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NEW DEAL WINS THOMAS CURRAN MEMORIAL SWIFTSPORT IS SECOND Record Crowd Watches Juvenile Stake at Washington Park. Meloy, Babee and Ondott Among Afternoons Winners Weather Clears Before Race Time. HOMEWOOD, 111., May 30. Under fine conditions, the Washington Park Jockey Club today entertained one of the largest crowds in its history when a throng that almost fully taxed the capacity of the spacious plant and grounds, witnessed the holiday program that featured a renewal of the Thomas Curran Memorial Stakes. It was indicated officially that the attendance was larger than on the same day last year and possibly as large as for any one days racing in the Chicago district since the sport was revived. Dissipation of a serious threat of rain an hour or so before racing time was a big factor in the large attendance and the afternoon saw skies only partly overcast and the track at its fastest. In the great holiday crowd were hundreds of notables from varied walks of life, and the gathering was a representative and fasnionable one. Despite cool weather, gayly colored summer apparel predominated and colorful indeed were many of the numerous clubhouse and box parties. Every box in both the clubhouse and grandstand was occupied and seats and aisles in the stands crowded as never before. The mutuel department was called upon to handle the largest play of the season, and the turnover closely approached that of the same day last year. Particularly popular was the "Daily Double" and many in the large lines which stretched out from the booths, for more than an hour before the second race was run, backed the winning combination of Meloy and Babee, both ridden by the popular Jack Westrope. It paid 4.28 for . THRILLING CONTEST AND FINISH. Ten two-year-old colts and geldings raced five and one-half furlongs in the Thomas Curran Memorial, and it furnished one of many thrilling finishes after a bristling contest when J. W. Parrishs New Deal, which was second in the Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs, defeated A. B. Galla-hers Swiftsport by a neck. A length back Speedy Skippy drove to the finish in third place, a neck before Gilbert Elston, in whose wake followed as named Technocracy, Le Miserable, Cotton Club, Cloud DOr, Thomas-ville and Hermie Roy. An exacting duel for early pacemaking honors waged by Swiftsport and Cloud DOr was of much assistance to the winner, which came from behind under hard riding and outgamed Swiftsport, which, despite the effort required to race on almost even terms and at a fast pace with Cloud DOr for more than a half mile, held on with surprising stubbornness. Speedy Skippy came up fast in the final drive and in the final strides outfinished Gilbert Elston. Cloud DOr, which was making his first start, tired badly in the final eighth, where he retired to eighth among the ten contestants. The stake had a net value to the winning owner of ,630 and the winner, ridden by Alcee Richard, ran the distance in the fast time of 1:0675. He carried 119 pounds, conceding three pounds to Swiftsport. On report of the patrol judge, jockey O. Laidley, who rode Swiftsport, was suspended for five days. In the opinion of the patrol judge, Laidley permitted his mount to go to the inside too sharply after the start. BY SLENDER MARGIN. Noses separated the leaders in the first race at seven furlongs, C. W. Moore furnishing a surprise with Essential, with La-Salle second and Wirt G. Bowman third; While Reighburn and Birthday Gift were showing the way to the field of eight, Critch-field was bringing the victor up gradually and after racing into command shortly before midway of the stretch, the Moore representative was hard urged to withstand LaSalle. From a slow beginning, LaSalle closed with a near determined rush to wear down the leaders in rapid order, only to succumb to the winner by the narrowest of margins. Continued on twenty-second page.. NEW DEAL WINS THOMAS CURRAN MEMORIAL Continued from first page. The second race, or Memories Claiming Purse and the second of the meeting, confined to horses the bona fide property of residents of Illinois, also resulted in a close finish. Stuyvesant Peabodys Meloy, ridden by J. Westrope, was returned the victor, but only after a hard contest and by a head margin over Portmanteau. Three lengths back Night Jasmine completed the three-quarters in third place, and such others as Very Well, Doris Jean, Kibitzer, Hot Shot and Gaerie completed the field. The winner attained the lead after a quarter but at all times experienced strong opposition and, after racing Doris Jean, Hot Shot and Night Jasmine into submission, outgamed Portmanteau in an extended drive. Westrope was astride the winner in another spectacular finish when he drove H. P. Headleys Babee to victory by a nose over Helen Bab in the third race, for three-year-old fillies. They were inches apart for the final eighth, and the manner in which they fought it out from the eighth post to the wire, compared with the most tingling duels of the -meeting. At the end they were five lengths before Black Nose, which enjoyed a brief stay in the lead but readily succumbed to the two leaders. Billies Orphan and Voltina finished far back, the former quitting badly in the stretch and the latter being far back throughout. Ondott, from the stable of C. C. Van Meter, became the first easy winner and victorious favorite of the afternoon when he scored in the fourth, over seven furlongs, by five lengths from Mrs. E. McCuans Crash. Mrs. Let was third, almost a like distance back. Ondott drew the outside position at the post and began none too well, but jockey W. D. Wright soon had him going along smoothly, and he went into third place before the turn was reached. Taken to the rail, the Van Meter gelding was able to move forward on the inside of Crash and then Jacobs Ladder to take com- mand just before reaching the stretch turn. Jacobs Ladder dropped back at this point, and Crash made a move but he was not good enough, and Ondott drew away to win as he pleased. Mrs. Let overtook tired horses to be third. Hamilton, recently claimed by Mrs. A. M. Creech, made good for his new owner in the fifth race, a dash of seven furlongs bringing together eight lowly platers, by defeating C. E. Lenahans Tamerlane by two lengths. Romac just failed to land the place I but easily held the favorite, Gunfire, for 1 third.
