view raw text
NUMEROUS SCRATCHES , « Many Withdrawals at Aurora Owing to Heavy Track. ♦ Another Deluge Leaves Course in Bad Condition — Billy Baughn Takes Principal Race. ♦ AURORA, 111.. April 29.— Adverse weather conditions greeted the racegoers at Exposition Park this afternoon, after a few days of ideal conditions for racing, and the Fox River Valley course again took on a scene of dampness and gloom following the overnight and early rain which visited this section. The previous rapidly improving and drying-out track received another drenching, setting It back and bringing heavier going again. Parts of the track, particularly U.e homestretch, were waterlogged and uncertain, only the sturdiest of the racers being able to negotiate the going with any degree of success, much stumbling and floundering being indulged in by the starters during the final stages of the races. In most cases the early leaders were used up by the tim« they reached the stretch and many came to grief in the sticky going there. The program provided for ladies day boasted of no stellar attraction, fields consisting of the ordinary variety of racers. Numerous scratches and withdrawals reduced the number of starters in most of the races, and resulted in the calling off of the seventh race, a substitute race being arranged. Incidentally there was no lack of ready competitors when thirteen owners accepted conditions and their horses paraded to the post to try for the purse. THRILLING CONTEST. The best field of the day to face the barrier went to the post in the fifth race, a five and a half furlong contest. It resulted in a spectacular race replete with thrilling incidents and with no less than four of the starters having a turn at leading the field at different stages. R. L. Bakers Billy Baughn finally proved the master of the others and scored in a close finish from Montello, the latter leading Riot three lengths for second place. At the start Billy Baughn was shuffled back and Lady Eleanor elected to show the way to her opponents. The filly gave it up at the half way mark and Old Bill moved into a half length lead. His sojourn in front was brief, for entering the stretch Riot saved ground on the inside and raced to the front in a commanding manner, but Billy Baughn came again with renewed speed to draw away into a good lead an eighth out Inside the last seventy yards Montello gained fast on the leader and all but succeeded in wels.-ing him down at the end. Jockey Lynch" shook his mount up in the last few yards and was able to keep Billy Baughn in front long enough to finish with an advantage over Montello. Redskin redeemed himself for the poor showing he made in a previous out and romped to an easy victory over the ones he was pitted against in the intial race. Daddy Wolf, the aged gelding, gamely raced to second place, while Bad Luck took third. Redskin raced with J. G. Ricke!. the latter leading for the first quarter before tiring, where the eventual winner then took easy command and held the race safe to the end. Daddy Wolf showed speed in the first quarter but seemingly beaten, fell out of it in the stretch. He closed with a rush which carried him past all but the leader, bringing him second money. Bad Luck had no excuses in defeat and was tiring fast near the end. TOILERS LUCKY VICTORY. A lucky victory was scored by F. J. Boyles Toiler in the second race, when that four-year-old son of Transvaal, was home a nose in advance of Greek Friar, with Copy right a distant third. Beginning forwardly and showing the most speed. Sir John McDonald showed the way to his opponents all the way to the stretch, and while raxing clear and in the lead seemingly an easy winner, suddenly-stopped in a soft part of the going anil floundering in distress was thrown. Toiler meanwhile coming on the inside, after having closed a wide gap, overtook th leaders, and finding himself in the lead, when Sir John McDonald fell continued gamely to the finish and in a hard drive just managed to la,-* long enough to outstay the challenge of Greek Friar at the end. Despite conditions heing uninviting and the lack of any outstanding stars appearing amopg the entries for the afternoon, on.- of the largest crowds of the meeting was on hand, and the puMic managed to land on the winners on a numher of the races, favorites and choices racing consistently. E. E Sterretts Dell Evans displayed good speed in the going and, counige combined with staying ability, brought him the purse in the fourth race. The six-year-od un-sexed son of Dick Finnell led the others from the start and, continuing fast through the mire in the stretch, held lacking safe In Continued on twentieth i nge. NUMEROUS SCRATCHES Continued from first page the last eighth of a mile when the latter challenged. The winner was lightly backed and afforded his admirers large returns. Rocking proved best of the others to take second place, while Kendall took the minor award. The first three here dominated the running of the race throughout, scant opposition coming from the other four starters at any stage. A shifty band of youngsters went to the post to try for the purse in the fifth race. The winner turned up in Mrs. F. Farrars Indra, a Polroma filly, which graduated from the ranks of the non-winners with a driving victory over Jim Bridger, from the Nevada Stock Farm Stable, while Mrs. W. J. Potters Hayess Choice was third. Honeydeck raced coupled with Jim Bridger as the Nevada Stock Farm entry but failed to show to advantage. Philomela, a Pandion-Jeano filly, showed a flash of speed from the rise of the barrier leading the others to the turn into the home stretch where she suddenly bolted to the outside and swerved out all during the stretch racing to finish in last place. Wallin and Lusc.hers Jim Bethel showed winning form in the third race and scored an easy victory over Geo. Dever, Fore Gold and seven others at five and one-half furlongs. Jockey R. Zucchini rode the winner well and kept him close to the leaders for the first half of the distance. Jim Bethel then moved up on even terms with the early leader. La. Belle, and, disposing of the latter an eighth out, came to the finish an easy winner, three lengths in advance of Geo. Dever. The latter came from the rear in the final quarter and, finishing with a rush, just got up at the end to nose out Fore Gold Cor second place. Neptune, well up from the start, wa.s racing with the leaders near-ing the finish, hut was bothered somewhat when Geo. Dever bore out at the end and his rider was forced to take up to prevent interfering with the progress of Fore Gold.
