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BIG DAY FOR WHITNEYS ♦ Colorbearers Account for Belmonts Opening Day Features. » i Equipoise Displays Sensational Speed in Toboggan Handicap — Beacon Hill Wins Chase. • NEW YORK, N. Y., May 12.— Racing came into its own at New York with the opening I of the season of the Westchester Racing j Association at beautiful Belmont Park this afternoon and, in cpite of gray skies and unseasonably low temperature, a large and representative crowd cheered Equipoise to his victory in the running of the Toboggan Handicap. It was a Whitney day for the International Steeplechass, which preceded the running of the Toboggan Handicap, and saw Gwladys Whitneys silks carried to an impressive victory by Beacon Hill. It was unfortunate that the weather was so unseasonable, but the sport was of a quality that the big crowd had no thought of discomfort. The Toboggan Handicap, which carried a net value of ,550 to the winner, saw Walter M. Jeffords Ironclad race to second place at the heels of the Whitney champion and one length and a half back Helianthus, racing for the Brookmeade Stable, was an easy third before Hi-Jack, the hope of the George D. Widener stable. Ten went to the post after Pompeius and Masked Knight, the W. R. Coe pair, were withdrawn and Equipoise drew the outside stall, but when Ironclad became unruly he was placed outside the machine. When Cassidy had an alignment to his liking he sent the field away with every horse breaking in stride, but Ironclad, coming over from his outside position, soon showed in front. Equipoise was not far back, but Helianthus was going stride for stride with him and he was in rather close quarters. Pairbypair was racing along close to the inner rail. Irenes Bob, Epithet and Footmark soon dropped back badly and then it was that Peacock Alley came into the running. An eighth out, Ironclad was showing the way, but Workman was sitting still on Equipoise, content to hold his position and Helianthus was going along closely lapped on him — in fact, so close that the Whitney colt did not have any too much racing room. Then Workman asked Equipoise to run. He did not have to swing his whip. The big fellow Continued on twenty-ninth page. i : • • • BIG DAY FOR WH1TNEYS Continued from first page. jumped away at the call and, drawing away into a lead of a length, he still had the advantage crossing the line. Ironclad had run a surprisingly good race to take second place, and he was a length and a half before Helianthus. Hi-Jack had faltered when called on and was another four lengths back. It was a truly run renewal for the Toboggan Handicap and Equipoise again proved himself a remarkable colt. Fred Hopkins brought him back at Bowie, after he had been away from the races evr since the running of the Preakness a year ago. He followed up that Bowie score by taking the Harford Handicap at Havre de Grace, and the manner in which he came out of the Toboggan gave promise that he will be the handicap horse of the year. It was a tremendously popular victory when Beacon Hill carried the silks of Gladys Whitney to victory in the International Steeplechase Handicap. The old son of Broomstick triumphed over Joseph E. Wid-eners Indigo, and the Dorwood Stables Bangle, a winner on both sides of the Atlantic, saved third from Rooney, bearing the silks of the Brookmeade Stable. Back of these came Jack Anthony and Red Russia, racing for the Greentree Stable, and last of all was War Eagle, an added starter, from the Foxcatcher Farm Stable. The prize had a net value of ,025 to the winner. It is just possible there might have been a different result had it not been that Bangle, while showing the way and three jumps from the finish, struck the hedge so hard that he shot Collins to his ears, and before he could right himself he had lost much ground. Beacon Hill, after breaking in front, was at once taken back by G. Smoot, and he was rated along well back of the pace. War Eagle and Indigo raced out to show the way, and Bangle was galloping closely after them, while it was Rooney and Jack Anthony that brought up the rear. They swung into the front field in this order when Collins took Bangle to the inside, and the old gelding, under a steadying restraint, had slipped through until he was showing the way at the water. It was there that Smoot permitted Beacon Hill to run, and at the liver-pool which followed he was racing second to the son of Golden Orb, but War Eagle was still in the thick of it, and Jack Anthony had moved up somewhat, while Charlie Smoot was still waiting with Rooney. In the backfield the pace quickened a bit, but Bangle continued to show the way, and he was racing well under restraint until he struck the fence that cost so heavily. As he made his mistake Beacon Hill raced to the command, and he was not afterwards seriously threatened. On Tap, the sprinting daughter of On Watch and Tamarisk, stuck it out for the mile to win the opening race for William N. Adrian by a narrow margin over John J. Robinsons Glidelia, with the Mereworth Stud Stables Waylayer a fast-closing third. The only other starters were Spanish and Don Pedro and they were well back of the first three. The start was a good one and Mills at once stole away into a long lead with On Tap. Pascuma soon had Glidelia in second place and she was going along smoothly under restraint with Don Pedro 1 and Waylayer following, while Spanish was badly outrun. Rounding out of the back stretch, Glidelia moved up slightly on On Tap, but Mills had plenty left with his mount and she stuck to her lead. Then at the stretch turn, Pascuma made the mistake of going to the outside of the Adrian mare. He also rode a rather weak finish and, while Glidelia closed resolutely, On Tap stuck it out, to be the winner by a neck. Right at the end, Waylayer, which had saved ground on the inside, closed with a great rush, to be beaten only a head for second place. George Odom uncovered a good juvenile when he saddled Quel Jeu for the Arden Farms Stable in the third race. This was a dash over the Widener Course, and the handsome chestnut son of High Time dominated the race to win with something to spare over the Greentree Stables Uppercut, with the Wheatley Stables Edeweiss a rather distant third. Quel Jeu still has something to learn of racing, but he is at least possessed of a high turn of speed. As he left his stall he bore over to the inside but quickly was in command, and McAtee had only to keep him straight. He had to wave his whip to prevent the colt from bearing out in the final furlong but was successful in keeping him straight to beat Uppercut, which raced sec-1 • I ond all the way, by a length. Edelweiss be- • I gan slowly and finished well to be third, , I | but she was two lengths back.
