view raw text
WITHERS TO THE DARE St. Germans Colt, Owned by C. V. Whitney, Proves Best in Mud. Golden Way and Dark Winter Beat Out Kerry Patch Blind Bowboy - Memorial Handicap Winner. . NEW YORK, N. Y., May 30. The Darb splashed his way to an easy victory in the famous old Withers Stakes at Belmont Park this afternoon. It was the first start for the son of St. Germans since the running of the Chesapeake Stakes at Havre de Grace, and it was a score that makes another change in three-year-old estimates. Joseph E. Wide-ners Golden Way closed some ground to take the place, and Willis Sharpe Kilmers Dark Winter was a close third, before Lee Rosenbergs Kerry Patch. The prize had a net value of 0,550 to the winner. The Withers, one of the oldest of Americas prizes, having been first run in 1874, was naturally the particular feature of the big Memorial Day card, but there were other events of importance. The Corinthian steeplechase Handicap went to F. Ambrose Clarks Louis dOr, Mrs. John Hay Whitneys Blue for Boys won the Fashion Stakes, and the Memorial Day Handicap was taken by G. H. Bostwicks Blind Bowboy. It was truly unfortunate that rain marred the best day of the Belmont Park meeting, with the possible exception of Belmont Day, but a monster crowd braved the uncomfortable weather, and the sport was enthusiastically received. The rain had converted the racing strip to a sloppy expanse, but there was a firm bottom, and good time was hung out in the various events. DECIDEDLY POOR START. The start in the Withers was a poor one and Dark Winter was first to show out of the ten that raced. He was closely attended by Boilermaker and the Bradley colt had him headed for a few strides. The Darb was racing along the inner rail and he showed a decided liking for the going as he moved into third place and Robertson had a snug hold of his head as he galloped back of the leaders. Then De Valera was sent through by Mills and he went into command so easily that Mills "rushed him until he was three lengths clear. This was approaching the turn out of the backstretch and Boilermaker was soon doing his best back of the son of Upset but The Darb was holding to his position and was fortunate in finding plenty of racing room along the inner rail. Dark Winter was following the Whitney colt and then came Projectile. Golden Way was well back of .the Pons colt and Garner had him well to .the outside of the company. Boilermaker was through before the stretch was reached and as he dropped back, The Darb moved into second place and challenged De Valera. The Phipps colt was roused by Mills but to no avail and The Darb steadily drew until he was alongside and then by to take command. This took all the run out of De Valera and he dropped back, badly beaten, while at .the same time Golden Way and Kerry Patch were moving up strongly on the outside, and Dark Winter was charging along on the inner rail. BY SAFE MARGIN. Robertson was awake to the challengers back of The Darb, and keeping the colt at his task had him over the line winner by .three lengths. M. Garner, riding with hands and heels, fairly lifted Golden Way along to .take the place by a neck from the Kilmer Colt and Kerry Patch was another length and a half back. Utopian followed the Rosenberg colt and the others were badly strung out with Boilermaker being eased up last of them all. Kerry Patch was one of the unfortunates at the start and he closed a big gap suggesting he might have shared in the prize with better fortune. First of the holiday specials was the Corinthian Steeplechase Handicap, over the short course, and worth ,900 to the winner. .This went to F. Ambrose Clarks Louis dOr when he handily beat Mrs. John Hay-Whit neys Quick March and Thomas Hitchcocks Continued on nineteenth page. WITHERS TO THE DARB Continued from first page. Bolero, an English four-year-old, starting for the first time, was third. Back of these came the Greentree Stables Jack Anthony and Gwladys Whitneys Ride-away, both of which raced dully and jumped badly all the way. The soft field may have had something to do with their showing. Bolero was the one to go out in the pace, but it was not a fast one, and he galloped along under a steadying restraint. Quick March was running second and in the early racing Hideaway, which, incidentally, was an added starter, ran third. But he did not last long there when Louis dOr moved up outside of him and, under double wraps, was well within striking distance. Bolero stuck to his lead for a turn of the course, and Quick March hung to him closely with the result that five furlongs from home both were beginning to tire badly. Then it was that Rea made his first move with Louis dOr, and he quickly went into the command. In the meantime both Jack Anthony and Ridaaway had both dropped com pletely out of the running. From the break Collins trailed with Jack Anthony and then, at the front field Liverpool the son of John P. Grier took off a stride too soon and strained himself badly at the fence. Collins roused him going to the lower end of the course, but he was not equal to it and in the back field he made another bad jump and narrowly missed going down. Hideaway, when Smoot made his run, in the back field, made a bad landing that put him out of the running, and it had resolved into a three-horse race. Louis dOr was easily best when the real racing began and at the end he still had seven lengths to spare. Quick March had outdistanced the English gelding to take the place by three lengths. George H. Bostwicks Blind Bowboy made every post a winning one in the Memorial Day Handicap, which was run over the main course. He won with something to spare over the Wheatley Stables Dark Secret and Andy Schuttingers Pilate was third before Helianthus, the only other starter. There was a promise that this would see James Butlers . Questionnaire in action for the first time this year but, owing to the sloppy condition of the going, the son of Sting was withdrawn and when Pompeius, the stablemate to Blind Bowboy, and War, were also scratched, only four started. After a considerable delay at the post, Robertson beat the barrier with Blind Bow-boy when the inside of the barrier did not release promptly. The son of Epinard was sent away into an early lead of two lengths when Robertson took hold of his head and he went along at a pace that kept the others well flattened out. Helianthus was second and Dark Secret led Pilate. This was the order until near the stretch where Helianthus had enough and as he tired, Dark Secret moved into second place and at the same time Pilate circled around to also, head the Brookmeade stable horse. But Blind Bowboy still had plenty left and while he was being shaken up smartly at the end, he was winner by a length. Blue for Boys, the juvenile daughter of John P. Grier and Azurite, carried the silks of Mrs. John Hay Whitney to an easy victory in the Fashion Stakes, which is exclusively for fillies. This was the second start and the second victory for the sweet miss and it added just ,460 to her earnings. C. V. Whitneys Piety, which had a seasoning in Maryland, took second place and Mrs. Charles Paysons Church Mouse beat Willis Sharpe Kilmers Highdine for third. There was some measure of excuse for Piety in the running when she stumbled rather badly at the start to be last of the six that raced. Highdine was more alert than the others and Robertson made every use of that alertness when he went out with the filly and in the early racing she had a : clear lead. Jones soon had Blue for Boys racing along second and when she was safely in that place he took hold of her head and was content to go stride for stride with the Kilmer filly. It was apparent, as the daughter of John P. Grier came alongside, that she could shake off Highdine at the first asking. In the meantime, Piety, after her misfortune at the start, had found her way into third place, but she was far back of the pair. Not -until the final eighth did Jones ask Blue for Boys to run. There she moved away from Highdine to come home winner by five lengths. Piety, showing commendable gameness, moved into second place and she was as easily best of the others when she had taken the place from Church Mouse by five lengths. Church Mouse was only third because of the fact that Highdine was used up trying to keep up with the winner that she stopped badly in the final stages. On the two races shown by Blue for Boys it appears she is the best filly that has been shown this season and it was demonstrated in the Fashion that muddy going offers no handicap. Condescend, which now races for Jack Richardson and favored by the sloppy going, made a show of the platers that opposed him in the opening race, at one mile. He splashed through the eight furlongs in 1:38, an excellent performance in the going, to beat C. W. Goldens Flying Dragon by ten lengths. John R. Macombers Wahoo was a close third and closing in a fashion that would have seen him second in a few more strides. Forewarned, ridden by H. Mills and racing for James Butler, accounted for the final race of the day in a drive over B. L. Meyers Integrity, while Fleet Flag was third. The winner was a neglected factor in the calculations and dominated the race from the start. He responded to pressure in the stretch and in a hard drive outlasted Integrity. Fleet Flag moved up gamely on the inside entering the stretch but could not overhaul the leaders.
