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COUCCI RIDES THREE WINNERS » ,., Star Fire Takes Measure of Golden Way in Feature. » $. E. Widener Wood Memorial Stakes Candidate Fails in First Appearance of Year at Jamaica. ♦ V NEW YORK, N. Y., May 15.— James Butlers good filly, Star Fire, upset some Wood Memorial Stakes aspirations of Henry Mc-Daniel, when she took the measure of Joseph E. Wideners Golden Way in the best Monday offering of the Metropolitan Jockey Club at Jamaica. Golden Way was also beaten by Charles H. Thieriots Scout Master, finishing third in the mile and seventy yards. This was a public trial of the Widener colt for the Saturday feature and he will have to improve materially over his showing if he is to have a serious chance to beat Mrs. Silas B. Masons Preakness winner, Head Play. Incidentally, when Star Fire was winner Bhe gave Sylvio Coucci his third winning ride of the afternoon. Earlier in the day he had scored with both Morocen and The Heathen and in each he had to show real riding skill. With ideal weather conditions for the sport, a surprisingly large crowd was out and excellent sport came out of the six races that were offered. In the Bridgehampton, as the Star Fire race was christened, Golden Way was conceding weight, on the scale, to every other starter except Garden Message, the only other three-year-old that was engaged. Little time was lost at the barrier and it went up to a good start. Coucci had Star Fire off in the lead, but she was closely attended by Golden Way, which had the inside post position. Rip Van Winkle, Jamison, Garden Message, Scout Master and Waterway followed in close order as named. Star Fire was sent right out by Coucci to lead into the back stretch by a couple of lengths. Garner had Golden Way galloping along back of the daughter of Vulcain and under restraint, while Scout Master soon moved into third place. Garner never eased his pull on the Widener colt in the run down the back stretch and it appeared he could go to the front at the first asking. Then Mal-ley moved up with Scout Master, and, as he came alongside, Garner roused the son of John P. Grier to avoid being caught in a pocket. Golden Way responded to the call, but Star Fire had plenty in reserve and as Coucci shook her up she readily held her lead. Then, as the stretch was reached, Garner went to a drive on Golden Way. The colt tired badly under the punishment and in the meantime Scout Master was closing with a rush on the inside. Star Fire was tiring, but Coucci kept at her, and in a gamely fought out finish, her head was still in front at the end. Scout Master had slipped through to beat Golden Way two lengths for second place, and the Widener colt was a full eight lengths before Jamison. This was the first appearance of Golden Way this season and it is natural to expect he will improve over his showing, but it does not seem possible that he could improve enough to be a serious menace to Head Play in the Wood Memorial, after the galloping victory of the son of My Play at Pimlico last Saturday. The Flatbush, a six furlongs dash, run as the fourth race, saw Lucre, from the Argosy Stable, an easy winner over James Butlers Alarm Clock, while Joseph E. Wideners Hurryoff beat Protractor for third. This completed a double for Alfred Robertson, for he had piloted Murmuring to victory in the first race for his contract employer, C. V. Whitney. There was not much to the running of the Flatbush and Lucre was so much best of her company that it required little riding skill to have him score. He jumped away into a lead of three lengths in the first furlong and Robertson had only to sit still and permit him to romp along in his own fashion. He had five lengths to spare at the end and had raced in 1:12%, an excellent speed performance. C. V. Whitneys Murmuring, a daughter of Mad Hatter and Coquetry, proved best of the juvenile maiden fillies that met in .the opening five-eighths dash. She scored with plenty to spare over Lester C. Robleys Helester, and Dunlavin, racing for Mr. Pembroke, easily saved third from Bramble Broom. The winners margin was three lengths. The second was another dash for maidens. This was over the three-quarters route and was confined to the three-year-olds of the cheap plater variety. It went to Dewey Benthams Morocen when he ran down Andy Schuttingers Curlette in the stretch to win by a narrow margin. Third was the portion of C. V. Whitneys Daisy Cutter. The Heathen won his third race at the meeting when he scored over the platers that were engaged in the third. Mrs. Matt Colfords My Purchase, showing greatly improved form over a recent effort, raced to second place, and the Coldstream Stud Stables Sweet Scent beat Haggerson for third. This gave Coucci his second winning mount of the day. He got The Heathen away in full stride and never surrendered command. Follow Thru was racing after the old son of Donnacona in the early stages, and he was three lengths before My Purchase, while Judge Schilling had left the post slowly and was far back. Coucci steadied The Heathen when he had a safe lead, and he nursed the old fellow along cleverly, saving ground all the way. Follow Thru soon tired of the chase, and then it was My Purchase made a determined bid. He was closing well a furlong from home, but Coucci had saved something for the challenge, and The Heather stuck it out to be winner by a length.
