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FIVE STRAIGHT VICTORIES r— ♦ Social Mug Continues Winning Ways at Belmont Park. Scores in Ilollis Claiming Stakes, With Henrietta Wihlalr Second and Mordine Third— Atlantis Wins. NEW YORK, N. Y., May 22.— Social Mug, which races for Eben M. Byers, won his fifth race in a row when he took the three-quarters Mollis Claiming Stakes at Belmont Park this afternoon. His other four victories were all scored at Pimlico and on each occasion he has moved up until he has at least become a truly good plater. This race had a value of ,900 to the winner and the same stake was won by another Byers horse last year, when Houston scored. Though rain threatened all afternoon, it was an excellent day for racing. The track surface had improved greatly and the sport fm nished was first class. Seven of the fourteen that had been named went to the post and they comprised a good band of sprinters. Little time was lost at the barrier and the start was a good one, with Mordine the first to race into the lead. Henrietta Wildair was right after the son of Morvich and the others were in rather strung-out order, with Social Mug last of all. Mordine could not shake off Henrietta Wildair, and the pair of them, closely lapped, drew away three lengths before the others. Bramstar was in third place, and then came Tiffin, the hope of Mrs. Van-derbilts Fair Stable. It was not until on the turn out of the back stretch that Social Mug began to gain. There Kummer elected to go on the outside and gradually he caught up with the others until, swinging into the stretch, he was within striking distance, but still lengths back of the leaders. Mordine and Henrietta Wildair were still fighting it out through the last eighth, but Social Mug, in the middle of the track, was wearing them down with every stride and Kummer was riding a wonderfully confident race. It was not until inside the last sixteenth that the son of Brown Prince II. was lapped on the leaders, and from there to the finish it was easy for him to draw away and win by a length and a half. Henrietta Wildair just lasted to nose out Mordine, and Tiffin, gaining ground, was a fast going fourth. The others followed along well strung out. Social Mug, like many of the get of Brown Prince II., has been slow in coming to his Continued on eighteenth page. FIVE STRAIGHT VICTORIES Continued from first page. real form. He was of little account either as a two-year-old or three-year-old, but this year he has done about all that has been asked and he is certain to be graduated from the ranks of the platers. The Ballot Handicap, at a mile, attracted the best field of the day and it went to Harry F. Sinclairs Sankari when he led home H. P. Whitneys Honker with Walter J. Salmons Black Panther a distant third and just nosing out Joseph E. Wideners Kiev, the only other starter. Cassidy used the walk-up start in this race and with excellent result, the four leaving on the same stride. As was to be expected, Sankari was outrun and in the early stages, he was rather a distant last, while Honker was showing the way and Kiev in second place. Benham rushed Honker right along and he was soon well clear of the others, enjoying a lead of almost five lengths. Kiev was a couple of lengths before Black Panther and there was daylight between the Salmon four-year-old and Sankari. Fator still had Sankari racing along on the inside rail and, at the end of the first quarter he began to settle into a stride that at least was encouraging. Leaving the back stretch, Kiev began to tire, but Honker was still going well in the lead. Then Sankari had moved up until he had caught the field and he was working his way through on the inside. He passed Black Panther and Kiev with little trouble, but Honker was still showing the way as he rounded into the stretch for the long run home. Stride by stride Sankari continued to close until at the final eighth post, it was apparent that he would win. In that last eighth he raced to the front and. at the end, was an easy winner by three lengths. Honker was much better than the other two and Kiev stopped badly to be nosed out for third money. Twenty-one platers to race three-quarters over the Widener Course opened the entertainment and it furnished an exciting race, with L. Strubes Mint Dinah winner by a length, with Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords Light Air just nosing out Edward Arlingtons Poeticule for the place. The start was a good one and Poeticule was first to chow out of the big field. She was soon well clear of her opponents and speeding along in the middle of the course. Mint Dinah, Light Air and Cold Bet wtre in the front division and, as a matter of fact, the entire field was well bunched. It was not until inside the final eighth that Poeticule began to tire, but when he did Mint Dinah and Light Air both closed on her with a rush, bringing about the result already explained. George D. Wideners Atlantis, the black daughter of John P. Grier — Oceanna, was an easy winner of the four and a half furlongs dash for two-year-old fillies that was the second offering. She forced all the pace and was still four lengths clear and in hand at the end.
