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INITIAL WINNER FOR HATCH Crofter Earns First Purse of Arlington Downs Meeting. Bold Lover Suffers Interference in Early Stages Winner Close to Track Record Time. ARLINGTON, Texas, April 1. Harry C. Hatch, Canadian sportsman, furnished his first winner of the Texas Jockey Club spring season when Crofter, Canadian-bred six-year-old son of Cudgel, was a driving winner of the Blackstone Handicap, which topped the Arlington Downs program this afternoon. He reached the end of the mile and seventy yards, which he ran in the sparkling time of 1:42, within a fifth of a second of the track record, a half length before Horace Rumages Bold Lover. B. Hernandez Wood-lander was third, a length in the wake of Bold Lover and a length before Martin Barton, which got up to head the tiring and heavily backed Chanceview by a nose for fourth laurels. South Gallant, which completed the field, was a distant trailer at the end. While Brammer, who was astride his second winner, rode a brilliant race, Bold Lover was not so fortunate. He was hemmed in on the rail the greater part of the race and did not find room until reaching the final furlong. Once clear he cut down Crofters margin rapidly and was gaining on him at the end. Chanceview took command when the start came, and Pierson permitted him to establish a big lead during the run to the back stretch. South Gallant was in closest pursuit, and Bold Lover was holding the others safe. After five-eighths, Crofter began to move forward and Brammer sent him past the others in fine stride to wrest the lead from Chanceview near the final three-sixteenths. Drawing away rapidly, Crofter appeared an easy winner until Charley Allen brought Bold Lover to the outside and with long sweeping strides Bold Lover became such a menace that Brammer was forced to put the winner under hard pressure. Prior to Crofters winning charge, Wood-lander, which was on the outside of Bold Lover, moved up on Chanceview, but he was shuffled back when Crofter drove past him and did not regain his stride until the final stages. After relinquishing the lead, Chanceview gave way rapidly and succumbed to Martin Barton. With ideal weather prevailing, another good crowd was present for the mid-week program, and although performers from the claiming ranks were under colors in seven of the eight events, they provided thrilling and formful sport. The track was at its best. Several of the races attracted the best from the plater division, and one of these fields met in the fifth, over the Waggoner course distance. It resulted in a mild surprise when J. Baumbachs Zevson was the winner. He reached the finish two lengths before the neglected and consistent May-stick, which beat Glynson by a neck for second. The latter tossed apprentice Ray Hightshoe when the lad was pulling up too quickly after the finish. The boy escaped with a slight injury to his left foot and cancelled his remaining engagements. From the start the sprint was a thriller, with Wise Ann, Maystick and Khamseen dominating the pace. However, Khamseen gave way rapidly after establishing a big advantage, and . it was no task for Bert Thornton to drive the winner past him. With Zevson safely in the van, Maystick, which was forced back entering the stretch, Glynson, which weaved his way through the field, Khamseen and the others charged down in such order that hardly two lengths separated them at the end. Although he kept his vast following on edge during the opening five-sixteenths, Lucky Color, useful Color Sergeant gelding that races for the Blue Bonnet Stable, got up to beat Rough Creek by a nose at the end of -the four and a half furlongs dash that opened the program. Phalazetta was a head back of Rough Creek and two lengths before Uvalde, which outfinished the tiring Orthodox. Seven juveniles accepted under better grade claiming conditions and while Orthodox sprinted into the lead during the opening five-sixteenths and the winner was forced to lose ground throughout, Phalazetta was shuffled back entering the stretch and but for this probably would have reversed the finish. J. H. Logans Transport, which was making his first start since last fall, made good for the large following that backed him into favoritism when he was an easy winner over La Junta White, Transen and nine other mediocre platers that met at six furlongs for the second race. Ridden by Danny Brammer and quick to reach his stride, Transport moved into second place after five-sixteenths and, wearing La Junta White down in the last furlong, came to the finish a length and a half before her. Improving her position after being shuffled back at the far turn, Transen overtook the leaders in fast order to be half a length back of La Junta White and a head before Albane at the close. Another nose finish and the second largest pay-off of the meeting came with the third race over the Waggoner course distance when Star Bucklands Renaissance beat Miss Webb by that margin. Ima Count, which led the pack of nine, to the final stages, was third, a length back of Miss Webb and three lengths before Jean Lee, which held third place the greater part of the trip. Always in closest pursuit of the pacemaking Ima Count, Renaissance drove to the outside of the leader near the final quarter but after wearing him down he was hard put to withstand Miss Webb, which swept down on the outside during the run through the stretch. The winner paid 4.80 for each straight. The useful and consistent Bartering Kate, which races for C. A. Peck, Chicago sportsman, provided the third popular score of the afternoon and won her fifth race of the year by accounting for the. fourth race, for which ten of the better grade sprinting platers w,ere under .colqrs. Second went to jjudge Leer, with Trinchera third. J
