view raw text
FITTER PAT VICTOR Son of Pennant Defeats Try Sym ¬ pathy at Saratoga Black Buddy Adds American Legion Handicap to List of Victories Inaugural at Spa SARATOGA SPRINGS N Y July 30 For the third time in its last six runnings the historic old Flash Stakes went to the silks of William Woodward chairman of The Jockey Club when Fitter Pat was win ¬ ner of the opening feature of the Saratoga Association meeting Gallant Fox had scored in 1929 and Happy Gal was the 1932 winner This homebred son of Pennant and Ruth Law was only making his second appear ¬ ance under silks and the race was one to suggest his going on to greater things be ¬ fore the end of the racing year yearThis This was the big event of the opening day of a season that promises to bring back much of the oldtime brilliance to the mid ¬ summer racing in JNew Yor c and the open ing program attracted both a large and a representative gathering gatheringA A secondary feature of the day was the American Legion Handicap a dash of seven furlongs which went to the Greentree Sta ¬ bles Black Buddy After this running Bob Minich of Tupper TupperLake Lake commanderinchief of the American AmericanLegion Legion and Adj Maurice Stenbler made the thepresentation presentation of a handsome trophy that is a avalued valued part of the prize CROWD ARRIVES EARLY EARLYThe The Saratoga crowd is always one to ar ¬ rive early and while the horses were not called to the post until 3 oclock for the opening race the crowd had gathered in the park like course as early as noon Many Manyof of these put in the time in the big paddock while others found points of vantage in the big grandstand to patiently await the ar rival of the horses Then the field enclosure filled up this being the one New York course left that still has a field stand It is at the top of the stretch and is tremend ¬ ously popular with the enthusiasts who balk at the grandstand admission price priceIn In this enclosure provision was made for the speculators and layers as in the days of old posted prices for those patrons And as always the clubhouse was the last en ¬ closure to fill up Several of these were on hand early for various luncheons that had been arranged and some of the others made a visit to the stables first but before the horses appeared on the course the boxes were filled and the clubhouse balcony was a wealth of color and beauty in the summer costumes of the fair patrons patronsSCENE SCENE OF BEAUTY BEAUTYThe The recent rain had done much to brighten up the flowers and hedges that adorn the course and the infield that had been parched some days ago was brightened up by the wetting The steeplechase course never looked better the fountain in the lake seeming to throw its crysal stream even higher The band was in tune and all pres ¬ aged a new era for the racing in this beau ¬ tiful course and with its encircling band of oaks elms and maples that gave every shade of rich emerald to the scene sceneWhen When James Fitzsimmons sent out Wil ¬ liam Woodwards Fitter Pat to win the Flash in a driving finish with Mrs Willis Sharpe Kilmers Try Sympathy it chalked up a double for that popular trainer for he had saddled Slapdash to win the opening dash dashIt It was only the second start for Mr Wood ¬ wards son of Pennant and Ruth Law In his previous effort at Jamaica in the early spring he was a close second to Plat Eye He was brought up to this race gradually and while he was in receipt of fifteen pounds from Try Sympathy the race was an excellent one and he will surely go on to better things Back of the battling pair for the big prize of the day came Mrs Aus ¬ tins pair Supreme Court and Polar Flight but they were lengths away awayTry Try Sympathy was fortunate at the break of the five and a half furlongs when he left hisstall in full flight while Polar Flight was unfortunate when he was last of the ten to be under way wayAa Aa Try Sympathy dashed into the lead Continued on eighteenth page THIRD TRIUMPH IN FLASH STAKES FOR WOODWARD Continued from first page Mattioli at once took hold of his head and he was under restraint as he cut out the running Supreme Court was in second place and closely after him racing along on the outside came Fitter Pat This fellow was going exceedingly well and as the stretch was neared he passed up Supreme Court to move into second place placeRounding Rounding into the stretch Mattioli still had Try Sympathy under a steadying re ¬ straint but a furlong from the finish Fitter Fat steadily drew up on him and he was roused sharply with the whip Standing a drive with rare gameness Try Sympathy fought along to the last nod but it was the nose of Fitter Fat that was in front at the line This duel had taken the pair out five lengths before Supreme Court and Folar Flight his stablemate closed a big gap to be fourth fourthCheshire Cheshire from the Greentree Stable was fifth only another head away while the Van derbilt pair Bright Banner and Bachelor Dinner were never serious contenders contendersTry Try Sympathy though beaten to halt a winning streak that had seen him four times winner lost little prestige for he was giving away great lumps of weight and it was only in the final nod he surrendered surrenderedThe The American Legion Handicap which gave Black Buddy his first winning race of the year also gave Coucci his first winning mount of the day and the Bronx Italian was wildly cheered as he kept his mount going to score over A C Schwartz Gay Monarch which took second place from Mrs John Hay Whitneys Singing Wood Only five started in this and Coucci at once went out to force the pace with Black Buddy When safely in command he took a slight hold of the son of Bud Lerner but maintained a pace that held command In the first furlong Bright Haven was rushed through on the inside until he reached sec ¬ ond place but he did not last long and then it was Barn Swallow that moved after the Greentree colt Singing Wood was going well on the outside of these while Gay Monarch was permitted to drop out of the early running by Humphries HumphriesHeading Heading for the stretch turn Singing Wood for a few strides was showing hi head in front but Coucci would not give up and he held his place with Black Buddy saving ground on the turn Then a furlong from home Barn Swallow tired to drop from contention and Singing Wood began to falter falterThat That gave Coucci new confidence but In the meantime Gay Monarch was charging along on the outside and it seemed certain he would run the leader down Just as thjjtwi seemed certain Humphries went to the ni p side with the son of Royal Minstrel when the outside course looked like sure victory This move saw Black Buddy past the line winner by a length and a half Gay Monr arch had beaten Singing Wood by half a length for second place and at the heels of Mrs John Hay Whitneyffolt came Barn Swallow s The Columbia a sevenmrlong dash con ¬ fined to the fillies and mires was an ail pieious beginning of th el season for ithe Wheatley Stables Slapdash when she gal loped home winner over Cipequel ftromjUie Maemere Farms Stable toy a full five lengths while the good gray filly saved sec ond place from W R Coes Black Queeby only a head C V Whitneys Jabot waya bad fourth and Joseph EWidenerVStekte Pear last of the five that perf orniedi
