view raw text
— -Kt THErRE OFF AT HUNTINGTON ■ West Virginia Jockey Club Spring Meeting Under Way. • Big Crowd for Inaugural Days Sport — Feature to Go Foin — Close Finishes the Order. ♦ HUNTINGTON. W. Va., April 4.— Before a large and enthusiastic gathering, the fifteen days spring meeting of the West Virginia Jockey Club began here today under auspicious conditions, with clear weather and a fast track prevailing. The racing was sparkling, the majority of the contests hard fought throughout and the i finishes close and exciting. In the first, third, j fifth and seventh races the winners margins . were so small that the results were in doubt I until the last strides. There were ten starters in the Huntington Inaugural Purse, run as the sixth race, and the Jones Stock Farm Stable furnished the winner in Go Foin, which ruled favorite and easily triumphed over Mrs. G. W. Churchs Jedburgh Abbey, while Mrs. A. J. Potters Remnant finished third. It was Jedburgh Abbey that essayed to set ! the pace and the Church representative showed the way to the stretch, where she | gave way when Go Foin challenged. The j latter had raced close up from the start and after wresting the lead from the pacemaker drew clear and held the race safe all through I the last sixteenth. The veteran sprinter Peter riper, at odds j on, won the first race. It was a game per- j formance on the part of the eleven-year-old son of Peter Pan, as he held Joe Joe safe to earn the decision by a head and pulled up lame. Dingo proved to be easily best of the top-heavy band which faced the starter in the second race. Although outpaced in the early stages, the son of McGee ran oved his opponents with little effort during the run home. High Priestess, the early leader, saved second place from the fast finishing Frank Sumpter. There was a surprise in the third when Runchief. the favorite, failed badly and finished in the ruck. The placed trio were quoted at substantial odds, with Due de Guise just outlasting Zainer after leading all the way, while Dahinda was third. The Jones Stock Farm, which won the feature with Go Foin, also scored with Parnell lad in the fourth race. The latter led all the way and was never seriously menaced, having a winning margin of two and a half lengths. Starmatia finished with a great rush to catch and pass Dora Lutz right at the end. A head separated Sir Glen and Felicitous after a spirited stretch battle in the fifth, with the outcome in doubt until the last few strides. Stable accommodations for the meeting are at a premium. In fact there are no quarters to be had for the housing of thoroughbreds Continued on twelfth page. THEYRE OFF AT HUNTINGTON Continued from first page. whose owners are anxious to race here. For the past four weeks horses have been diverted to the three-quarter mile course of the Akron Racing Association so great was . the demand. That Huntington will be able to furnish 1 extraordinary large fields appears certain. Heretofore the West Virginia Jockey Glub had been handicapped by a lack of horses. Such is not to prevail at this meeting. The principal stables to campaign have come from New Orleans. Miami and Havana. The thoroughbreds apparently have profited by the letup since the close of the three winter • courses. The officials for the meeting are as follows: Andrew 1. Leonard, presiding steward; John J. Miliraw, presiding judge; S. S. Bender, associate judge and racing secretary ; William Harris, starter; H. J. Kohl, clerk of the scales; Krnest Gottrell. paddock judg. ; J. F. Ridg.ly and Thomas Mliphant. timers, and Dr. l.uther Raymond, track phj sician.