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PENN WINS DISTANCE RACE Defeats Mutual Friend and Mai San on Thistle Down Track. Grand Champion Makes Strong Finish and Draws Away From Single A. Zode Captures Second Event, t CLEVELAND, Ohio, Aug. 4. The Fred J. Gehring Distributing Purse, the distance event, one mile and an eighth, on todays Thistle Down program, brought the four-year-old By Hiss elf Queen Navarre colt, Penn, back to the winner ranks. He had cut a small figure in racing on the Ohio tracks in the last two months, but today found the racing strip to his liking and proved better than Mutual Friend and Mai San in a stretch drive which afforded keen excitement to a good sized crowd. The track was still slow this afternoon, but improving. Luck played a part in the Manchester Claiming Purse, which served as the sixth, when Zenka found room on the inside and got up to beat Noelwood, while Habanero, slight favorite over Flag Wave, appeared to haVe stepped in a hole while racing prominently near the three-eighths post and was pulled up by G. South. Third went to Billy Champ. Noelwood had the most speed and was able to best Billy Champ in the first three-quarters, but he began to tire in the final furlong. At this stage G. Miller came through with Zenka and she had a two-length advantage at the finish. R. L. Jurden provided the winner of the initial dash in Mike Jr., an outsider which led throughout and won in a drive. Disa was a factor, racing into second position entering tht: stretch when Dandy Porte gave up. At the end the Display filly barely lasted to save second place by the shortest of margins. Golpris came from far back in the stretch, finishing fastest of all on the outside in third place. While en route to the post for this race I. J. Collins Sun Mate reared and fell with jockey H. Gower. The lad fortunately escaped injury and walked the remaining eighth of a mile to the starting post. Sun Mate bolted through the outer rail riderless and fell over the inner iron fence, alighting on her back. When captured she was led back to the gate. -Having failed to carry her weight to the post, the officials would have had no alternative but to disqualify Sun Mate, according to racing rules, had she won. Mrs. V. Hoaglands Zode went in his best form in the three-quarters second race, saved ground in the stretch and while some of the contenders went wide the High Cloud gelding went on to win. He was challenged near the end by Hula, which gave a greatly improved performance. Monnie was one of those to lose ground at the turn, but closed well. Wingo and Linmast went wide. The third, was won by Flying Ambassador, which survived a stretch drive with Surly. The latter set a fast pace and "held on well. Bag o Gold came up on the outside to beat out Oh Yeah for third place, the Polymelian mare having been shuffled back in the early part of it. Single A. showed the way to the stretch in the fourth race, with Westys Rose and Forget Not following in close pursuit and Grand Champion close up. When straightened out for the run home, Grand Champion closed up courageously, overhauled Single A. a furlong out, and drew away into a rather easy lead thereafter. Single A. was a handy second, saving ground in the stretch, Carnival secured the minor award from Noon Play. Mrs. J. Mandonias veteran stayer, Galahad, racing amongst the lowly grade, defeated seven others that started in the fifth event. Ridden by N. Burger, the Mandonia gelding came with his usual belated spurt to overtake the front runners and supplanting Fair Dawn a furlong from home, was able to hold sway thereafter to win by two and one-half lengths. Fair Dawn had enough left to save second place. G. R. Allens Piecemeal earned third.
