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CROFTER WINS BY A NOSE Scores Thrilling Victory in William Hendrie Memorial Handicap. Crowd of 15,000 Present for Closing Day Program at Woodbine Course Shady Well Big Disappointment. 1 TORONTO, Ont., May 25. Crofter, racing under the cerise and gray banner of Hon. Donat Raymond of Montreal, drove" to a thrilling nose victory in the twenty-sixth William Hendrie Memorial Handicap at one mile and a sixteenth, closing day feature of the Ontario Jockey Club meeting at Woodbine Park this afternoon. The five-year-old son of Cudgel repeated his success of last year in this stakes and he turned back Edward F. Seagrams Shady Well, the winner of the event in 1932 and 1933. W. H. Wrights Spey Crest was third and W. J. Watermans Pitchblende fourth in the field of six Canadian-breds. UnsuccGssful in his two previous starts at the meeting, Crofter returned sharply to his best form and under a handy ride from j the veteran Tommy Aimers just .managed to stave off Shady Wells gallant charge through the final quarter mile. The winner was receiving six pounds from Shady Well on the weights. The Raymond racing coffers were bolstered by ,445. Crofter was placed in close attendance to the early pace set by Spey Crest At the turn out of the back stretch the son of Cudgel moved strongly to the front and willingly accepted Shady Wells challenge. It was an exciting two horse duel through the final straightaway but Aimers strong finish turned the tide or fortune in Crofters favor. Shady Well broke last and trailed his field around the first turn. Lindberg elected to take the outside and lost considerable valuable ground circling the field. The Sea-gramite hooked up with Crofter in the final drive and was wearing down the latter at the end. Ideal weather and track conditions favored the closing day at the beautiful East End course. Fifteen thousand turned out Tith the expectations of seeing the Seagram colors complete a clean sweep of the meetings stakes but Shady Well failed them after being installed an odds-on favorite. R. S. McLaughlin, the Oshawa sportsman whose colors dominated the Woodbine meetings last year, finally broke the ice at the current season when his two-year-old Osirian defeated six other Canadian-bred maiden juveniles in the four furlongs first race. The uncertain bred son of Osiris or The Romp II. was making his second start and justified the odds-on favoritism bestowed upon him when he pressed the early pace to take command at his leisure inside the furlong post to win handily by a length.
