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LAUREL STAGES CHARITY DAY Eight Thousand Witness the Days Sport at Popular Track. Summer Weather Conditions Prevail Lad-field Furnishes Startling Surprise in Fifth Race 5,000 Realized. LAUREL, Md., Oct. 3 The crowd of 8,000 persons here to aid the Maryland State Fair in doing its bit for the states charity, displayed the most interest in the fifth race, which attracted a dozen middle class sprinters and furnished a startling surprise when Mrs. C. Cranes Ladfield came from well back to defeat the favored Contribute. Summer weather conditions prevailed for the sport, but an ordinary program resulted in the attendance being below expectations, with the wagering equally disappointing. However, approximately 5,000 was realized. All the events were run in slow time, although the track was dry because of its deep, cuppy condition, the result of resurfacing. Laurel has not had a rain in recent weeks, which track superintendent Woods Dickerson says is necessary before the top dressing can be thoroughly worked in with the old soil. The fifth race resulted in one of the most thrilling contests of -the day, with the field being well bunched throughout the six furlongs distance. Ladfield had to be much the best in the going to win as he lost much ground on the turn where he came from far back. He finished strongly, however, under the riding of H. Elston and was drawing away at the finish, where his margin over the favored Contribute, racing for C. N. Amory, was a half length. Shandon Farms Grand Prince was third, the same margin back, but a length and a half in advance of Vishnu. Purple Sage was fleetest away from the barrier, but he was closely followed by Grand Prince and Con-triute, which raced him into defeat after the opening quarter. Grand Prince held sway until well into the stretch because of being on the inside when Contribute bore out on the final turn. Vishnu also moved up fast on the turn, but suffered badly because of Contributes tactics. Ladfield also was bothered when Contribute went out, but he overcame the mishap after being straightened out in the stretch. In the final drive Contribute gained slowly on Grand Prince and just as he was about to pass the latter Ladfield charged down on the outside, wresting the lead from the choice in the final sixteenth. The time for the six f,urlongs was 1:14, three seconds slower than the track record. .Continued on twenty-second page LAUREL STAGES CHARITY DAY Continued from first page. Miss Corinne, a member of Mrs. R. Pollards stable, was pitted against cheaper company in the fourth race and scored her first triumph in the East in easy fashion as a result. She was restrained by W. Todd behind the early pace set by McDonald H., and then Impeach, but from the half-mile post on around the turn she gained steadily, finally overtaking the latter gelding at the three-sixteenths post. She quickly opened up a clear lead and was in hand at the finish to win by a length and a half over Impeach, which was three lengths before Sir Kendall. Bokie B. was fourth, the other six starters being soundly beaten. ,
