view raw text
EASY FOR COLOSSUS Accounts for Principal Race at Oriental Park Friday. Program Made Up of Series of Claiming Races, Which Provide Interesting Racing. HAVANA, Cuba, Dec. 26. Todays program at Oriental Park was made up of a series of claiming races in which well-matched fields faced the starter and interesting contests developed. The finishes in the majority of them found the winners under hard drives. A warm, summerlike weather made the outdoor sport enjoyable. A large attendance turned out to witness the sport and many tourists were prominent among the gathering. If these early indications count for anything, Cuba is destined to have a wonderful racing season. The best field that went to the post during the afternoon sported silks in the fifth race, a dash of three-quarters. Sam McNeal. who developed jockey Maiben here a couple of years ago, saddled the winner when ho sent Colossus to the post. Pat Stantons apprentice, Ncal, had the mount on Colossus and rode a patient race. He followed. John A. Scott Jr. in the early running and waited until Colossus was straightened out before . making the final run. Neal set him down in the final eighth and, putting up a smashing good finish, wore down the tiring leader and won going away. Colossus had a length " advantage over John A. Scott Jr., which beat Tubby A. three lengths for second place. Silver Springs was a false favorite in this race, on the strength of his good winning performance the last time out ho went to the post first choice. After racing close up for a half he quit badly and finished in fourth place. DELAYS THE START. Joe Campbell was extremely fractious at the barrier in the opening race and delayed the start by breaking through the webbing and running away an eighth of a mile before jockey Smith could control him. Brought back, he was off well and, racing close up, took command while the horses were rounding the stretch turn and in a spirited drive which lasted to the finish outgamed Pilades and won by a neck. Verbena was first to show when the barrier was released and showed the way to the stretch turn, closely followed by Pilades and the winner. Verbena tired from pacemaking and Pilades and Joe Campbell fought it out, with the latter the ultimate winner. Chestwood Boy ran a good race and came from far back in the stretch to overhaul Verbena and finish third. The disappointment of the race was Thessaly. He was the preferred one in the betting, but was shuffled back at the start and could never get going and finished far back. The second race also witnessed the downfall of the favorite, when Cedric, staunchly backed, finished in sixth place. He started off well and was close up for the first quarter, but he began to lose ground there and tired badly. Hazel Dale threatened to make a runaway of it, taking a good lead at the start and holding it gamely to the stretch, where she tired quickly and was eased up when beaten. The winner turned up in Wise Cracker, another well-backed one, that was far back when the field turned for home, but he made a sensational stretch run, which carried him to the front and he won going away by a length and a half from Hence. The latter had followed the pace of Hazel Dale, and when the latter tired, looked like the winner, but Wise Crackers final rush was too much and he had to be content with second place. Momentum finished third, after being well up all the way. Twelve went to the pest. WAR GARDEN IN CANTER. War Garden was an easy winner in tho third race, a five and a half furlong affair for platers. The Thomas and Keller representative took a big lead at the start and was . increasing it with every stride until jockey Noe took a restraining hold on him. His winning margin at the end was seven lengths and had Noe so elected, he could have made-it twenty. A spirited contest for second place developed between Shine On and Loch Lcven. This pair raced closely lapped from the half mile post, with Loch Lcven having a slight advantage, but in the stretch Shine On proved to have the most left, and he out-gamed the Mott mare and finished a length and a half in front. Loch Lcven tired badly in the final strides, and was driven hard tc save third place from Black Deer, which finished with a belated rush. The latter would have been third in a few more strides, onlv a head separating him from Loch Leven. War Gardens victory was forecasted in thf wagering, the gelding ruling a strong favorite, with Stacy Adams next in demand The latter never figured as a serious contender, and finished last of the field ol eleven. On Thursday, Z. E: Barret claimed Bigwig from J. Parsons for 00 and T. A. Pearct took Spartina for ,200.
