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IN A THRILLING FINISH Banton Beats Princess Doreen in Hotel Statler Handicap. Eesult in Doubt Until the Last Stride Reputation Takes Secondary Attraction. COL.tiINSVIL.LiE. I1L. June 25 The running of the Hotel Statler Handicap, stellar attraction of Saturday afternoons Fair-mount Park racing, resulted in an H. G. Bedwell and E. R. Morehouse triumph, when E. It. Morehouses four-year-old colt Ban-ton, racing coupled in the event with Bed-wells -Cudgeller, accounted for the ?5,000 added fixture, staged at a mile and a sixteenth. Bantons victory will be termed by many as bordering on the fortunate, for the winners margin of victory over the renowned Princess Doreen, racing in the colors of. the Audley Farm Stable, was of the smallest margin, Banton just lasting to win in the last stride of a hairline finish. Princess Doreen, finishing strongly and with rare courage, landed a half length before H. P. Headleys Helens Babe, the latter easily taking third place. Another length and a half away came the Coventry Stables Cotlogomer, followed by Lounger, the latter many lengths in advance of the distant and last to finish, Cudgeller. The Webster Grove Handicap afforded the fans an opportunity to enthuse greatly, when they witnessed a band of the best sprinters at the track in action at three-quarters. The result was indeed popular, Reputation performing in convincing style, landing at the finish a length in; advance of Brown Sugar, while another length away came Shasta Bullet, the extreme outsider in the betting, which was up at the end after ground saving tactics enforced in the stretch to easily defeat the Audley Farms Glister for third place. Glister beat Huntsman, while the early pacemaker, Booze Beyer, wound up in last position. SPANISH STAR FIRST. A mile and an eighth race opened the sport of the afternoon, in which C. Grafagninis Spanish Star was installed a heayily-backed favorite. Ridden by jockey Zi. McClair, Spanish Star accounted for the race in a close and exciting finish, narrowly defeating C. C. Wrights improved-going Fausto in the concluding stages of a long, hard stretch .drive. II. G. Bedwells Foretold annexed third place. Spanish Star was the leader most of the way, surrendering her advantage to Fausto briefly in the stretch when they were an eighth away, but Spanish Star then came again strongly in the last eighth when seemingly beaten, and got up in the closing strides to win. An upset came in the running of the maiden two-year-old race, in which H. P. Morans lightly regarded Golflex, racing in suddenly improved form, graduated into the winning ranks, by defeating a speedy band which started against him here. Martie Flynn, one of the choices, raced into second place, while Shasta Sheik, coupled in the race with Shasta Klan, as the Brown Shasta Stock Farm entry, was third at the finish. Boni-van and Shasta Sheik set the early pace between them, each racing into the lead before the stretch was reached, only to tire when Golflex and Martie Flynh challenged. The latter pair raced closely lapped in the stretch, "Golflex finally gaining a head advantage, which he gamely held to the end, scoring in a close finish. XAItltOWEST OF MARGINS. The Badger and Patsy Jane, well backed, provided a thriller in the third race, a dash of three-quarters, with The Badger home winner by the narrowest of margins, just barely lasting to- take the decision in the last stride. The pair of them dominated the running of the race all the way, The Badger setting the pace, with Patsy Jane close up, and they raced as a team in the stretch with the winner in doubt to the end. Alborak, back a few lengths at the turn, barely outfinished Matador for third place. C. C. Wright continued accounting for purses today, when Good Night showed his heels most of the way to the ones he met in! the fourth race, another mile and an eighth affair. Good Night was heavily backed and ruled a strong favorite. He kept the lead after taking it on the first turn, and was only in danger of losing Jt for a brief time, In the stretch, when Gloria Quayle almost got on even terms with the leader.
