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EQUIPOISE REPEATS IN WILSON STAKES AT SPA 9 NEAR 00,000 MARK Brilliant Whitney Horse Attracts Big Crowd Despite Weather. Elylee Defeats Red Wagon in Historic Plash Stakes Rain Falls Throughout Afternoon. SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y., Aug. 3. Equipoise, the champion, continued on his unbeaten way by galloping off with the Wilson Stakes this afternoon, and Elylee carried the silks of J. H. Louchheim to victory in the famous old Flash Stakes. These were the high lights in a brilliant opening of the new season of the Saratoga Racing Commission this afternoon. After an almost unprecedented drought broken only last Tuesday, there came a rainy day for the opening of the meeting. All afternoon drizzles that at times reached the proportion of a downpour occurred, but the track needed the wet- ting and the going was not affected to any extent. The crowd was an enormous one, considering the weather conditions. The C. V. Whitney champion would bring a crowd in any stress of weather and while the Flash Stakes promised more of a contest, naturally, and it had a more colorful, tradition with its first running in 1869, it was Equipoise the crowd wanted to see. As the sturdy son of Pennant and Swinging appeared on the track for the parade to the post, he was greeted with an ovation and it was renewed when he galloped to his easy score, repeating his victory of last year in the same prize. WINS WITH RIDICULOUS EASE. This race was worth ,350, and it brought the magnificent horse a bit closer to the 00,000 mark when it swelled his earnings to 97,170, Like all his other races of the year, he won with ridiculous ease when he ran the mile in 1:39 to work out a mile and a furlong in 1:54. Evening was off so slowly in the Wilson Stakes that she had no chance, but the others left on the same stride, and it was Mate that went out to show the way. Preston Burchs good mare Tambour was under restraint to follow Mate closely and Workman permitted the champion to loaf along back of him. He was outrunning Cocked Hat and Evening was last. The pace was rather slow as Mate was showing the way, and Bellizzi had Tambour under restraint back of him in the hope that he would have something with which to combat the inevitable challenge from Equipoise. Thus it was that the field went through the back stretch and Workman made no move until the turn from the straight was reached. There he permitted Equipoise to step along, and he moved up smoothly to be alongside the leading pair. Mate was through but Tambour made a gallant effort to hold the horse of the year, but it was futile, and the chestnut raced past with little effort. A furlong out Workman took hold of his head again as he glanced back and saw no further danger,-and the remainder of the route was a canter. After the finish he was sent along for another furlong to finish the mile and an eighth in 1:54. SIGNAL FOR APPLAUSE. The return to the scales was the signal for another hearty burst of applause. Equipoise had not taken a long breath, and he seemed fit and ready to run another mile if it were necessary. Elylee, the chestnut son of Infinite and Rhea, moved into the best company when he took the measure of Mrs. Amorys Red Wagon in the famous old Flash Stakes. At the heels of the pair, Dartle, a son of Dodge, carried the Everglades Stable silks into third place. He is one that had a winter campaign at Hialeah Park in Florida. First Minstrel, racing for the Greentree Stable, was a remarkably close fourth and the others trailed along in strung out order. The start was a good one and Trumpery, the C. V. Whitney starter, was first to show out of the company. He was closely attended by Kawagoe and Dartle, with Red Wagon lapped on the pair of them while the Louchheim colt followed. Red Wagon soon found his way to the front and as he took the lead over Trumpery, Bejshak took hold of his head and he was going along well as the turn out of the back stretch was reached. Aunt Flor, on the outside of the leaders, was moving up with a rush while Continued on twenty-third page. NEAR 00,000 MARK Continued from first page. Kawagoe was slightly crowded on the rail and dropped back badly. Red Wagon hung right to Trumpery until he made the Whitney colt cry enough, but by that time Dartle had moved into second place and he was close on the heels of the son of Canter. Trumpery was doing his best back of the pair and then came Elylee on the outside. In the final furlong Red Wagon fought along gamely but he could not withstand the rush of the Infinite colt and Elylee swept past the line the winner by a length and a half. Dartle hung slightly under punishment and was at the heels of Mrs. Amorys colt and only a head before First Minstrel, which came with a determined rush after "being outrun to the stretch. It was the first defeat for Red Wagon in three starts and by long odds the best performance shown by Elylee and those that finished back of them, First Minstrel, though no better than fourth, appeared the best of the remainder of the company and he is doubtless a colt that will improve with education. This prize carried a net value of ,950 to the winner. An unfortunate accident occurred in the opening race of the meeting, at a mile, under claiming conditions, when Blondish was bumped, stumbled badly, and Battista was thrown heavily. This happened at the half-mile ground. This race brought victory to F. A. Car-Teaud when Sea Fox was winner over William Ziegler, Jr.s Fuchero and C. V. Whitneys Caterwaul, while Momo, after stumbling badly at the head of the stretch, finished fourth. From a good start Caterwaul was first to show out of the company, but he was soon headed by Pardee and dropped back slightly, racing along on the inner rail. Fortunately he had room to go along there unimpeded and he worked his way through and was soon again showing the way. Pardee was hanging to him, and the pair drew out until they were four lengths before the others. Blondish, when she unseated Battista,was Tight in the contention and Sea Fox was heading the others, with Chartres in the front division, while Fuchero was back of these and racing along in close quarters. Robertson saved ground on the stretch turn with Caterwaul, and the Whitney colt was still showing the way as he headed for home, but he was beginning to tire. Pardee had dropped back beaten, but Sea Fox was closing rapidly and a furlong out Robertson went to the whip. The black did not respond and Puchero was closing on him at every stride. Then, right at the end, Caterwaul collapsed badly, and both Sea Fox and Puchero were on by to fight it out with the Carreaud gelding earning the verdict by a head. Caterwaul was two lengths away, and just a length before Momo, which, as has been told, stumbled badly as she rounded into the stretch. Battista was removed to the Saratoga hospital, and a track examination revealed a possible fracture of two ribs. The first steeplechase of the season brought together a good band to race over the short course. It saw Beret, from the Greentree Stable, an easy winner over Mrs. Morton L. Schwartz Lord Johnson, ridden by "Pete" Bostwick. It saw the first ride of the talented amateur this season, he having been nursing some injuries received at polo. Gwladys Whitneys Beacon Hill, starting for the first time this year, finished third, before John Sanfords Benedictine. There was one casualty in the running,, when Thorndike was unseated from Prince Hotspur four fences frpm the finish. Cawvoge and Lord Johnson were the ones to cut out a fast early pace. Mr. Bostwick kept Lord Johnson right with Cawvoge until finally he put him away to go into command. Beret had been rating along back of the leaders and as Cawvoge weakened she moved up steadily until he was alongside Lord Johnson, catching the pacemaker in the front field the second turn of the course. In the back field Beret readily increased her lead and was never afterward threatened, to be home the winner by ten lengths. Beacon Hill, under his burden of 155 pounds, was racing steadily back of the pace and in the last half mile he was making up grounc" gallantly, but Lord Johnson, despite the use Mr. Bostwick had made of his speed, was hanging on gamely and he was safely in the place, two lengths before the top weight. Benedictine had run a good race to finish fourth, and Spinach, making his first appearance in the steeplechase field, though beaten, jumped well and raced impressively. Thorndike appeared to be rather badly injured by his fall from Prince Hotspur and it was some time before he could be removed from the field, the ambulance being on the way to the hospital with Battista. He was finally brought to the track hospital.
