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LUCKY HIT POPULAR WINNER — ♦ Favorite Makes Good in Gravois Purse at Fairmount. ♦ Ben Marshall Barely Falls to Overhaul Win. ner in Final Strides — Jessie Carey Triumphs. ♦ COLLI NSVILLE. 111., June 18— J. C. Milams four-year-old sprinter Lucky Hit, a son of John P. drier and Gold Mine, the favorite for the Gravois Purse, principal attraction at Fairmount Park this afternoon, made good in popular style and was winner from some good horses, including Ben Marshall. Golden Auburn and four others that started over the three-quarters route. Jockey L. Trimble rode the winner perfectly with good judgment and got his mount home a nose in advance of the fast finishing Ben Marshall, despite Lucky Hits tiring in the late stages of the races. Lucky Hit, in winning this purse for J. C. Milam, chalked up his second straight victory in his last two starts here. Lucky Hit was always the most in demand and by post time ruled an overwhelming favorite over the others. From a good start Lucky Hit was hustled into the lead going up the back stretch, and set his own pace. McTinkle was In closest pursuit and managed to stay in second place to the stretch, where he tired. Ben Marshall and Golden Auburn were always close up and it was the former which did best, due to a big saving of ground to the stretch, where he came to the outside and, gaining fast in the final drive, reached Lucky Hit in the final twenty yards and finished in a manner suggesting that had the race been a slightly longer distance, Ben Marshall would have probably reversed the decision with the winner. Golden Auburn had enough left for the final drive to be able to easily vanquish the tiring McTinkle. Conditions for the sport were again excellent, with summer weather and a fast track. The attendance was of generous proportions, the crowd encouraged greatly by the perfect conditions which prevailed. The five-eighths race for juvenile maiden colts and geldings provided a purse for the Oaklawn Farm of W. C. Weant, when that stables youngstor Mr. Dick, racing in good form, accounted for the opening race. Ridden by R. Russell, Mr. Dick gave his best efforts and was rewarded at the end with an easily accomplished victory over Sam Pass. Pandean and nine others. Mr. Dick sprinted into the lead after the start, but was unable to get far in advance and raced in exceedingly close quarters with Gypsy Blood, Thistle Lad and Sam Pass, for the first half mile. Russell kept his mount strictly at the ta. k of setting the pace and safely withstood the repeated challenges of the others and then at the entrance to the stretch saved ground on the turn to draw clear of Gypsy Blood and thereafter maintain a safe lead to the end. Gypsy Blood was raced into defeat by that stage, tiring badly, and Sam Pass and Pandean thus got past the tiring youngster for second and third places. Sam Pass was the losing favorite in this race. There was a victory for the favorites in the second race, when Cherokee Maid, the public choice, made good with a well earned victory, scoring by a nose over Marjory Seth, the second choice. Golden Top, one of the outsiders, finished third. Jockey A. Pender-grass rode the winning favorite. J. G. Denny was the one to set the pace in the first half mile, closely followed by Chinchilla, while Cherokee Maid and Marjory Seth were right in their wake, within easy striking distance. While on the stretch turn, Chincilla tired of trying to overtake J. G. Denny and quit badly, while the leader himself began to tire from the fast pace and. when J. G. Denny tired, Cherokee Maid was the one to go to the front, while Marjory Seth also made her move. It then ended in a hard final drive between the two choices, with Cherokee Maid continuing gamely in the lead to the finish, but gradually giving way to Marjory Seth. the latter just failing to get up in the final strides. . A
