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ANOTHER PURSE FOR WILSON « Sunfire Winner of Highland Claiming Stakes at Jamaica. Laverne Falor Pilots Benjamin Blocks | I Morbelle to Victory In Opening Jlaee — Valkyr Scores. NEW YORK, X. Y., April 26.— Richard T. Wilsons Sunfire, under a vigorous and a lucky ride by Leonard, was winner of the stake offering of the Metropolitan Jockey Club at Jamaica today, when he got up to win from Edward Arlingtons Poeticule, while Walter J. Salmons Balai dOr, a stablemate of the winner, saved third place from Marshall Fields Agapanthus. This all happened in the three-quarters Highland Claiming Stakes, which was worth ,550 to the winner. Leonard rode vigorously, for Sunfire was last away. He was lucky when Baker on Poeticule left room for him to come through on the inside in the stretch. But for that opening, Poeticule would surely have been the winner, though Sunfires margin at the end was two lengths. It was another bright day. and track conditions had improved greatly, but the weather was still uncomfortably cold for this season of the year. The program offered was not exactly an attractive one, but a big crowd was out and there was no lack of enthusiasm as the races were run. Thirteen went to post for the Highland Claiming Stakes, and Maiben had Balai dOr first to show out of the band. Henrietta Wildair went with him, but the filly was inside the Salmon gelding and, before they had gone far, B. Collins, who had the mount, took back timidly and then was crowded and shuffled back until she was in a bad position. Benjamin Blocks Morbelle. under a well-judged ride by Laverne Fator, was winner from a cheap band in the opening mile and seventy yards race. Shasta Xegra, racing for Bradford Brinton, took second place from Tom Calcinas Puget Sound, and Frank Kearns Porto Bello Cold was a distant fourth, with Mrs. J. Zoellers Philips First, the only other starter, being pulled up in the stretch when she bled. Fator took Morbelle into command at the rise of the barrier and, once there, he took hold of her and rated along at a steady pace, always keeping something in reserve. Con thai oil on fonrfo?ntl page. , » " e e S - e e u e to _ l" e r 11 ANOTHER PURSE FOR WILSON I Conlinuod from first pace. Puget Sound went after her la the early racing but, in the back stretch, Shasta Negra moved up in resolute fashion until, leaving the back stretch, it had narrowed down to a three-horse race. Losing no ground swings ing into the stretch. Fator still held to his lead and, when McTague hoped to find room on the inside with Shasta Negra, he was disappointed and was forced to come to the outside, having disposed of the tiring Puget Sound by that time. Right at the end Fator was hustling Mor-" belle along to have her winner by two lengths, while Shasta Negra beat Puget Sound a like distance for second place. In the meantime F. J. Baker rushed Poeti- cule along on the outside until she soon joined Bala! dOr and then she was on past and, racing smoothly. She swung into the stretch a length and a half to the good and was rac- ing so well that she looked all over a winner. Agapanthus had moved up until he was a contender and Leonard had been steadily weaving his way up on the inside with Sun- Ore. An eighth out Sunfire was a real menace, but he would have had no chance to poll around Foeticide and win, so that Leonard had to hold to his inside position. Poeticule was still holding the others safe, but Baker had left that opening on the rail and before he knew what was happening, Leonard shoe Sunfire through there and, once clear, he drew away to be the winner by a couple of lengths. Balai dOr was quitting at the end. but Mai-ben kept him going long enough to beat Agapanthus by a head for third and the oth-S ers came along in rather strung out order. with Daric last of them all. The fourth race, with only Robert L. Kerrys Sarmaticus, the Banc-ocas Stables I Sublevado and B. E. Spiners Copiapo starting, proved easy for Sarmaticus, while Sublevado beat the imported horse handily. In this, Copiapo was away first, but it was not long before McAtee had taken command with Sarmaticus and, once showing the way, he set a fast pace and never was headed, to win by three lengths in 1 :12%, remarkably fast time considering the dull condition of the track. Fator had Sublevado under a steady restraint back of the leader and at the head of the stretch it looked for an instant as though the three-year-old would come on and possibly be the winner. Then Sublevado swerved sharply to the inside and almost to the rail. Fator had to straighten him and Sarmaticus drew away again to win with plenty to spare. Maiden fillies and mares to race three-quarters mile was the second offering and it brought •victory to the Gifford A. Cochran silks when Valkyr, a daughter of Man o War. led home William Woodwards Piis-cilla Carter, with Helenita. from the Middle-burg Stable of Mrs. William Ziegler, Jr., third. Helenita and Lass o Gowrie beat the others away while Valkyr was in third place, but losing ground as the first two sped on their way. Then Lass o Gowrie tired and dropped back. Valkyr began to make up ground, but it seemed that Helenita had a lead that would see her safely home. But in the last eighth she tired badly and Valkyr raced past. In the meantime Priscilla Carter began to race in earnest and she also passed Helenita, but she could not catch the Cochran filly, being beaten a length and a half, though she took second place by half a length Lass o Gowrie was four lengths further back and the others followed in strung out order. The Blonde, a daughter of Mad Hatter, which started once in Maryland, was an easy winner of the five-eighths dash for maiden two-year-old fillies, which was the fifth of- fering. She led home Mrs. C. V. B. Cush-mans Showery by three lengths, while a like distance further away Marshall Fields Calabria was third. The big surprise of the running was the showing of March Hare, from the Wheatley Stable. This filly, also a daughter of Mad Hatter, had shown such speed in her trials that the race was considered little more than a formality for her. She began well enough but was in close quarters, with Showery alongside, when McAuliffe took her up sharply and. after she had been badly shuffled back, McAuliffe finally pulled her up completely to have her jog along after the others. Showery held to command until well into the stretch, -when Workman brought The Blonde along with her winning rush. She went on by without any trouble to win with plenty to spare.
