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BOWIE MEETING ENDS I Larranaga Triumphant in Featured Decoration Day Handicap. Scores "by a Head Over Oscillator, Indian Runner, Action and Tred Avon in Spectacular Finish. BOWIE, Md., May 30. Larranaga, the un-sexed son of Apprehension Garden of "Allah, carrying the silks of Allan Ryans An-all Stable, enriched his owner to the extent of ,370 when he accounted for the initial running of the Decoration Day Handicap, a gallop at one mile and a sixteenth, that featured the final spring program of the Southern Maryland Agricultural Association at Bowie today. Opposed by nine other seasoned performers, including S. W. Labrots sterling filly, Tred Avon, the Anall Stable colt, under C. Kurtsingers handling, waged a spirited stretch duel with no less than four of the ten starters, and his success came in one of the best finishes of the meeting to capture honors by a head. Following the Anall starter was W. R. Coes Oscu-lator, just a half length before G. W. Ogles Indian Runner, while N. E. Stantons Action was another head away as he led Tred Avon by four lengths. Some delay was caused in the feature when Action refused to be led into the stalls, but a good start resulted with the Stanton colt on the outside. Osculator was quickest into stride and, going to the front, opened up a two-length lead at the first turn. Clotho went with the Anall gelding and Watch Him moved along in third place, while the eventual winner was leading but one entry. Moving up stoutly on the outside when reaching the back stretch, Larranaga passed around Tred Avon, which was holding to seventh position and, continuing at a rapid clip, got to the leaders when reaching the final turn. Tred Avon was not .bettering her position ; while Osculator had done away with Clotho and Rehoboth, and Bejshak was biding his time carefully with the Coe colt. Larranaga, however, was cir- cling around gallantly and, before entering the home stretch, was on even terms with the pacemaker. PROVERBIAL BLANKET FINISH. Through the final furlong Indian Runner and Action began moving up, and the four waging a sinew-straining duel could have been covered by a blanket when they reached the finish. - Previous to the feature manager Joseph P. Boyle escorted Governor Albert C. Ritchie of Maryland, Stuart Janney, James A. La-tane and Edward Warfield, Jr., to the judges stand to witness the running of the feature. The most disagreeable conditions of the meeting prevailed. Eight clever youngsters met in the opening race at five furlongs, and the result was a mild surprise when Fabulous, racing for Joseph E. Davis, splashed her way to a front running triumph. Flag Boy, of the Linton Farms Stable, offered the winner stout argument to land second, while the consistent If Ida, from the E. Wakoff Stable landed third. Following on the heels of repeated failure J. G. Cremens veteran sprinter, Hacky H., well backed choice, finally managed to break into the winning list when he took the measure of a lowly band that raced six furlongs in the second. This attracted a limit field and it found the winner earning his success in a stirring drive to beat A. C. Westons Dancing Mack by the shortest of mragins. Third fell to P. S. P. Randolphs Chloe Boy. Following at the heels of Prince Wick for the first half, Hacky H, going along smoothly, was able to forge to the front approaching the home stretch and ridden well by the diminutive G. Haines, stuck to his task to earn the verdict in one of the closest finishes of the meeting. Seven well matched distance performers of the plater ranks raced one and one-eighth miles in the third, and this resulted in a surprise when J. Bishops veteran Tuffy G. earned the second purse of his Maryland campaign and rounded out a comparatively easy score. Coming from far back, he moved up to the leaders by -finding racing room next to the inner rail. Tuffy G. waged a brief duel with the leaders before moving to the. front on the stretch turn, and thereafter held sway as he led Squeeze Play past the line by two lengths. Fluffy Lee in the thick of contention all the way, was an easy third before His Way, while the disappointing Bide a Wee, finished last of the seven that started. The smallest field to meet during the afternoon was engaged for the fourth race, which was a split of the third, and of the half dozen that raced over the mile and one furlong distance, the winner turned up in the well backed Damascene, from the S. W. Labrot stable. Fair Bill, in the silks of J. C. Fletcher, chased the winner to the finish to earn second place by a nose, and Tazewell easily bested Royal Durbar and the two others. Taken in hand while racing in pursuit of Era for seven furlongs, Damascene encountered little difficulty in taking the lead before a mile had been traversed, and once in command steadily drew away until at the end she showed the way by two lengths, which could easily have been increased had E. Steffen elected.
