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SPANISH PLAY AND SURF BOARD IN STRETCH DUEL i KNEBELKAMP AND MORRIS COLT BEST Son of Spanish Prince II. Outstays Greentree Colt by Head Fair Grounds Meeting Opens Under Unfavorable Weather Conditions Certificates Used Exclusively and Daily Doubles Inaugurated : e NEW ORLEANS, La., Jan. 25. Beautiful Fair Grounds, palatial local course of the Louisiana Jockey Club, opened its fifteenth annual meeting under unpleasant weather conditions, but with a crowd of approximately 8,000 present. Rain, in the form of an annoying drizzle, fell during much of the cold, raw afternoon, and the large attendance under such conditions testified to the popularity of the sport as conducted by the Louisiana Jockey Club, of which Col. E. R. Bradley is the principal owner and Col. John P. Sullivan, directing head of the organization. With the inauguration of the meeting of forty-eight days, including March 19, came a number of innovations, all of which were Swell received. The new features introduced for the first time at Fair Grounds today included one dollar certificates and the daily double, or two-horse combination. The dollar tickets displaced the two dollar tickets in all betting enclosures. The first combination or "doubles," comprising Essare and Dick Morris, winners of the second and third races, paid 5.40 for . For the opening, the usual attractive program was offered and while the track was slow, surprisingly fast time was made over the course, almost entirely re-soiled since the previous meeting. Without exception the races were interesting, particularly so the ,000 added Inaugural Handicap, the principal race. This brought to the post a field of seven and in the stirring contest that resulted, Knebelkamp and Morris Spanish Play winner of the Louisiana Derby and nearly 0,000 last year, emerged the victor. Surf Board, the Greentree Stable colt, raced the winner to a head finish, and accounted for second by a length and one half over the Superior Stables Hyman,. with C. V. Whitneys Smear, fourth. Flying Don and Click led the way to the stretch. Surf Board was first of the more successful pair to reach the lead, and after bringing the Greentree colors to the front approaching the last of the six furlongs, gave way to Spanish Play, yet held on a trifle better than the winner, and was strongest of the two at the end. Holding on resolutely in a good and even performance, Hyman finished third with plenty to spare over Smear. MISS CAREFUL GOOD FILLY. Miss Careful, a finely conformed bay daughter of Chance Play and Meddlesome II., looked very much a filly of quality as she decisively outsprinted Justice Logan, Miss Bunting and nine other juveniles in the first race at three furlongs. After getting to the front nearing the end of the opening eighth, she never left the result in doubt and giving high speed dominated by a wide margin throughout the closing three sixteenths. During the quarter, Justice Logan and Monks Bela indulged in a brisk duel for second place and as the latter tired in the final furlong, Miss Bunting, closing resolutely, closely pressed Justice Logan and he only succeeded in retaing second- by a neck. Monks Bela was fourth and .Spanish Way next. Essare, racing for R. P. Watts and ridden by J. Smith, was victorious in the second race, which attracted nine of the cheaper stayers over one mile and an eighth. Squeeze Play finished second and Delmonico saved third in a .spectacular finish with Tiger Flowers and Klingstone. The latter, favorite, failed to get a place among the leaders at any time. Under strong hand riding from the start, the winner kept in fairly close attendance of Squeeze Play as the latter showed the way and upon reaching the last three furlongs, began wearing down the early leader. Attaining the lead approaching the last furlong and with Smith unrelenting in his urging of the veteran gelding, he came away steadily thereafter, winning by a length and a half. Ten went to the post for the third race, Continued on thirteenth page. I I , . ; SPANISH PLAY VICTORIOUS Continued from first page. the first at three-quarters of a mile, under claiming conditions, for older horses, run at the track in several years, and it resulted formfully when the consistent Dick Morris proved the winner. He scored under a drive and by three-quarters of a length over Tony Joe, which widely outsprinted Stone Martin for second honors. On his usual bad behavior while at the post, the winner was moved to a position outside the stalls after he had caused considerable delay and, breaking slowly, he made up much ground to reach the lead before going a quarter. At the turn he increased his advantage and, holding on well under his top impost of 116 pounds, he outstayed Tony Joe in a mild drive. Belated speed saved third place for Stone Martin, while Elizabeth Bolla and Reproof gave ground during the stretch run. Jimmy Moran, Mose Goldblatts star of the Fair Grounds meeting last year, returned to local competition in an auspicious manner when he decisively defeated Wotan, Playtime, Gettin Even and two others at the mile distance in the Old Town Purse, fourth on the program and the secondary feature. The Goldblatt five-year-old was backed almost to the exclusion of the five others and the result was the most popular of the afternoon. The four-year-old, Gettin Even, the youngest of the participants, set the early pace but the winner and Wotan were under such strong restraint that their ability to catch the leader at any time was evident. On the far turn Elston moved up with the winner and Pascuma called upon Wotan. In racing past Wotan and Gettin Even, the winner bore in slightly causing light interference to both and when straightened up in the lead he came on to an easy victory as Wotan outstayed Playtime for second place. Playtime, like Gettin Even, quit badly in the last quarter. Robert Gailor is taking over the book on jockey Eugene James.
