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g MOUNTAIN ELK GRADUATES » Brother to Chestnut Oak Wins the Debut Stakes. =-♦ Belmont Park Feature Attracts Crack Band of Maidens — Marplot Finishes in Second Place. • NEW YORK, N. Y., May 18.— Mountain Elk, a brother to Chesnut Oak, was winner of the Debut Stakes, at Belmont Park, this afternoon, in the colors of Clendinnin Ryans Oak Ridge Stable. C. V. Whitneys Marplot raced to second place, with Joseph E. Wid-eners Pari-Mutuel, a brother to Chance Play, third. This is a comparatively new special of the Westchester Racing Association, having its first running in 1928, and its conditions call for three-year-olds that have never raced. It carried a net value of ,075 to the winner. It was a good-looking band of maidens that went to the post and, undoubtedly, each one will race on to some measure of success. Weather conditions for the sport were ideal and the program offered was worthy of the crowd. In the Debut Stakes, Mountain Elk, showing much of the speed of his illustrious brother, dominated the race. Marplot actually began in front but he at once gave way to the Ryan sprinter and, once showing the way to the son of Apprehension, was never afterwards threatened. When Pete Walls had him clear of the others, he had only to rate him along at a lively pace to score by two lengths. Violet Star chased after the winner, but she could not hold that position when Workman drove Marplot into contention, and Blue Ship, E. R. Bradleys hope, showed a flash of speed. All this time Pari-Mutuel was farther back and did not seem to settle into his stride properly. Mountain Elk turned into the stretch still holding a safe lead, and it was there that Marplot shook off the others, but he was unable to catch the son of Apprehension and was doing his best two lengths back of the winner and two and a half lengths before Pari-Mutuel, which was going well in the final furlong. Blue Ship had quit badly but saved fourth, and the others were strung out with Los Cruz pulled up when he ran out. The Fair Play Handicap had almost an equal interest with the Debut Stakes, for it brought James Butlers Questionnaire back to the races and proved him a powerful colt for the handicap division. Under top weight of 124 pounds the son of Sting and Miss Puzzle raced the seven fur- Continued on thirteenth page. MOUNTAIN ELK GRADUATES Continued from first page. long in 1:31% to win easily and he was worked out the additional furlong of the mile to finish that route in 1:37%, easily. It was W. R. Coes Black Majesty that raced to second place well back of the Butler campaigner and Milkman, from the Rolling Plains Stable, readily saved third from the Ramapo Stables Black Mammy. On the way to the post Black Mammy, by her crazy antics, caught a hind-L g over the rail as she lunged about and possibly that had some effect on her race. The start was a good one and Black Majesty, showing fine speed, ran a first quarter in :22% to open up a lead of a length and a half on Questionnaire, but the Butler colt was leading the others and when the son of Black Toney finished a half in :46 and five furlongs in :57%, he could not shake off the son of Sting. After this fast pace Questionnaire responded to the call of Workman to readily take command in the long stretch and he was home the winner by five lengths. Twenty-three maiden juveniles made up the field of the opening four and a half furlongs dash, and it sav/ the graduation of WHliam Ziegler, Jr.s The Crane when he led home Consummation, from the Sagamore Stable, with Mrs. John Hertz Watch Him beating T. M. Cassidys Big Blow for that part of the purse. It was in the final furlong that The Crane found his way into the command and as ho moved Consummation went with him and Infinitive hung slightly. Then it was that Watch Him drew up on Big Blow to out-finish him for the short end of the purse. At the end The Crane was going away winner by a length and a half, while Consummation only beat the fast-closing Watch Him by a length. EASY FOR HOT TODDY. After C. V. Whitney s Boojum had been withdrawn from the mile Islip Purse, there was little contention left for Mrs. K. E. Bitts Hot Toddy, and he was one of the easy winners of the day when he led home Mrs. Sadie Bennetts We Dun It, the Catawba Stables Sir Johren and Highland Belle, from the Audley Farm Stable. The start was a good one, and Highland Belle and Sir Johren raced into command at the top of the time flag. Hot Toddy was slower to be in stride, and We Dun It outran him slightly in the first furlong. Eddie Watters, riding Confidently, permitted the son of Ed Crump to settle nicely into his stride before he asked the old gelding to race. It was tm-ning out of the back stretch that he moved up steadily on the inside and, having no trouble in finding his way through there, he had taken command when the stretch was reached. For the remainder of the journey Hot Toddy dominated the situation to win easily by three lengths. Malley had saved ground with We Dun It in the stretch and he had no trouble racing past Sii Johren to beat him by seven lengths for second place, while Highland Belle, the only other starter, quit badly after her early exhibition of speed.