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VICTORIOUS BY INCHES The Doctor Holds Alto Safe in Stirring Finish Poor Start Affects Chances cf Chaff and Taddywawa in Ex ¬ position Park Feature AURORA 111 May 9 Thursday was an offday at Exposition Park and the program consisted entirely of claiming races with the exception of one which was a purse for maiden twoyearold fillies Nevertheless the usual high standard of racing that is customary at the Aurora track was in order large fields contesting for honors in the majority of the races It was an ideal day for outdoor sport and the usual large atten ¬ dance turned out to witness the racing Favo ¬ rites suffered defeat in most instances but the majority of the winners had good support supportFrank Frank J Bruen who recently resigned the general managership of the Arlington Park track was a visitor of the day dayThe The best race offered came fifth on the program and attracted eight starters It was won by H C Rumages threeyearold gelding The Doctor the lightweight of the field in one of the closest finishes of the meeting The Doctor only succeeded in last ¬ ing to win by inches from Mrs J W Smiths Alto the latter finishing second and just failing to overhaul the winner in the final strides J C Ellis Stampdale the favorite was third A poor start hindered Chaff and Taddywawa while The Doctor luckily es ¬ caped interference and began rapidly He quickly sprinted into the lead setting a good pace closely attended by Runaway Princess Alto and Stampdale followed next in order and within easy striking distance of the leading pair pairGAME GAME EXHIBITION EXHIBITIONOn On the stretch turn Alto moved up on the outside challenging The Doctor and there ensued a long stretch drive in which The Doctor hung on gamely until the final sev ¬ enty yards where it seemed that lie was about to give way to Alto However P Neal astride the winner never let up on his mount and The Doctor managed to keep his nose a few inches in advance of Alto to the end Runaway Princess faded from con ¬ tention in the stretch enabling Stampdale to easily pass her for third place placeA A field of 12 went to the post in the open ¬ ing race a claiming affair for ordinary sprinters at six furlongs and the Battle Ax Stable furnished the winner in The Abboi which came from behind the leaders in the last quarter of a mile to be up in the final stages vanquishing Gareth by a half length Gareth had little trouble in outfinishing Illumine for second place The latter took the lead at the start and in the early stages opened up a big advantage At the head i f the stretch Illumine commenced weakening and was unable to cope with Gareth and the eventual winner Gareth and Knockabout were the choices the latter failing to cut much figure in the running runningThe The second race a split of the first race proved to be the liking of the veteran sprint ¬ er Sandy Hatch and the J C Ellis racer took the measure of another large field of platers over five and a half furlongs Sturdy Stella a keen factor at all stages finished gamely in second place after taking the lead a tew yards out but failed to hold the advantage being no match for the winner French Lane held on well in the final stages after racing with the leaders from the start and accounted for the minor award Honey fish which carried the confidence of the players proved very unfortunate the start finding him off poorly and in the first quar ¬ ter mile he was knocked back badly when the saddle slipped under his rider E Gianelloni Honeyfish was probably best for he closed up an immense gap in the last half mile mileTHISTLE THISTLE JEAX TO FOKE FOKEA A promising band of youngsters paraded for the third race for maiden twoyearold fillies over four and a half furlongs The finish found Thistle Jean home in advance of Fire Girl with Saluta well back of the leading pair in third place Fire Girl be ¬ ginning fast immediately opened up a long early lead being five lengths in advance of Thistle Jean on the stretch turn Patsy Lewis Goose Step and Saluta were in con ¬ tending positions Near fhe eighth post Fire Girl began showing signs of distress and it was then that Thistle Jean was gradually sent up on the outside into the lead and won drawing away Five lengths was the margin separating the tiring Fire Girl from Saluta The latter might have given the leaders a better tussle but for making an extremely Continued on seventeenth page Continued from first page wide stretch turn Fire Girl was the defeated favorite favoriteThe The fourth race proved little better than a good gallop for Tom Hill a twoyearold which carried the colors of J J Meyers Taking the lead soon after the start when he emerged from a nasty jam on the far turn Tom Hill raced The Coach into defeat drew away handily in the stretch and fin ¬ ishing under restraint with much speed in reserve landed two lengths in advance of Commissioner Dee The latter was decisively best of the other two staiters for second place four lengths separating him from the tiring Thistle Spray at the end The Coach quit badly in the stretch after showing early speed Tom Hill was well backed and the first favorite of the afternoon to make good goodThistle Thistle Coot was not hard pressed in win ¬ ning the sixth race though only a half length in advance of The Squire at the end of the one mile distance making it a double for the afternoon for the George Collins stable Thistle Jean having previously car ¬ ried the Collins silks to victory in the third race raceKnight Knight rode the winner with rare confi ¬ dence permitting his mount to race along under light restraint in not too distant pur ¬ suit of the leaders until the stretch turn was reached There Thistle Coot responded at once when urged and steadily reducing the lead of The Squire managed to get up in the last fifty yards to outfinish the latter lo win drawing clear The Squire retained a good hold on second place while Bumpsie Ray landed third Thistle Coot was an out ¬ standing favorite
