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. FLYING HEELS VICTOR IN HIALEAH INAUGURAL - 6?l VANDER POOL DEFEATED Crowd Taxes Miamis Beautiful Course to Its Capacity. Weather Conditions Ideal for Opening of Meeting Fast Time Made by Flying Ebony Colt. MIAMI, Fla., Jan. 14. Flying Heels, the swift running son of Flying Ebony and Heeltaps, which races under the silks of John J. Curtis, was the bright and particular star of the brilliant opening of Hialeah Parks meeting this afternoon. He won the Inaugural Handicap, adding ,490 to his earnings and he ran the distance under top weight of 126 pounds in 1:11. This was the big event of the opening that saw the beautiful park crowded with the wealth and beauty of this delightful resort city. Weather conditions were ideal for the opening and the sport was worthy of the immense gathering. Following Flying Heels past the line, came R. W. Collins Don Leon, and it was Mrs. George W. Lofts Mabla that saved third. Unfortunately, W. M. Moores Vander Pool, just as he was entering contention, was interfered with and so badly crowded back, that he finished last of the seven that started. AUSPICIOUS OPENING. There never was a more auspicious opening of a racing season and, while there will be various estimates made of the number on hand, it is sufficient to say that it was a crowd that taxed the capacity of the gorgeous racing grounds and there never was a more representative gathering at any race meeting. There was some delay in the start of the Inaugural Handicap, for which George D. Wideners Panetian was chiefly to blame. Finally Cassidy sent him to the outside of the stalls and the field was sent away in excellent alignment. Don Leon was the one to show the way from the stalls, with Leros and Knight Commander in close attendance. Flying Heels followed and then came Vander Pool, which was not as alert as is his usual custom. Mabla was another that was off none too well, though it is her habit to always leave fast. Snider sent Flying Heels along at a pace that soon saw him showing the way and it was Leros that went with him. They raced closely locked before Don Leon, and Knight Commander and Vander Pool were also close up. In fact, the five were in such close order that it is small wonder that Vander Pool ran into trouble that saw him knocked out of the running. Mabla in the meantime had also been pinched off and she was last. FLYING HEELS HOLDS LEAD. Flying Heels held gamely to his lead and Snider was content to have his mounts head in front rather than ask him for his best. Turning into the stretch he called on him and he raced into a lead of two lengths. Don Leon was holding second place stubbornly and then it was that Mabla went to the outside and, finishing gamely, was at the heels of the Collins colt as he crossed the finish. Leros had quit badly after his early effort and Knight Commander tired, while Panetian cut scant figure in the running. The Hollywood, a seven furlong dash for three-year-olds, gave J. E. Widener his first opportunity to show his silks, but Dr. Syntax, his starter could only finish a soundly beaten second to Selby L. Burchs Play-fole. Third fell to H. M. Woolfs Unencumbered when he outlasted the Audley Farm Stables El Puma for that part of the purse. This was the first race over the seven furlongs distance and was started from the new chute that was added when the size of the track was increased to a mile and a furlong. The start was a good one, but Playfole was so much the best that he at once drew away into a long lead and there was np time in the running that he was threatened. Mack Garner soon had Dr. Syntax racing along in second place, but the son of High Time was no match for the Burch filly and she steadily drew out until at the end ,her margin of victory was six lengths. Dr. Continued on thirteenth vaae. VANDER POOL DEFEATED .Continued from first page. Syntax was hard ridden all the way and at the end he was doing his best to save second place from Unencumbered and El Puma was only another head away. Unencumbered had raced third practically all the way and El Puma held the others perfectly safe. Great interest was taken in the workings of the Australian totalizator and the movement of the thermometer-like odds boards in the infield and the paddock. The fluctuations of the market were accurately reflected during the opening of the wagering and when the actual price was shown on the winner, as the machines were locked, there was general praise for the machine. Then the flashing of the "pay-off" prices, in electric lights, was promptly displayed after the finish had been confirmed by the stewards. The fact that the weighing, after the race, was done in the paddock, instead of at the judges stand, as is the usual American custom, was strange to some and it may have caused a slight delay in having the finish approved by the stewards, but it was slight and the idea of having the jockeys ride their mounts into the paddock scales did away with the grooms coming on the course at the finish of each race. As a matter of fact, the horses are not shown. They are known by program numbers. This might be criticized in the fact that the horse loses his identity, but as the board is built, and operated, it would be impossible to show horses names, and the numbers answer the same purpose. What was surprising about it all, was that from the first race, all the intricate machinery worked with remarkable precision and celerity. It was a sprinter from Tropical Park that earned the first purse of the meeting, when H. A. Coulsons Song Hit scored over twelve other rather nice platers in a six furlong dash. G. C. Winfreys Rabble raced to the place and third went to C. E. Hamiltons Catherine Fox. It was evident that the son of Dress Parade enjoyed an advantage with the seasoning he had at the n- course. The start was a good one and in the early racing, Wells found his way to the front with the winner. Dunrode was right up with him and Zegora and Flying Brigade were also in the front division. Rabble found his way through in the first quarter to come into a contending position and, rounding out of the back stretch, he was in second place, but Song Hit was out four lengths to the good and racing smoothly. Robertson saved ground in the stretch, with Rabble and drove him furiously, but he was not tightened up to the effort and while he held to the place, he never threatened the Goulson colt, which was safely over the line the winner by four lengths. Catherine Fox met with some, early interference and she finished going well to take third, and in fact was wearing Rabble down, being well-lapped on the Winfrey gelding. Dunrode had dropped completely out of the running after a brief flash of early speed, and there were others in the big field that were plainly in need of seasoning and will improve as the season progresses. Eighteen maiden colts and galdings went to the post for the quarter mile dash over the Nursery Course and it brought a rare finish with W. F. Smiths Chiltenny, a son of Chilhowee and Dorothy Marie, the winner over Bud Fishers Try Sweet, a son of Tryster and Sweetie. N. J. McClures Seymour saved third from J. F. Richardsons Revonah. There was a bit of crowding as the youngsters came out of the stalls and Black Andy, the Mrs. John Hertz starter, was an unfortunate when he was crowded back before fairly under way. Ambrose had Chiltenny away straight and, leaving from an inside position, he quickly found his place close to the rail and dominated all the running. Try Sweet was one of the outside colts at the post and he swerved over somewhat in the running. In the closing stage he was close after the winner to be beaten a scant half length. Seymour raced for-wardly and held the others safe, though doing his best at the end. In this field, three of the runners carried number fifteen, two of them being distinguished by the letters A and B. There were two others that carried number ten, one being distinguished by the letter A. This is likely to be a bit confusing and it might readily result in some placing mis takes. This numbering was done as part of the "Tote" arrangement, but a method should easily be devised whereby each horse will carry a different number. It is safer for correct placing at the finish. La Golondrina went lame after being breezed Wednesday morning, and was withdrawn from the seventh race.
