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THRILLS IN HEADLINER Petabit Hangs On Gamely to Defeat Plumage by Nose. Jockey J, Neel Captures Riding Honors at Fair Grounds by Scoring With Three Mounts. NEW ORLEANS, La., Feb. 22 In a thrilling finish, Petabit, which races for the locally owned Colgate Stable, was winner of .the George Washington Purse, a mile race, for fillies and mares, and the best on to-days holiday program at the Fair Grounds. Plumage, the Ashland Oaks winner, in the Gallaher and Combs stable, was the one to test the successful daughter of Bracadale "and, holding on with unsuspected courage, the Colgate filly got a nose decision over her Kentucky rival. Six lengths back Har-Jem, which carried the E. R. Bradley colors and ruled choice, was third, leading Ber-nice Van, Lady Gibson, Princess A. O. and Beauty Secret. The winner and Plumage were very much at home in the slow, holding going and drew far away from the others after reaching the last three furlongs. Leaving the back stretch Plumage encountered bad luck when she failed to slip through on the inside of the winner and Bernice "Van, which at this stage was tiring .badly after having set the pace from the start. W. Garner was forced to ease up the Gallaher and Combs filly and before she could return to her stride and brought to the outside, the winner had stolen away into a lead of almost two lengths. When clear Plumage steadily reduced Petabits margin, yet failed by inches to get up in one of the closest finishes of the meeting. HARLEM FAILS AT END. After being saved back of the leaders for five-eighths, Harlem failed to come through with sufficient speed to prove a contender for the major honors, yet excelled the others and held third place by a big margin all during the final quarter, where Bernice ,Van dropped back rapidly and the others failed to rally. Petabit, ridden by J. Guerra, ran the distance in 1:42. She carried 104 pounds, six Jess than Plumage. Although unpleasant, raw and cloudy weather prevailed, the attendance was large and those who braved the disagreeable weather were rewarded for their interest by some of the most interesting sport of the season. Track conditions caused the cancellation of the original fourth race, and a race for cheaper distance platers was substituted. Looney and Tarltons Tennywood, a maiden, accounted for the first race, in which twelve of the poorer grade three-year-olds raced three-quarters. J. Neel had the winner in front throughout and, riding him out to the finish, he scored his first success by two and one-half lengths over Broompatch, which nosed out Desert Boy. The latter two were factors at every stage, while Bunting Lad, the favorite, tired after providing contention for two-thirds of the distance. OLD BILL ALL THE WAY. Neel rode his second winner in consecutive races when he piloted Old Bill, overwhelming favorite, to victory over Harass, Dim Ray and nine others in the second race. The winner and Harass led the others throughout and aside from a weak challenge ;entering the stretch, Harass failed to threaten the victor, which showed the way from the end of the first eighth. After remaining far out of it for a half mile, Dim Ray improved his position steadily thereafter and was going well in the final stages, where Junior C, a prominent factor at every stage, tired. Crucial Test, daughter of Crusader and Dorothy Kendle, accounted for her second purse during the meeting when she easily defeated a large band of the cheaper juveniles under claiming conditions and over three furlongs in the third race. The winner had the colors of R. Dohle in front throughout and at the finish led Ottie M. by two and one-half lengths. Tiverton, which accounted for the .minor honors, was a length farther back and enjoyed a like-margin over Lonesome Glory. Showing too much speed for rivals leaving the post and getting into stride, the winner, a big favorite, was clear before reaching the stretch turn and, maintaining fine speed in the going to the end, was never endangered. In the early stages Lonesome Glory was second, but she gave way to Continued on twenty-second page.. THRILLS IN HEADL1NER .Continued from first page. first Ottie M. and later Tiverton, after reach-ing the last half of the distance. The limit number of starters participated in the substitute fourth race, and the contest over one mile and a sixteenth was one of the most interesting of the day. It resulted as expected when Play Bird, the Lone Star Stable representative, was the winner, but she was out to the limit to get up in time to earn a close decision over Bobby Powers, which failed by a head in an attempt to make every post a winning one. A neck back and finishing fastest of all, was the aged Aregal, while Rave, one of the choices, led the others. When tiring irTthe stretch Blighter, which had chased the leading Bobby Powers from the outset, swerved and impeded the winner and the interference, while light, almost resulted in the defeat of the Lone Star filly. Jimmie Neel, who starred in the saddle, rode the winner, his third of the afternoon.
