish that came out of the Cooperstown Steeplechase when S. Flahertys Jim Coffroth, under a furious drive, just lasted to outfinish Mrs. Alexander Browns Ruine and the only other to complete the course was Mrs. F. Ambrose Clarks Rock Bass. The Middle Neck Farms Carabinier ducked around the inside wing of the fifteenth fence, while G. R. Aliens Links gave W. Mahoney a nasty fall when he fell at the front field Liverpool the second turn of the course. Rock Bass cut out the pace for a turn ot the course and Links and Jim Coffroth were not far away, while Carabinier Avas particularly slow to find a racing stride and was badly outrun in the early stages. B0W2f GOES LINKS. Before one circuit of the course was completed Rock Bass Avas jumping badly and Carabinier had closed some of the ground he had lost by his sluggish beginning. Then at the Avater jump Jim Coffroth headed Rock Bass and Carabinier Avas right Avith his company and galloping strongly on the outside. It Avas at the next fence that Links came down and the fall interfered in a measure Avith Carabinier, causing him to lose some ground. In the meantime A. Williams had sent Jim Coffroth along into a good lead and Harvey AVilliams was improving his position Avith Ruine. McNair rode Carabinier hard around the loAver end of the field to make up the ground lost when Links Avent down and he Avas go- W. MARTINS VALADOR Continued from first page. ing well until at the fifteenth he failed to get inside the wing and when his mount ducked around he was utterly out of contention and was pulled up. Swinging into the front field Ruine saved several lengths and under a long drive he was close after Jim Coffroth at the last jump, but in the drive that followed the old son of Colinet proved to have enough left to be home winner by a narrow margin and Rock Bass had to be third for there was no other horse left in the running. James Butlers Bright Steel, under a weli judged ride by Johnny Maiben was winner of the five and a half furlongs of the third race, in a driving finish with Paul Connellys Senor, while J. S. Cosdens Finland saved third from Mrs. T. J. Regans Thundering. From a good start Finland, Thundering and The Spa, closely lapped, raced into a good lead. Finland was on the inside and McAtee could hardly afford to take back, while Callahan on Thundering, alongside, would not give an inch nor would A. Hunt on The Spa, racing on the outside. The pace was suicidal as the three fought it along and when the turn for home was reached Finland carried the other two out a bit. In the last eighth all three tired from the early efforts and then it was that Maiben made his winning move with Bright Steel. At the same time Kelsay moved with Senor and when Fields called on Mark Over he crossed at the heels of the leaders to the inside. Right at the end it narrowed to a battle between Bright Steel and Senor and the Butler colt lasted to win in a close decision. With Thundering out of the field it is probable Finland would have been winner, for The Spa tired badly in the stretch run, but Thundering had hung on long enough to take considerable out of the Cosden colt, though he himself lost all chance by the effort. Another good finish resulted in the one mile fifth race when Samuel Louis Donnelly defeated Edward B. McLeans King ONeill II., with A. C. Bostwicks old mare, Lunetta, finishing third. Lunetta and Huon Pine set the early pace but Lunetta was too good for the Livingston three-year-old and she made him quit in the first six furlongs. King ONeill II., and Donnelly were not far back and were well lapped while Top Sergeant was so sluggish in leaving the barrier as to be well out of it on the backstretch. Leaving the backstretch King ONeill II. moved up in resolute fashion on the outside and Donnelly went witli him. The pair were soon well lapped on Lunetta and both outran her after turning for home. King ONeill II. hung on gamely in the final drive but Donnelly proved to have the most left and at the end he drew out to win going away. Top Sergeant, after his slow beginning, came with a rush when too late and was going better than any one of the first three when he beat the tired Huon Pine for fourth place. At the end of the program, a five and a half furlong dash for two-year-old fillies, saw the Rancocas Stables silks first and second when Superlette won and Nina, after closing an immense gap readily beat George D. Wideners Killashandra for second place, witli Florence Nightingale finishing fourth. The start was a good one but the Rancocas pair were just a bit slow to be under way, though it did not take Superlette long to make up the lost ground. On Top and Florence Nightingale, both displaying alertness leaving the barrier, were the ones to show the wav until Laverne Fator circled around with Superlette and took command. Once she was out there the result was no longer in doubt But the real heroine of the dash was Nina. M. Fator was so slow to have her under way that she was a bad last leaving the backstretch. She was taken to the outside to find racing room and circling her opponents she was going faster than her stablemate at the finish.
