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HAND TO HAND FIRST . Winner of Highland Claiming Stakes in Game Finish. Nusakan Takes Fleet Handicap and Registers Double for G. A. Cochran. JAMAICA, N. Y., April 24. Hand To liana, a daughter of Coventry and Loving Cup, which races for Gifford A. Cochran, in a gamely fought finish was winner of the Highland Claiming Stakes, the Thursday feature at Jamaica. It was a six-furlong sprint for the three-year-olds and had a value of ,600 to the winner. To score, the daughter of Coventry defeated J. H., Louchheims On Tap and J.Irs. Richard T. Wilsons Barn Dance just saved third from T. M. Cassidys Jolly Pal. It was another day of uncomfortahly low temperature, but there was plenty of sunshine and that helped some. The crowd was a big one and the sport decidedly interesting. There were an even dozen went to the post for the Highland Claiming Stakes, and the start was a good one, with Foxbolt first to show out of the big company. On Tap did not permit him to hold the lead long, when George Ellis rushed her through on the inside, but Bourbon Maid moved at the same time and the pair were closely lapped as they swung out of the back stretch, with first one and then the other showing in front. Barn Dance and Jolly Pal were following the fillies a length and a half away and jockey Hose had Hand to Hand close after them. Betty Beau was further back, having met considerable delay in the early stages. After swinging into the stretch Ellis drew his whip on On Tap and the daughter of On "Watch rushed away from Bourbon Maid, which had about enough of the pace. But as the filly responded to the whip she swerved rather badly, as though startled by the cut of the gad. In the meantime both Hand to Hand and Barn Dance were racing well on the outside. Rose had timed his move nicely with the Cochran filly and as On Tap faltered she was up to be winner by a short head in the closing strides. Barn Dance was a length and a half back of On Tap and only a nose before Jolly Pal, which in turn was leading Dress Ship by three lengths, Bourboli Maid having quit in the stretch run. OXLY THREE STARTERS. There came a double for the Cochran silks when Nusakan scored in the Fleet Handicap. This only brought out three starters but it was a race of great interest, for Nusakan was opposed by J. L. Hollands swift old sprinter Ramoneur. The other starter was Mrs. John A. Coburns Scimitar. George Cassidy had no end of trouble with the three, but he sprung the barrier to a good start. Kelsay at once went out with Nusakan and when he ran the first quarter in :22, he was well clear of Ea-moneur, while, of course, Scimitar was badly outrun with such a pace. Garner had a good hold of Bamoneur and the gray raced along behind Nusakan as if he could improve his pace at the first asking. But Kelsay was sending the son of Sun Briar along in his best style and he reached the half in :46. There Garner called on Bamoneur and for a few strides the old son of Sweep closed on the Cochran sprinter, but Kelsay had saved something for that challenge and he shook up Nusakan to hold to his lead. Inside the final sixteenth Bamoneur tired badly under punishment and that was his last chance gone, for Nusakan was safely over the line, winner by a length. Scimitar had closed some ground in the stretch run, hut he was a full four lengths further back. A field of seven went to the post in the first race and Okaybee was the victor over Keep On, while Allege finished in third place. Both Keep On and Okaybee were away in the first flight and dominated the running throughout. Okaybee raced out into a lead of a couple of lengths early and she had increased it to three before the stretch was reached. Keep On was going well back of her and then in the final sixteenth the daughter of Omar Khayyam was tiring so badly that she just lasted to be winner by a head. The race was confined to fillies and mares and the others cut no figure. JACK BIENER BEST. Jack Biener proved best of the cheap platers that met in the mile and seventy yards of the second race when he forced all the pace, to lead home George Phillips Fire Line, with Mrs. Clyde Phillips Comet closing a considerable gap to be third. The only other starters were Prince Toy, Star Flyer, and Boman Blaze, and they followed in the order named. The field was sent away to a good start at the first attempt. Bethel at once sent Jack Biener out to make the pace and he was three lengths clear when the back stretch was reached. Fire Line was a like distance before Prince Toy, which was leading Comet, which was slow to find his racing legs. There was little change in the run through the back stretch, though Fire Line drew up on Jack Biener and Prince Toy showed signs of weakening. Ellis was well back with Comet, but the old gelding was galloping steadily and he seemed to have a chance to catch the leaders. Rounding into the stretch Jack Biener was still clear, while Fire Line hung badly when called on by "Wallace. By this time Ellis was hard at work on Comet, but the old fellow did not respond cheerfully. In this fashion Bethel nursed a tired horse home winner by a length and a half. Fire Line had beaten Comet five lengths for the place and the others followed along badly strung out. Mad Career, a juvenile half brother to old Display, was rather a handy winner of the five furlongs dash for maidens, colts and geldings that was the fifth offering. He bore the silks of Mrs. Walter J. Salmon and was ridden by Johnny Maibcn, who piloted Display in most of his races. It was Bubbling Over, a son of Bubbling Over and Dugout, from the W. B. Coe stable, hat raced to second place, and the Newton-dulo HtahloH Concord was a fast going third, rtflfJ vJl l;cfru The Gen, which raced for iinry Crawford, Jlio race was one to sug-fcust that Mad fare.;r in a colt considerably fJffv- tiio ordinary. At the end of the card there was a mile and a sixteenth affair for cheap ones ridden by boys who had never ridden fifteen winners. This saw Spantft, recently claimed by J. A. Coburn, home first with plenty to spare over W. C. Clancys Ceylon Prince, and Fred Whitman, racing for Frank Williams, was third. Spantaft was much the best and, going into a long early lead, he was at no time seriously threatened. Charles J. Casey has taken over the horses owned by the Xalapa Farm Stable to train. They arrived at Belmont Park from Paris, Ky., and they numbar twelve head, mostly two and three-year-olds.
