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MUDDY AT LOUISVILLE ♦ Dinner Dance Makes Auspicious 1928 Debut in Feature. » Churchill Downs Racing Spectacular in Spite of Lack of Outstanding Attraction. LOUISVILLE, Ky.. May 15.— The Castle-wood Purse, over three-quarters, bringing out some good sprinters, served as the Churchill Downs feature race today. In it R. S. Clark* speedy Dinner Dance was home an easy winner over the fast-finishing Brilliant, while Retort led the others in third place. It was the first race this year for Dinner Dance, and conditions were exactly to his liking. The muddy going which prevailed as a result of the hard rains this morning converted the course and made it just right for Dinner Dance. He displayed a high order of speed from the start and held sway by a big margin at all stages of the race. Pool was easing him up in the last sixteenth, which made it appear that Brilliant was wearing him down at a fast rate. Brilliant had begun slowly and was far back during the early stages of the race, but he found his stride when rounding the stretch turn and finished fast. Retort was a factor during the entire race, but was tiring in the last sixteenth. There was considerable support for Xick Cullop but, after racing prominently for a half mile, he gave way. Overhanging clouds, which succeeded the rain of this morning, continued a threat of a downpour and contributed toward holding down the attendance, but a goodly patronage was still on hand and it included many new arrivals who are here to remain until after the Derby running. POOR RIDING. Todays racing was spectacular in spite of. a lack of features and the muddy course. Bad riding was a factor in causing the downfall of several contenders that should have reversed the decision with the victors. Rod-rigo, in the fourth race, was a particular victim of an incompetent ride. The Wild Rose Farms imported three-year-old Charmarten graduated when he raced to an easy victory over Kelnot, Stamford and nine other maidens in the mile introductory race. Given an alert ride by J. Butwell, the winner never left the result in doubt and. after racing into a long lead in the first three-eighths, held it easily thereafter and won easing up by three lengths. Kelnot, whose rider, Rouzier, suffered minor injuries to his right foot at the start, raced into second place after making the stretch turn and easily outdistanced the others. He finished the course six lengths in front of Stamford. D. F. Kelly tired badly after racing well to the stretch. Jockey F. Chiavetta was caught napping at the start and this, combined with his inability to keep Ultimexican straight in the stretch, resulted in that youngsters defeat in the second race. The Gorham Bros. representative was a pronounced choice and probably would have vindicated his strong support had Chiavetta got him away in a forward position. He was beaten but a half length by Maidens Choice, the latter starting fast and showing speed for the entire four and a half furlongs. Ultimexican succeeded in heading the winner in the stretch, but the effort of making up the ground he lost at the start told in the final eighth and Maidens Choice returned to the lead in the final sixteenth. When Ultimexican swerved in the stretch he humped the winner and the interference aided the former in getting his nose in front. Round Up ran a good race on the extreme outside to be third. FIRST FOR REJOICE. Rejoice scored her first success of the Kentucky meetings when she was home in advance of a good band of sprinters that included Canberra and Scsqui. A hustling ride caused her to move into the lead in the first few strides and she held sway thereafter to win well in hand from Canberra, The latter was in closest pursuit of tha winner for the entire distance. Sesqui, coming fast and benefiting by Dubois action in taking Crestwood extremely wide, was enabled to land in third place. Crestwood was in high regard in some quarters and would have been a formidable factor, but for the bad riding he received. Dubois took him back immediately after the start and when he approached the stretch turn he went far back, to later race the colt extremely wide. Poor riding cost Rodrigo the purse in the fourth race, at a mile and a sixteenth. He was beaten by a narrow margin by Policeman Day. The latter was helped by the good ride that J. Heupel put up on him. Rodrigo was allowed to race far out of it in the early stages and later raced extremely wide, which cost him much ground. He came steadily in the stretch, but was allowed to swerve and Policeman Day, keeping a straight course and hard ridden, just managed to win by a neck. Rocky Cliff was Continued on eleventh page. MUDDY AUOUISVILLE Continued from first page.1 best of the six others that started in the race. The Okah, showing a fine effort over the sloppy course, took down the daily purse for the E. B. McDean stable, when he was an easy winner over Eskimo, Frank Horan and eight other highly regarded two-year-olds in the sixth race. The winner led his rivals after the first eighth and won by almost two lengths. He was ridden by E. Ambrose and his victory gave the McLean colors a win for each of the seven days of the current meeting. With a big saving of ground in the stretch, Eskimo wore down Frank Horan for second place.
