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FAVORABLE WEATHER » Mondays Racing at Aurora Held Under Ideal Conditions. ♦ Rapidly Improving Track Brings About Much More Interesting Sport and Close Finishes. ■ AURORA, 111., May 2. — Favorable weather and a rapidly improving track provided ideal conditions for the sport at Exposition Park this afternoon. Large fields started and the majority of the races were hard fought and close contests resulted. Surprises occurred, but some favorites and well-backed choices also accounted for a share of the purses, making the public fairly successful in their quest for winners. The offering provided by the Exposition Park Jockey Club for ladies day was devoid of any outstanding feature and there was an absence of any particular or noted stars. Nevertheless, good racing was produced and another attendance, large in number, made the trip to the course to witness the program. The fifth race had the large crowd in a state of frenzy continuously, it being closely fought and speculation brisk, producing a number of well-backed choices which eventually wound up fighting it out in the closing stages of the contest after the long-priced ones had held sway In tne early-stages. Proceeds dominated the early running for three-quarters and then gave way to Pompous. The latter then raced in the lead until well inside the last eighth, when Sea Green, under jockey B. Pershall. loomed up and, finishing fastest of all. easily overhauled Pompous and won drawing clear. Pompous easily held second place safe, while one of the outsiders. Nobody Home, got up in the last few yards to take third place easily, coming from far back of the leaders in the last quarter. In this race the eventual winner, Sea Green, ruled favorite over Pompous by a slight margin and their finishing in one-two order here proved popular with their followers. FINALLY MAKES GOOD. Maiden three-year-olds made up the contest in the initial race and. after many failings, Mrs. J. H. Buschers Joe Junior finally annexed a purse and graduated from the ranks of the non-winners. Winnie Stuart finished nearest the winner at the end in second place, while Mose Shapoff, a three-year-old gelding, account for third. Kleven f:iced the barrier here, Joe Junior, the winner, and Mose Shapoff, which was third, racing grouped as the field. There- was considerable attention for Peter L., a pronounced good thing and the latter raced as favorite, but failed of figuring extensively in th • running at any stage. Prig was another well backed choice and also performed poorly finishing far out of it. B. Creechs Tormentor, favorite in the fourth race, made good handily over some good horses. Engadine took second place, while Fallen Leaf wound up in third place. The latter set the pace and showed the way to the others to the stretch, but gave way when challenged, losing second place to Kn-gadine in the last few yards. The latter would have finished much closer up, but for being allowed to swerve badly in the last eighth. FORELAND A SIRPKISE. An outstanding surprise resulted in the fourth race, when Foreland, lightly supported, finished with a burst of speed in the stretch to overhaul the leaders and, taking the lead, scored an easy vietory over Balhilde Seth, Donna Santa and nine others. Ievoy led for the first quarter, but was then passed by Sakah, which held the lead to the turn into the home stretch. Here Bathilde Seth challenged the leader, raced into a clear lead and appeared the winner. An eighth out Foreland made his resolute challenge and, passing the tiring Bathilde Seth, got to the iinish winner by three lengths. Most support was afforded DOMM Santa and Kager, but the latter was never able to reach the leaders at any stage Seven two-year-old maidens met in the second race over the four and a half furlongs course. A surprise occurred when Lidy OXeil, showing good speed and holding to a slight lead tenaciously all during the hist quarter, was returned winner by a safe margin over Clem Lewis and lerfect Model. Th.- latter was a heavily backed one and was expected to have little trouble winning. However, alter forcing the pace for a hal* mile, when in a contending position in the stretch, she proceeded to swerve all over the ; track, with the result that she was easily de-I feated by the winner and allowed Clem Lewis I to get the better of her for second place. touliuucd ou twentieth najje. FAVORABLE WEATHER Continued from first page African Daisy showed to good advantage for the first quarter, but was eased up thereafter, when tiring fast. One of the best finishes of the day resulted in the sixth race, when Gay Boy II. had the better of a stiff and exciting argument with Scissors, Gondolier and eight others. The tarly lead here was closely contested, with Bally Nuisance and Gondolier showing the way to the others to the stretch. Here Gondolier disposed of the tiring Bally Nuisance and moved into the undisputed lead. Revolt and My Destination were close up, while Gay Boy II. was racing strongly next in order. Nearing the last eighth-mile jockey H. Long, riding the ultimate winner, suddenly shook his mount up vigorously and, quickly passing Gondolier and putting up an excellent finish, gained a slight advantage, which was held to the end, when Gay Boy II. proved game enough to outstay Scissors in a hard drive. Scissors charged strongly on the outside in the last seventy yards, defeating Gondolier for second money. Bally Nuisance, Revolt and Iagoon, all of which showed speed during the race and ran prominently, failed badly, tiring fast at the end. A.
