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JOY SMOKE IN FRONT Furnishes Surprise in Winning Preliminary Handicap. Beats Transmute, Aga Khan and Other Good Ones in Trial for Dixie Handicap. ♦ HAVRE DE GRACE. Md., April 28.— Trainer Wm. Irvine picked out a pretty shifty racer for his employer Edward F. Whitney, when he purchased Joy Smoke from John E. Madden at Laurel last Fall. In his first start here this spring Joy Smoke unseated his rider at the post, and then came back and beat Ten Minutes and Sunsini. Today Joy Smoke was a starter in the Preliminary Handicap, a race fashioned for Dixie eligibles. He was meeeting some of the best racers in these parts, among them the Harry Payne Whitney pair. Transmute and The Bat, and Flames and Aga Khan from the Belair Stud. Joy Smoke looked to be outclassed by his opponents and his chances were not taken seriously by the rank and file. Wallace had the mount and he kept Joy Smoke right up with the leaders from the start. The Bat left the post with a rush and, rounding the first turn, Stevens sent Flames up to the flying leaders. He moved up so fast that he was in front straightened out on the back stretch. Wallace never made a move on Joy Smoke, nursing his mount along for a final effort At the half mile post Transmute made his bid and so did Aga Khan. Entering the home stretch Wallace sent Joy Smoke through next to the inside rail and at the eighth post he caught and passed Flames. The latter was under a desperate drive and hung on gamely. Joy Smoke held him safe however and. passing the winning mark, had his neck in front. Aga Khan was third, two lengths away, and then followed Transmute, The Bat and Dr. OMara, all three being beaten off. The mile and an eighth was run in 1 :53, a splendid performance considering that the going was muddy. The fractional time of the race was :23%, :47%, 1 :13, 1 :39%, and 1 :53. Joy Smoke is bred on fashionable lines, being a son of Sir Martin from that good mare Sweet Brier, so he comes of his speed honestly. The change in the going was probably responsible for the numerous ■ upsets during the afternoon, winners coming from unexpected sources and the fortunate ones were well rewarded. "GOOD THINGS" FAIL. The first race was for maiden three-year-olds and like all events of this kind there were any number of supposed "good things" in it. Quick Lunch, Mons Meg and Commissioner were served up as the hottest of them, but all fell by the wayside. The winner turned up in the Maryland-bred youngster J. Fred A., trained by Willie Midgeley. J. Fred A. was ridden by Ambrose, began well, set a fast pace in the going and. stalling off determined opposition in the stretch run. beat Commissioner by half a length. The latter was the favorite. It was a tight fit between Margaret St. L. and Flora Star for third place, the pair finishing in the order named, heads apart. The going just suited Log Fire, a son of Blazes, which was starting in the colors of his new owner J. Cloonan, in the second race. This race was also a maiden dash for two-year-olds and it brought out a field of thirteen. Log Fire made all of the pace, racing into a long lead entering the home stretch, but at the end he began to tire and McTague was forced to put up a rousing finish to get him home. He was only a neck in front of Pheasant, which in turn beat Continued on sixteenth page. I i I I , , I . [ | I | ! ! JOY SMOKE IN FRONT Continued from first pace. ! Southern Melody by a head for second place. 1 Log Fire was bearing out all the last eighth and finished well on the outside. There ] were two claims in this race, J. Nechamkin taking Southern Melody for ,500, while J. L. Earl took Julia O. for ,500. The Seagram Stable, which has been in particularly good form this spring, furnished | the winner of the third race. Exalted Ruler, 1 which ridden by Kennedy made all the pace ; and in a driving finish beat Lady Glassen t by a little over a length. The latter finished 1 with splendid courage and wearing Leather- 1 wood down nailed him the final stride and I got second place by the smallest of margins, i Leatherwood was favorite. Rounding the ] far turn he made a desperate effort going i through next the rail and poking his nose . in front for a few strides but when it came 1 to a drive in the home stretch, Leatherwood t tired. Carlton and Monday Morning both £ began slowly and were never factors. Leatherwood was claimed out of the race by the Pastime Stable for ,750. Chink was an easy winner in the fourth. c He was ridden with excellent judgment by E McAtee. The latter avoided the early pace e and did not hurry his mount any the first t half mile. When he got ready he moved up t to the leaders with a rush and, rounding 3 the far turn, assumed an easy lead which he a retained without effort to the end. Perma- I nent Wave was the one to make the pace and s McTague hurried her to the front rounding r/ the first turn and on the back stretch kept t her going at top speed. The result was that s when the winner challenged she had nothing left. Harlan was a keen factor for five- a eighths, and then retired. It was a three t horse race all the way, with the others dis- v tant followers the entire way. Campfire v Tales, a slow beginner, began flatfooted and dropped out of it in the early stages. Sir a Ronald served to introduce the Belair Stud .A colors for the first time this year. Much b by was expected of him, but he failed miserably f in the struggle. s, • a f
