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GOLD STEP SURPRISES IN H0MEW00D HANDICAP » ■ Outsider Takes Measure of Silver-dale, Ladder and Other Stars Large Crowd Witnesses Interesting Inaugural Progranf at Washington Park — E. R. Bradleys Bally gran Runs Five-Eighths in Fast Time • HOMEWOOD, 111., May 23.— Gold Step, a five-year-old sprinter, which was claimed at Exposition Park last week for ,000, proved to be a splendid investment for his new owner, Mrs. S. Fairbanks, when he earned ,290 by winning the Washington Park Handicap, outstanding race on the opening day at the Homewood course. Racing to the front on the outside at the start, the unsexed son of Sweep On assumed a good lead and easily led to the end. Silverdale, the favorite, raced into second place, while Lad- Jder, an outsider from the stable of Walter J. Salmon, was third, and Polydorus, champion of the Tanforan meeting, finished fourth. Gold Step was grouped in the field with Manta and Gay Past and paid 2.74. Thirteen of the large band named overnight faced the barrier and after a delay of some minutes they were off with Tannery and Don Leon showing the way. Gold Step, beginning from the center of the field, was soon in stride, and jockey Schutte sent him to the front on the far turn. Once in the van, Gold Step opened up a lead on his opponents and was never in trouble thereafter, winning by three lengths. TANNERY IN CLOSE QUARTERS. Silverdale was close to the leader from the start and outgamed Ladder, which was a prominent contender throughout. Polydorus improved his position gradually and was going well at the finish, while Don Leon tired and Tannery was caught in close quarters after going half the distance. Gold Step ran the six furlongs in 1:12, which constitutes a record for the Washington Park Handicap. It was the second victory of the day for jockey Schutte. Favored by superb weather for the sport, the opening attracted to the local course, one of the finest among Chicagos tracks, a crowd of 15,000 that included many of Chicagos most prominent devotees of racing, also a number of distinguished visitors from points throughout Illinois and Kentucky. The program opened a meeting of thirty days, to be followed by the Arlington Park, Hawthorne and Lincoln Fields meetings. Track conditions, like the weather, were of the best, the fast course contributing to speedy performances as attested to by the time of :59%, in which Ballygran ran five furlongs in the second race. Ballygrans time was within one-fifth of a second of the track record. SUCCESSFUL INAUGURATION. M. J. Winn, Stuyvesant Peabody, C. W. Hay and other officials of the Washington Park Jockey Club, spoke of the opening as "one of the most successful in the history of the track." To Easter Time, a bay colt representing Dixiana, went the honor of winning the first race of the Washington Park season. Jockey Clarence McCrossen had the three-year-old off in second place and, getting to the front early, was never headed, although he was tiring at the finish and inclined to bear out. Fervor, an outsider, came down the center of the track to be a game-going second, and Tombereau finished third. The race, over the six furlongs distance, attracted a field of twelve and the winners time over a track which was rather deep was 1:13. The public flocked to the support of Red Whisk in the second race, but that young gelding could do no better than land in third place, being beaten by both Ballygran and Miss Brilliant, which finished first and second respectively. Ballygran, racing in the silks of E. R. Bradley, showed a good performance to come within one-fifth of a second of equalling the track record of :59% for the five furlongs. The son of Bubbling Over, after interfering with Red Whiskin the early stages, wore down Miss Brilliant, the pacemaker, in the stretch and won by almost one length. Red Whisk came to the outside in the stretch and was going well at the finish. Sobieha, a field horse, owned by Ed Mc-Cuan, was a surprise winner of the third race which attracted twelve ordinary sprinters. The Sir Gallahad III. filly, making her first start in over two months, had Melvin Knight in the saddle and close to the leaders Continued on twenty-second pagej. GOLD STEP SURPRISES a Continued from first page. 1 at all times, outstayed Black Comet at the finish. Jockey R. Jones was substituted for f jockey Wendling on Black Comet and picked ■ up five pounds. The added weight was probably responsible for his failure. Third fell to Semester, which acted badly at the barrier and got off slowly but ran a good race. The field paid 6.40. Elizabeth Bolla, one of the starters, broke down while running in a contending position early in the contest while The Dago was practically left at the post. Just when backers of Banjo, an outsider, were beginning to congratulate themselves on selecting a winner in the fourth race, that horse went lame in the last furlong and dropped back to third place at the finish. Banjo had sprinted to the front early and opened up a long lead turning into the stretch, but his weak limb went back on him nearing the end and Judge Lueders racing strongly on the inside was the winner, while Eveline F. got up to be second. The race was at one and one-eighth miles and Judge Lueders, well backed, paid .18. Jockey Herman Schutte was in the saddle.
