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SENSATIONAL RACING t Oriental Park Scene of Some Exciting and Thrilling Sport. : Inches Separate First Four Horses in Fifth Race and First Three in the Sixth. ; HAVANA, Cuba, Dec. SO. Of all the hard fought contests and sparkling finishes that have been witnessed duringthe present meeting at Oriental Park, none was more sensational than was seen here this afternoon. This was particularly true in the fifth race, a dash of five and a half furlongs, in which the finish found four of the eight starters so closely grouped that no one but the judges could separate them. The proverbial blanket would have covered Follow Me, Col. Pat, Copyright and Silver Springs as the quartet came dashing past the judges with the result in doubt until the numbers were hung up. The speedy Somerby, from the Caimito Stable, was the pacemaker to the stretch, where the real battle began. After the pacemaker retired Col. Pat and Follow Me clashed, and it was a pretty battle from there on, witli Silver Springs close by. Col. Pat faltered in the final stride, and as Follow Me appeared to have the race at his mercy a new factor loomed up in Copyright, which closed a big gap in a sensational dash that just failed by inches to bring victory. It was an enthusiastic and excited crowd that cheered the quartet of flying leaders as they thundered past the winning line almost in perfect alignment ILLLSTRATOItS GltEAT It ACE. The crowd had hardly calmed down to normalcy after the grand finish of the fifth race, than it was again on its feet cheering wildly as the contestants in the sixth race, at one mile and seventy yards, not to be outdone by those that had gone before them, came home fighting every inch of the ground, with five of the seven starters separated by less than a length. Illustrator was the winner by a nose, with Collie Tokalon a similar distance in advance of Dellahm, while Witch Flower and Green Briar were not far away. The victory of Illustrator was most sensational, the gelding coming from the rear to win in the last stride. Pilades and Little Black Sheep had things their own way in the opening race, which called ten of the cheaper grade to the post. Pilades was the favored one, but Little Black Sheep did not lack supporters. The latter was away first and led to the stretch turn, where he lost all chance of winning by racing extremely wide, enabling Pilades to take a lead and the latter had no trouble thereafter, winning easily by a comfortable mar. gin. Little Black Sheep tired during the stretch racing, but was easily able to hold Czardom safe for second place. Czardom was doing his best at the end to stall off the closing rush of Tom Saunders. The latter was away to a poor start and after trailing for the first half mile, closed a big gap in the stretch and would have caught Czardom in another stride or two. Alazon displayed good early speed, being a prominent factor up to the half mile post, where he tired badly and finished far back. UNCLE JERKYS FAST RUSH. Uncle Jerry brought the spectators to their feet in the second race by displaying a tremendous burst of speed that carried him from fifth place, midway in the stretch and enabled him to snatch victory from the favorite, Glenlivet, by a nose in the last stride. When the field entered the stretch Loch Leven and Kelneth were in the lead and fighting it out strenuously. Glenlivet was third and Fondle Me was fourth, "while Uncle Jerry was in f ifth place, eight lengths behind the leader. Neal called on Glenlivet about midway in the stretch and at the same time Allen, on Uncle Jerry, made his move. The favorite easily took command, but Uncle Jerry had more ground to make up, but was going so fast that in fifty yards he had eaten up the space between him and the leader and just before they passed the wire he dropped his nose in front. Loch Leven and Kelneth continued their fight with thc-former getting the verdict for third place by a nose. The favorite was bowled over in easy fashion in the third race, a dash of three-quarters of a mile. II. Van Rys Battle Bent was the public choice, but he failed to get any portion of the purse, finishing fifth. Crestwood Boy was the easiest kind of a winner, having a margin of four lengths, ana jockey Noe had a restraining hold on the son of Boots and Saddle at the end. AVithout was hard ridden at the finish to save second place from Sojomons Kilts. The latter began slowly, but closed a big gap and was going fast at the end. Will B. was allowed to set the pace on sufferance for the first quarter, but. there CrestWbod Boy took command and never left the result in doubt.
