view raw text
WAR SAINTS GAME RACE i Leads Almost Throughout to Win Headliner at Aurora. ♦ Balmy Weather Results in Large Crowd — Santa Sophia Furnishes Surprise in Second. — — 1 AURORA, 111., May 18.— War Saint, fast running five-year-old son of St. James, accounted for his fourth straight victory and his second at Exposition Park when he won the best race scheduled at that track today. Racing in front most of the way, the gelding ran six furlongs in l:124i to win, while Blue Day finished second, and Outer Harbor was third. War Saint was ridden by jockey C. Critchfield and was one of the favorites. He paid .10. The race was a speed test from the start, and War Saint had enough early speed to carry him to the front of the fleet Hot Shot before a quarter had been raced and possessed enough stamina to enable him to stave off the belated rush of Blue Day. The latter, also well back, was tangled up next to the rail in the early stages and, although making a gallant effort in the stretch, waited too long before making his move. The race was a claiming affair. Bright, balmy weather prevailed in the Pox River Valley this afternoon, and the attendance exceeded that of any previous Wednesday of the meeting. The track was fast. AUSPICIOUS DEBUT. Pana Franka, winner of several races in the West during the past winter, was introduced to Exposition Park fans in the first race and won that contest in a driving finish. The filly, which was an odds-on favorite, raced to the front soon after the start to open up a good lead, but was forced to do her best at the end to hold Venetian Girl safe. The latter, although showing a tendency to swerve under none too strong riding by jockey Hernandez, was going fast at the finish and would have won in a few more strides. Epona finished third in the eight-horse field. Petalaros, one of the starters, stumbled and threw jockey Montgomery early in the contest, but the lad was uninjured. Jockey L. Cantrell, under contract to G. H. Neal, won the first race of his career when he piloted his employers Santa Sophia to victory over a large band in the second race. The lad chose the outside of the field to make his stretch run and. riding his mount strongly, got her up in time to win from Shonna, while Look at Lillian finished third. Sentiment in the race was about equally divided between Blue Pencil and Pellegrino, but both tired when called upon. The race was over one mile and seventy yards. SPRECKELS RACER BEST. The colors of John D. Spreckels III., youthful California millionaire, scored their first Chicago victory when Shasta Broom, a former handicap horse, won the third race. The colt, which as a yearling was priced as high as 0,000 by his breeder, the late "Curly" Brown, had gone back so far in the opinion of the track handicapper that he was placed in the mutuel field today, but he showed a good performance by losing many lengths on the stretch turn and still defeating the favored Andora. Third money was earned by Agnes Sorel, which got up In time to best the well backed Bay Rose by a nose. The "daily double" Wednesday paid 23.84. It was made up of Santa Sophia, an outsider in the second race, and Shasta Broom, a field horse in the third race. Battling On ran well to win the fifth race. Although racing wide on the first turn and meeting some stretch interference, the son of Oceanic continued gamely to the end and was rewarded by defeating Tack by a nose in a driving finish. Third money went to Sir Dean, which was about even choice with the winner. Battling On was ridden by T. Salazar and paid .98. Starch, the erratic post horse, won his second race of the meeting when he led most of the way to finish in front in the sixth. Through the patience of the starter, ably assisted by the pony boy, he was induced to enter the stall gate and, breaking quickly, took a good lead in the early stages never to be headed. He won by a neck from Who Win, while third money went to Tiger Flowers. Chip, the favorite, was fourth. It was the second win of the afternoon for jockey Tony Salazar, who had the mount on Starch-
