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i SLAVE SHIP UNFORTUNATE « Qualifies for Preakness But Pulls Up Lame After Impressive Race. $ Colt Lame After Easily Accounting for Woodberry Purse — Mud Runners Find Track to Liking. ■ ♦ BALTIMORE, Md., May 9.— Walter M. Jeffords Preakness candidate, Slave Ship, was given a public trial for Saturdays big feature when he went to the post in the Woodberry Purse this afternoon. Ridden by B. Hanford and making all of the pace, Slave Ship was a cantering winner when he beat S .W. Labrots Open Hearth by two lengths and a half. Barcelona Pete was third beaten four lengths for second place, and then came Westy Junior another five lengths away. There were six starters, and the field was pretty well strung out at the finish. When Slave Ship pulled up it was found that he was lame. Trainer Burch hopes that the injury is not serious enough to keep the colt from going to the post in the Preakness, but by tomorrow he will be able to decide definitely. Last year Slave Ship was an absentee from the races due to lameness. He was apparently sound this spring, and in both of his starts found no trouble in winning. His people made no secret of the fact that Slave Ship was cut out for a first class race horse. In todays start he showed that he was equally at home in muddy going as on a fast track. When the start came he bounded to the front and Hanford rated him along under slight restraint all of the way. At no time during the running did the result appear in doubt, and as he crossed the winning mark it looked as if the winner had a lot in reserve. The first mile was run in 1:41%, good time, considering the going. Mud runers had their first opportunity at the meeting this afternoon. The heavy showers which fell during the night turned the track into a sea of mud, and with dark clouds hanging over the track all afternoon the prospects are that the footing will be even worse tomorrow. A change in riders from L. Schaefer to Continued on twenty-first page. SLAVE SHIP UNFORTUNATE Continued from first page. J. Smith brought an improvement to Indian Town. The Davis youngster began well and hugged the inside rail all the way. In his previous effort his defeat was due to his bearing out on the stretch turn. He never made an effort to leave the rail today and, after setting all his own pace, won by a length. It was a desperate duel for second place between the two outsiders, Rustic Cuba and Townsquare, and, passing the judges they finished as named, noses apart. Serenabit, which raced on the outside of the pacemakers from the start, tired at the end. The Labrot colt. Sonsy, unseated his rider when he got to the post and galloped a mile the wrong way of the track. This apparently did not harm him, for he was a factor until the final furlong, when he tired.
