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FAIRBANK FIRST IN OLD ESTABLISHED KINGS PLATE - rSS • ■ i Carries Colors of J. C. Fletcher to Victory in Canadas Most Famous Race * Scores in Sensational Finish, Defeating Seagram Stables Duchess by a Nose— 25,000 Enthusiasts Crowd Woodbine for Inauguration of Canadian Racing Season ■ — — ♦ WOODBINE PARK, TORONTO, Ont., May 23. — Leaden skies and a chilling east wind failed to dampen the ardor of Canadian race fans and from the time the gates were thrown open at 11:30 until post time steady streams of lovers of the thoroughbred found their way to the course on foot, on street cars and by automobile and at post time for the first race 25,000 people occupied the lawns, both tiers of the grandstand and the members clubhouse. Captain John Slattery and his Forty-eighth Highlanders band dispensed music on the lawn to while away the interval until the racing began. Promptly ar» 2:15 the governor general in the state carriage arrived via the eastern gate" and drove down the track, preceded by a detachment of dragoons, and Lord and I-ady Byng were given a quiet but sincere welcome by the huge crowd by peals of handclapping, iand the tribute was suitably taken by the hero of Vimy Ridge and without delay they pioceeded to the vice regal box in the members stand, which had been specially draped with flags. Just prior to the entrance of the governor general the lieutenant governor of Ontario and party in two automobiles arrived and proceeded to their box. The honor and glory of winning Canadas most famous and coveted race, the oldest run Ai nniniiniiulv continuously fn on tV » the TJnrtli North American Am* T*if*nn /.on- j ! i I Ai nniniiniiulv continuously fn on tV » the TJnrtli North American Am* T*if*nn /.on- con-I tinent. fell to J. C. Fletcher w -en Fairbank, I racing in his colors, got up in the last stride I to win by a nose the sixty-sixth running- of the Kings Plate from Duchess, carrying the Seagram Stables silks, while Jean Crest finished third, four lengths away, outlasting Forecast II. for third money. The youthful owner proudly led his filly to the paddock and after being photographed was presented with the cup by Lady Byng. wife of the governor general. The victory of Fairbank was a popular one and she was given a strong finish by Chick Lang. Fair-bank is owned by a Canadian, bred by the owner, who thereby gains an additional 0, annually awarded to the breeder of the i i winner, whether it has changed hands or not. Furthermore, to make the victory all I i tne more auspicious, Fairbank was sired by j | Anmer. presented by the king to the Canadian breeding industry. sea;ham emry favorite. As usual the Seagram entry was post time favorfte and the last reading showed even money against the trio carrying the colors ] i of the Waterloo stable. The Fletcher entry , hovered around the 5 to 1 mark through the ! j various readings and paid 1.75 for a ticket. Following the hunch created by a field horse winning in both the Preakness and Kentucky Derby, the field, consisting of , Tricky Take Off, Cloth Hall and Rebus, was : given stout suppdrt and was backed down from 100 to 20 to 1. There was a big delay at the barrier before the field was sent away with Forecast II., the worst offender, but about every one in turn breaking up many promising starts. ! j Morrissey got the bulky field away to a good j start and Jean Crest sprinted into the lead | j which she did not relinquish until coming I I into the stretch. Forecast II. was the one to follow the early pace of the J. P. White filly, with Duchess and Fairbank close in attendance. i At the back stretch turn Duchess moved , up with a rush and quickly reached Fore-I cast II., but it was not until the home stretch Continued on twentieth puge. . I 1 KINGS PLATE TO FAIRBANK Continued from first page. that the Seagram filly could collar Jean Crest. Duchess looked a certain winner, but tired badly at the eighth post, where Fair-bank, under a powerful ride by Chick Bang, came with a great hurst of speed. Kennedy went to the whip with Duchess and the Seagram filly responded gamely and fought the Fletcher color-bearer right to the end. but the daughter of Anmer had more left and won by a nose. Jtan Crest hung on with rare courage and took third money from the Riverdale stables Forecast II. Catamaran, the E. J. Smallman filly, ran a good race to finish fifth after having met with some interference. The remainder of the field were not prominent in the running ; and none of them had any excuses. While only four answered the bugle in the 1 Aintree Steeplechase with its 55,000 added. Crumple II. and Upsal declining, it proved ja stirring contest with the locally-owned Juingamp winning by a couple of hundred yards, with John R. Macombers Golden Cup second and Dunks Green third. At the fourteenth jump with Ouinganr well in the lead. Dunks Green and Bieutenant Seas fell. ! Golden Cup, which was trailing the field far hack, just got over the jump where the others fell. Haynes remounted Dunks Green and the pair staged a duel for second place, but the fall took tco much out of Dunks Green 1 and he had to bo content with third money. 1 McDonnell, who was astride Bieutenant Seas, j was back on his feet when the ambulance arrived to take him back to the paddock. Bieutenant Seas was allowed to set the i pace until going down the back field the second time around. On the back stretch turn jump, Guingamp nailed the leader and went on to win easily. At the fourteenth jump. Dunks Green was racing neck and neck ; with Bieutenant Baaa, both taking the jump I together and both falling. Golden Cup in the meantime had cleared the same obstacle and battled it out to stand off the fatigued Dunks Green which had been remounted. The honor of winning the first race of the meeting feil to H. G. Bedwell with Scotch Broom, which was coupled with Senator Norris, after a mild stretch drive with the I early pacemaker, Mr. Pepp, which finished only a head in front of E. F. Whitneys Joy Smoke. The start was a good one, with Mr. Pep,-. a field horse, quickly rushing to the front. with Scotch Broom second and Senator Norris third. The winner went to the pacemaker in the stretch and in a mild drive out- lasted Mc Daniels colt to win by a length going away, Mr. Pepp saving second place *yy a head from Joy Smoke.
