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SEPARATED BY INCHES Patsy Jane and Sir Rogers in a Stirring Finish. Filly Outstays First-Time Starter in Venice Purse at Collinsville Course Polymel Third. COLLINSVILLE, 111., June 28. The Venice Purse, which was the feature of this afternoons Fairmount Park racing, terminated in the closest finish of the day and saw R. Nicholas Patsy Jane home winner by a matter of inches before V. W. Dardens three-year-old Sir Rogers. Patsy Jane was ridden by jockey T. Root and marked his second winning mount 5f the afternoon. V. Clouds Polymel, racing well, was third in the race, many lengths in advance of the remainder of the eight horse field, while Polymel was himself five lengths in back of Sir Rogers at the finish. Sir Rogers, a chestnut son of Cudgel Galli Curci, was making his first start and performed in a fine manner, racing true to many remarkable morning trials recently made at the course. However, Patsy Jane possessed the most early speed and she soon raced away into a safe lead, closely pressed by Polymel, while Sir Rogers quickly joined the two leaders, after rounding the far turn. The three of them dominated the running, the others being outpaced. Entering the stretch Sir Rogers, after having been forced to race on the outside, soon set out gamely for the finish line and was quick to dispose of Polymel. Patsy Jane continued to hold her lead well, but was indeed fortunate in lasting it out, for Sir Rogers, under hard riding, raced through the final eighth with great speed and it was only by the smallest of margins Patsy Jane succeeded in winning at the end. Patsy Jane was the favored one, and her win caused much glee among the backers of the short-priced ones. Another afternoon of extremely warm weather brought a large crowd to the course to witness sport conducted along the best lines, which was highly entertaining at all times. There was an absence of any outstanding stars which, nevertheless, did not lessen the fans enthusiasm. EASY FOR CUP BEARER. It was not a very difficult matter for Mrs. G. H. Abbotts Cup Bearer to take the measure of the ordinary band of sprinters which started over the three-quarters route in the second race. Cup Bearer was "a forward factor always, following closely the pace of Fallen Leaf and Loyal H. to the stretch turn then, saving ground on the inside, passed them to take the lead, which he held for the remainder of the journey, scoring safely from Loyal H. at the end. The latter threatened in the stretch, but appeared to tire near the end and was forced to be content with saving second place. H. G. Bed-wells Fore Lady ran a good race, and finished in third place. E. W. Watson earned his first purse in considerable time, when Holly Boy, racing in fairly good form, accounted for the initial dash of three-quarters. Jockey T. Root piloted the winner and, saving ground all the way with hismount, had him up in the closing strides, lasting to defeat Jaunebar by a head in a clcse and exciting termination of a long stretch drive. Jaunebar was a forward factor always, taking the lead from Holly Boy midway of the stretch turn but, not being good enough, tired at the end. Lure of Gold came from behind in the stretch to take third place. IL E. Brown accounted for another purse, when the aged gelding Tippity Witchet, a veteran campaigner, easily won over the mile and a quarter route in the third race. Tippity Witchet assumed command in the first quarter-mile of the race and made every post a winning one under a good ride by jockey Armstrong. Betsy Bacon raced in closest pursuit of the winner, easily annexing second place, while a few lengths further back came Cherebu. Cherebu was favorite here. Willies Maid, which, along with Tip-piety Witchet and Betsy Bacon, carried much support, each having about an equal amount of backing, was expected to go well, but raced poorly throughout, suffering from incompetent riding, being ridden all over the track, and was weakly handled in the early stages. MAC MAXIM SURPRISES. An immense surprise occurred with the running of the fourth race, a dash of five and a half furlongs for two-year-olds. The lightly-backed Mac Maxim, after performing poorly on the occasion of his last race Saturday afternoon, showed sudden improvement and displayed the most speed at all stages of this afternoons race and got to the finish in- advance of Bill Seth, by a matter of inches, getting the verdict in a sparkling finish. Mac Maxim paid off at long odds, having scant backing, incidentally, being the longest priced winner of the current meeting. Bill Seth forced Mac Maxim to do his Continued on twentieth poe. SEPARATED BY INCHES Continued from first page best in the stretch drive, but could not overhaul him in time and took second place. Lady Welcome came with a terrific rush in the stretch and just took third place in the final strides. Greta, the odds-on favorite, failed to show her customary speed in this race, and the reverse proved costly to the large throng of admirers when the best she could do was wind up in fourth place. H. G. Bedwells Last Cent won his second straight victory in as many starts here, when he defeated some good ones which made up the contest in the sixth race, at a mile and a sixteenth. Last Cent landed a head in advance of the heavily-backed Belpre, which, in turn, narrowly outfinished Louisville and Nashville for second place.
