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BAINBRIDGE PARK OPENING ♦ Cleveland Meeting Begins With Large Crowd Present. . » Friend Charley Winner of Inaugural Handicap, With Towee and Honey Locust Dividing Minor Portions of Purse. « GEAUGA LAKE, Ohio, May 20.— In a driving finish and by the shortest of margins, the Jewell Brothers Friend Charley was returned winner of the Inaugural Handicap, the fifth and principal offering of the opening days racing at Bainbridge Park this afternoon. C. Januskas Towee and J. C. Ellis Honey Locust divided the minor portions of the purse, finishing in this order. A large crowd was present for the inauguration of Ohio racing for the current year, and the sport presented appeared to please the spectators immensely. The chief race of the afternoon was a sparkler. Towee set the pace at a fast clip and probably would have won had he not gone wide in the run home. This enabled Friend Charlie to get through and earn the decision by a nose in one of the most sensational finishes ever witnessed here. The winner was away slowly but closed ground rapidly and, finishing with great gamenesa and speed next to the inner rail under a powerful ride by jockey Gooler, got up in the final stride. Honey Locust finished third after displacing Cambridgeshire, which raced wide in the stretch after being in a forward position from the start. Jockey G. Quackenbush, making his local saddle debut, sent the form players away to a good start when he led by a comfortable margin throughout with Baboo in the initial dash. It was only after a keen stretch drive, however, that Fair Avis saved second place by a narrow margin from Tom Ward and Fair Manna. Baboo delayed the start three minutes by his fractiousness. Flaunt carried the colors of Phil Chinn to a rather handy victory, after leading practically throughout in the second race. Tolteo provided the contention to the stretch, but Nisia saved ground during the run home and outlasted the Carlock colorbearer for second. Golden Storm failed to leave with the others when the start came, which eliminated him. Although the Jewell Bros. All Forlorn showed in front throughout the running for the third race, she only scored by the shortest of margins. Jockey Gooler was taking things easy after having assumed an easy lead a furlong out, and Miss Frisky, finishing with a rush, almost caught the Menifee filly at the wire. June G. saved the minor award. Jockey G. Quackenbush made it a double with Hildur Prince, coming from behind on the outside of his field through the stretch in the fourth race. Mysterious Nell displayed most speed until well into the stretch, but at the end barely saved second from Jump Off.
