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OPENING DAY AT AQUEDUCT ♦ — Close and Exciting" Finish in Queens County Handicap. • Greentree Stables Comstockery Defeats Sortie and MI Vida in Feature — Saorstat Steepleebase Winner. NEW YORK. N. Y.. June 11.— In a driving finish Comstockery, from the Greentree Stable, was winner of the Queens County Handicap today. This was the opening feature of the Aqueduct meeting and it brought about a great finish when A. C. Schwartz Sortie was closely lapped on the winner and Thomas M. Cassidys Mi Vida was third, beating Mrs. Graham Fair Vanderbilts Byrd for that part of the prize. The race had a value of ,S50 to the winner. The weather was delightful for the opening and a big crowd was out, but there was nothing remarkable in the preparation for the new meeting. It was the same old dingy place. After excellent results had been obtained by the use of the Waite stall gate in two races it was ordered out for some reason and the other races, including the Queens County Handicap, were started with the old barrier. One change that was noted at the course is one that will bring about some criticism from the grandstand patrons. As the lawn is divided now, the finish is in front of the duo house enclosure and those in the grandstand and on the lawn have a bad angle to judge finishes. The grandstand patrons have had the same handicap at other meetings, but those in the lawn have been able to get much closer to the finish line than under the present arrangement. But it was one of the changes. Then there were some benches added to the club house lawn for its patrons. There did not seem to be any other noticeable improvements or changes in the stand and the entrances were just as congested as they always have been, both for entry and in leaving the course. Some paint had been used, but it was used sparingly and it was the same dingy old stand. Little time was lost at the post for the Queens County Handicap, and the start was a good one. Buddy Baur was first to show from the barrier. Alfred Johnson had permitted Buddy Bauer to drop back three lengths, and the son of North Star III. soon appeared to be laboring and it was apparent that he would not share in the prize. BY S3IALL MARGIN. Comstockery was closely lapped on Byrd as the stretch turn was reached, and there Beacon Hill ran out badly, losing several lengths and his winning chance at the time. And then Sortie, which had been outrun early, began to steadily move up. Byrd began to tire in the final eighth, and Comstockery gradually drew away, but that was no sooner accomplished than there was another menace in Sortie. The On Watch colt had all the others well beaten and was gaining on the three-year-old gallantly, but Hebert kept his mount going to save the day by a head. Mi Vida, which also finished gamely, was also along to easily beat the tired Byrd for third. The race run by Buddy Bauer was a distinct disappointment and was far below his true form. There was no part of the race in which he was in any sense a contender and he seemed to labor. The steeplechase of the afternoon brought together some of the cheaper ones and was under selling conditions. It resulted in a victory for A. C. Schwartz Saorstat, and that atoned in some measure for the miserable showing of his stablemate, Kentucky II. Thomas Hitchcocks Louqsor, ridden by A. C. Bostwick, raced to second place, and Fire Fighter readily saved third from Bold Knight. Burning Bush fell two fences from the finish and Rothwell fell at the water and was pulled up. Louqsor was the one to force all the pace. Mr. Bostwick went right out with him with the drop of the flag and through the early racing Volunteer bore him company, but both Orions Sword and Burning Bush raced forwardly, while R. Williams followed with Saorstat and was well back of the leaders. Going to the water Williams moved up on the outside with the winner, but, before he could get to the leaders, Mr. Bostwick drew away again and in the back field Volunteer came again, but he did not last long and, as the Hitchcock jumper shook him off, he looked the winner. He had met all the challenges and was still showing the way. WINS GOING AWAY. Saorstat, however, had plenty, left and, tl.-ugh he was forced to go wide to make his run, he was close after Louqsor at the last jump. From there on he wore down the son of Sandy Hook to win going away by five lengths. Fire Fighter had come into the running in the last half mile and was going well to be only three lengths back of the tired Louqsor. Bold Knight, after being well back all through the race, was also going well at the end. The first race of the day was a six and a half furlongs sprint and it saw Justinian, from the Greentree stable, winner over J. L. Hollands Ramoncur, with Double Heart, of W. T. Waggoners Three Ds Stable, a fast-closing third, to beat Sin Cuidado for that i part of the purse. The Waite stall gate was used for this, and while Kentucky II. caused some day by I — a refusing to go into his stall, the start was a good one, all of the horses leaving in excellent alignment. Robertson at once went into command with Ramoneur, and the son of Sweep soon opened up a good lead on his company. Justinian was racing along in second place, while Kentucky II., after breaking well, was at once outrun and lie dropped back badly, never being able to reach a contending position afterward.
