view raw text
WINS IN FAST TIME ♦ Helens Babe Runs Mile and Sixteenth in 1 :442/5. Spooky Makes Amends for Recent Defeat by Winning Alamo Purse — Ultimexican Graduates. LOUISVILLE, Ky., May 22— Hal Price Headleys good mare Helens Babe was in a running mood today and scored in the feature in one of the fastest mile and a sixteenths races that has been recorded over the Churchill Downs course for several years. She concluded the distance in 1 :44% and found it easy to continue on an additional three-sixteenths, concluding the mile and a quarter in 2 :04%. Her extra work was in preparation for her intended start in the Grainger Memorial Handicap, which is scheduled for next Saturday. She had mediocre opposition in this afternoons effort, and consequently ruled at a short price. She never gave her supporters much concern, for she moved into a good lead promptly and. sustaining a terrific pace for the entire distance, drew away in the stretch to win with much in reserve and well in hand. Lancer got up in the final strides to overhaul the badly ridden Colonel Shaw. The latter could not have beaten Helens Babe under any circumstances, but with a well-judged ride he would have been a considerable distance in advance of Lancer. Aleader and Mop Up, which comprised the remainder of the field, were never formidable and were beaten off. PUBLIC FAKES WELL. Ideal weather conditions and a perfect racing course were contributing factors toward the excellent sport that a big crowd witnessed this afternoon. The betting activities were again of a large volume and the public appeared in rare form, for it was successful in selecting four of the first five winners. Rejoice was the only offender in the early races to fail them. Spooky, the Pillory fiily that disappointed in the Debutante Stakes here last Friday, came back and made partial amends for that defeat when she raced to an easy victory in the Alamo Purse, secondary feature. She won, easing up, by three lengths from Exquisite, with Veneita M., just half as far back. The winner had the J. P. Chinn colors in front after the first eighth and, racing as if she outclassed her opponents, was never in danger. W. Garner kept her under strong restraint while racing on the turf but when straightened out in the stretch he urged her into a long lead, and this she might easily have retained had she not been taken under strong restraint in the final stages. A big saving of ground in the last three-eighths aided Exquisite in taking second from Veneita M. and Nifty Nitie, both of which tired in the last eighth. There was such substantial support for the winner that she prevailed as one of the shortest-priced winners of the meeting. JOCKEY W. BOIVDEN INJURED. An accident that resulted painfully for jockey W. Bowden and his mount, Sethfer, marked the parade of the horses to the post for the opening race. Upon leaving the paddock gate, Sethfer endeavored to get beyond the control of his rider and, during his frantic actions, crashed into the inner rail. He was pinned against the uprights of one of the gates and, in the impact, suffered deep lacerations about the right foreleg. When he struck the railing Bowden was unseated and in his fall suffered a number of bruises. He was forced to cancel his remaining engagements for the day. The horse was withdrawn by the stewards. The race resulted in a victory for Ultimexican, with Bowler second and Bobby Basil third. The winner saved much ground in the final three-eighths and, after taking what appeared a safe lead over Bowler, began tiring, and the latter was fast wearing him down. Bobby Basil ran well for the entire race. Trainer John F. Schorr saddled his tenth winner of the meeting when E. B. McLeana Portia, an outsider, beat Mally Jane by a nose in the three-quarters second race. Pipestem finished in third place. Portia made her way into the lead after straightening out in the stretch, where Rejoice, the early pacemaker, began tiring and, after taking a good advantage, began tiring and barely lasted. Mally Jane gained steadily in the final eighth, and was fast wearing down the winner in the final stages. Much interference added greatly to Pipestems task and her performance was an excellent one. There was another spectacular finish at the end of the third race, which found Smoldering, under a good ride by W. Fronk, winner by a nose from Cassie, which led Ring On by a head for second. The race was at one mile, for the cheaper variety of plater four-year-olds. Smoldering was indulged with the pacemaking after the first eighth and, while he held on gamely to score his triumph, Cassie probably would have headed him in another stride. Ring On also was going at good speed in the final stages.
