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BAR HUNTER TRIUMPHS Now Rated Formidable Contender for New Orleans Handicap. Wins Francaise Purse at Fair Grounds Under Restraint Silver-dale Displays Poor Form.; NEW ORLEANS, La., March 9. The Francaise Purse, featuring todays program "at the Fair Grounds and a preliminary test for some of the candidates for the New Orleans Handicap, to be renewed Saturday, .brought out Col. E. R. Bradleys Bar Hunter as a strong contender for the. fixture, final stalte of the meeting for older horses. As Bar Hunter qualified handsomely with .a decisive victory over Playtime, Abdel and three others, the aged Silverdale probably raced his way out of serious consideration as a contender for honors in Saturdays -headliner when he turned in a very dull effort after being installed second choice to playtime. A big plunge on Playtime shortly before the field reached the starting point, sent the Southland Stable horse to the post at three to five, and contributed to odds of 16 to 1 against the winner. After chasing the leading Playtime for a half-mile, Silverdale dropped back rapidly as Abdel weakly challenged the Southland five-year-old before Jimmy Smith brought up the Bradley four-year-old with a rush. After straightening out in the stretch, Bar Hunter made short work of Abdel, and then Playtime and, after drawing away into a long lead, finished under strong restraint. He ran the mile in 1:39, and the victory .was his third of the meeting. Crystal Prince, a three-year-old, was fourth, with Nyack fifth and Silverdale last. COLD WEATHER PREVAILS. Cold weather, which reached this section yesterday, continued despiteclear skies, and the attendance was light. The victory of the Lone Star Stables Dick Chevely at the longest odds of the winter here and in the opening race, which engaged twelve of the cheaper sprinters "at three-quarters, was among the principal happenings of the day. Ridden by apprentice H. Lauch, the Lone Star four-year-old .gained his surprise success by a head over Santander, favorite, and those who backed thim were rewarded 13.80 for each straight, he paid 86.00 to place and 6.00 .to show. Finger Tips, which saved the third award, and St. Jim and Tat, fourth and fifth, respectively, closely pressed the long shot .winner and favorite at the end, the finish proving one of the most interesting. Bo-caratone, one of the choices, failed to prove fe. strong factor at any time. ANALYST SCORES. . Analyst, ridden by H. Thomas in the colors of B. Moots, scored over Penn and Prince Reno in another thrilling finish in .the second race, at one mile and a sixteenth. Prince Reno was unlucky to lose, as the leaders had him in very close quarters next .to the rail during the approach of the finish, and T. P. Martin was unable to do him justice, as Analyst succeeded in outfinishing penn after the latter had enjoyed a short stay in the lead, which he wrested from Es-coba Land near the last eighth. Prince Reno -had only a nose over Bag o Gold, which raced through the stretch in the middle of .the track. Girl Graduate, the Greentree Stable homebred daughter of Dis Done and Nitouche, making her second start, graduated .from .the maiden division when she scored a hard earned victory over Miss Delight, Marion T. and nine other maiden juvenile fillies in the, third race. The winner, ridden by R. Fin-nerty and odds-on, set the pace, but was jnever far ahead of Miss Delight and, tiring in the final stages, only succeeded in defeating the improved Miss Delight by a half -length. Marion T. held third place throughout, but at the finish he had only a nose over Ottie M., with the closest of the others four lengths away. Suddenly, returning to her best form, Rave, which races for H. A. Allen, decisively defeated the eleven fillies and mares that opposed her over one mile and one-sixteenth in the fourth race. She was ridden by the likely young apprentice W. Gover and her victory was in the nature of a surprise. Gover directed her to the finish some eight lengths in front of By Product, which beat the fast finishing Peasant Maid to the finish by a length and one-half. Joseph McLennan is working on the condi-- tion book for the Havre de Grace spring Jneeting and it will be released to horsemen In. about two weeks.
