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MARY ELLEN 0. FIRST 1 Leads All the Way in Wednesday i Feature at Jefferson. Mabel C. Outlasts Tod Renesor in Spirited Duel More Rain and More Mud. NEW ORLEANS. La., Dec. 21. The mile and seventy yards race for a purse of ,000 was the outstanding contest on Jefferson Parks card Wednesday and it brought to the post four starters, with Mary Ellen O., Llewellyn and Midwestern having a host of supporters. Mary Ellen O., at the close of betting was a pronounced choice and racing in her best form she headed the others imnie- diately after release of the barrier and holding on gamely was always in advance of Llewellyn, ultimately winning by two lengths. The start was a poor one with Midwestern suffering. He displayed a good performance to close the big gap he did after his slow beginning and with better racing luck might have won. He was racing gamely in the .stretch after having closed the immense gap when his rider permitted him to swerve and this cost him considerable ground. Racing patrons here experienced one of the worst days of the meeting. Cold rain fell intermittently and held the attendance down to the deep dyed-in-the-wool regulars. The added drenching the track received caused it to be copiously covered in mud and it required an extra sturdy built racer to negotiate it with any degree of success. IX DOUBT TO LAST STRIDE. The fourth race, serving as the secondary feature and engaging seven good youngsters, resulted in a spirited duel for the entire way between Mabel C, the favorite, and Tod Renesor, a staunchly backed one. The pair raced as a team throughout and in the stretch began alternating in the lead by a slight margin. The victor was in doubt until the final stride where Mabel C. managed to forge her head in front and she retained the lead until passing the finish. A goodly distance in back of the pair came Mary Johnston. Favorites fared poorly in the first two races, long-priced winners turning up in both instances. Orageuse had the call in the initial race, bringing to- the post nine maiden two-year-olds, but Orageuse might as well have remained in his stable for all the figure he cut in the running. Away poorly, he was always in the wake of most of the others, and he sprawled through the mud far back when the race terminated. Hazy, carrying 11. G. Red wells colors, dashed to the front with the rise of the barrier, and held a safe lead over C. T. Worthington for the entire way, to win with much in reserve. C. T. Worthington was lucky to land in second place, and it was in the main due to Dawsons lack of riding ability that he beat Storm Cloud. Had the latter refrained from swerving in the stretch he might have given the winner a stout argument. Bad Luck fell out of it after reaching the stretch. She was backed liberally. ADVANTAGE AT STAItT. The second race, also at three-quarters, found a dozen of the ordinary variety taking part, with Anticipate having a slight call. Like the preceding favorite, Anticipate succumbed readily. Admirer had the advantage at the start on the others, and, dashing into the lead, managed to retain it for the entire way; to win from Promising Tom. The latter was decidedly active during the stretch racing, and was going gamely at the end. Anticipate succeeded at the end in finishing in third place. The diminutive Atta Boy II., which had not been figuring prominently in winning races recently, displayed a flash of his old time form and gameness when he led home a band of eleven others that started with him in the mile and a sixteenth race. It was the first victory that Mose Goldblatt had scored at the meeting and as Atta Boy II. was joint favorite with Demijohn, the victory was popular. Demijohn at one stage looked an easy winner, but Atta Boy II. continued courageously and wore him down in the last sixteenth. Search Light III. was best of the others and was up in time for third place. The mile and a sixteenth, which closed the days card, brought to the post some fairly good ones in the plater division, with the winner turning up in Asa Jewell, on which Swanson rode energetically and his persistence in the stretch was rewarded when ho passed Smart Guy, which had been the leader from the start, but tired near the end. Spugs, also racing gamely during the last eighth, was up ahead of Smart Guy for second place in the last stride. Muskeg, ridden by Parke, was favorite in the race but he was always far out of it. He was claimed by B. F. McClain at a cost of ,500. The twelve starting in the third race furnished an interesting contest, with Lady Boss, racing in suddenly improved style, fighting it out hard with Rajah until the last eighth, where she parted company to win with much in reserve over the fast gaining Jupiter, and Rajah staying in advance of the others
