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TWO PROMINENT CONTESTS American Flag Wins Easton Purse After Sparkling Race. Great Finish Marks Decision of Blandensburg Purse, Blind Play Scoring by a -!Sose. LAUREL, Md., Oct. 23. The outstanding attractions at Laurel today were the Easton and Blandensburg Purses, the former at three-quarters and the latter at a mile and seventy yards. The decision of the Easton Purse resulted in victory for American Flag, a son of the great Man o War. He ran like a son of his famous daddy should, coming from behind after overcoming considerable interference to take the lead in the stretch and win by a safe margin. Primrose was the pacemaker in this race and ran at a fast clip, but tired when challenged by the eventual winner, though saving second place by a head from Volante. The latter finished with a great rush that almost landed him in second place. The Blandensburg Purse provided one of the best finishes of the Maryland fall season. Less than two lengths separated the fifth and last horse from the winner at the end of the struggle. Blind Play got first money for A. Belmont. Bonaparte was beaten by a nose by the son of Fair Play and saved second by just that margin from Joy Smoke. Bar-bary Bush was fourth by a head and beat Bonnie Omar by a length and a half. Bonaparte had all his speed. Scobie hustled him to the front from the rail position at the start He set a merry pace for the others to follow and only gave way at the end. Barbary Bush was closest for a quarter, then Joy Smoke, under whip from the first turn, moved into second position. Blind Play meanwhile, was outrun, but Kennedy nursed him along after the leaders, gaining gradually to the stretch, where he saved ground when the leaders went wide. He got through in the stretch and earned the victory in the closing strides. G. Rabins Edinburgh, with Ambrose in the saddle, led all the way in the opener, and won by a head. Though tiring from setting the pace, she gamely outlasted Bryndear. The latter was close up throughout, and was gaining slowly on the winner at the end of the five and a half furlongs. Five lengths back of the first two finished Ampolac, which closed a big gap to land the small end of the purse. J. E. Wideners colors were carried to victory in the steeplechase, the second race on the program. Grenadier was his successful standard bearer over the jumps, and this good fencer showed a sparkling performance. Grenadier fame to the last jump fighting it out with Jim Coffroth. after both of them had taken a prominent part through Continued on sixteenth page. TWO PROMINENT CONTESTS Continued from first pace. the two miles of the race. The Widener horse outjumped the Colinet gelding at that obstacle and drew away three lengths on the short run on the flat. Jim. Coffroth held on for second money in front of Conniebert, which had made the pace. Three, of the seven starters made the pace. Three- of the- seven starters came to grief. Chuckle unseated Brady at the first jump, and AbydosJ threw Watkins over his head" in landing at the third. Houyhnhnm ducked inside the tenth fence, stumbled into a ditch that parallels the wing, and skidded along the turf, injuring his rider, W. Hunt A high class lot of platers measured , strides- in the third. Silk Tassel won easily by a length. Carlton finished second a length and a quarter in front of Leatherwood. Scotch Broom was fourth, another length in the rear, and a head in front of Hildur. These five were the only ones among the eight starters that ever were prominent From a good start Silk Tassel went to ! the front, attended most closely by Scotch Broom. Carlton never was far away. Hildur followed these three to the turn, but was shut off at the three-eighths post, when Leatherwood made his move on the outside. Carlton vainly endeavored to overtake the winner through the stretch, but Silk Tassel had considerable speed in reserve arid never was in danger. Carlton, Leatherwood and Scotch Broom put up a good battle and were always prominent The Reaper, running in the interest of S. Louis, beat-some cheap platers going a mile and a sixteenth in the sixth. Despair made the pace and was beaten a head, finishing eight lengths in front of North Wales. The Reaper always was close to Despair, and trounced him in the final sixteenth. Prince Hamlet, carrying-R. Pierce in the saddle, got up at the end of the final race to beat Ed Pendleton by half a length. The latter followed Scoop closely, came on the inside of him when he bore out entering the stretch, held on well to take second portion of the purse from the pacemaker by a length. It completed a double for Pierce.
