view raw text
GALLANT KNIGHT SCORES » Dudley Farms Star Easily Best in Dixie Handicap. ♦ Mate Finishes Fourth in Famous Maryland Fixture — Winner Establishes New Track Record. ♦ BALTIMORE, Md., May 7.— The running of the Dixie Handicap, one of Marylands famous old classics, brought a tremendous gathering out to Pimlico this afternoon. The big crowd saw the Audley Farms Gallant Knight gallop home to an easy victory when he won by five lengths. K. E. Hitts Sun Meadow finished second, and five lengths farther back followed W. M. Jeffords Aegis. A. C. Bostwicks Mate was fourth. The winner carried 121 pounds, was ridden by H. Schutte, set all of his own pace and, incidentally, established a new track record when he ran the one mile and three sixteenths in 1:58, just two-fifths of a second better than the previous mark made by The Porter and Big Blaze. The Dixie Handicap was run as the fifth race, and brought a field of eight to the post. Mate was the favorite and Gallant Knight second choice. The former was ridden by Mr. G. H. Bostwick. They were a well behaved band at the post and when -the barrier was released Gallant Knight was away in front. Going to the first turn he opened up a lead of one length. Schutte had him under slight restraint. Blenheim was second and Mate, on the inside and in a pocket, third. Flagstone and Annimessic were in the rear. Going to the half-mile post Sun Meadow worked his way up on the outside and was second. Mate, unable to get through, was fourth. CONSIDERABLE CROWDING. • On the turn out of the back stretch there was much crowding, and Blenheim, sharply cut off. stumbled and all but unseated his rider. Elston was hanging on to his mounts neck and in some manner scrambled back to the saddle. At the three-eighths post Gallant Knight had a lead of two lengths, and for the remainder of the journey kept increasing his advantage. At the end Gallant Knight simply galloped along, going in bold fashion. When Workman saw that the task was a hopeless one he did not punish Sun Meadow. Hanford, however, was driving Aegis to last long enough to beat Mate by a length for third place. The fractional time was :23%, :47%, 1:12%, 1:16%, 1:58. The net value of the stake to the winner jwas 4,550. The Green Spring Valley Steeplechase, an annual fixture at the spring meeting at Pimlico. furnished a stirring contest In which Rigan McKinneys Inception was winner over Mrs. F. Ambrose Clarks Crum-pler by half a length. This pair fought it out all the last quarter, and at the finish Inception was going away. Silverkin set a rapid pace the first turn of the field, but when he tired he sprawled and was eased up. Beelzebub was the one to furnish the contention in the eaily stages, but he, too, quit when the real struggle began. All of the ten starters stood up and finished the course without a mishap. Inceptions race was a smashing good one. Incidentally, he hung up a new track record for the stake when he ran the distance in 3:44%, just two and three-fifths seconds faster than Beelzebubs mark, made last year. The net value of the stakes to the winner was ,080. The Questionnaire Purse, a dash of four And a half furlongs, for maiden two-yeaf-olds, brought the full limit of twelve to the post. Rail Parr furnished the winner in Star Porter, which beat the Le Mar Stock Farms Marooned by a nose. It was a desperate drive between this pair all through the home stretch, with Workman giving the best he had. Star Porter tired, and he just •dlast long enough.
