view raw text
SINGING WOOD UNPLACED Whitney Horse Fails Backers in ,000 Harford Handicap. Jay Jay Makes First Start of Year and Wins Havre de Graces Inaugural Stake. HAVRE DE GRACE, Md.f April 13. The greatest upset of the spring season in Maryland occurred at the local course this afternoon in the inaugural of the fourteen-day meeting when John Hay Whitneys highly regarded Singing Wood was unable to gain an official placing behind the triumphant Jay Jay. The recent winner of the Bowie Inaugural went to the post a prohibitive favorite and was leading only two horses as Howard Bruces three-year-old swept past the judges four lengths in advance of his nearest rival. This was the early pacemaker, Bright Haven. A length back of the runner-up, Nautch managed to outgame Brown Twig for third money, with the other five contestants thoroughly beaten. The score of the Wise Counsellor Dry Girl gelding came in his first start of the season. It was his initial stake and netted the Baltimore banker ,150 in prize money. Jay Jays performance was one of the many ito surprise a large Easter Monday crowd which had considered Singing Wood invincible. Running coupled with Silent Shot, he showed 9.70 in the mutuels. The race was run in a light shower, but a stiff wind whipped the rain into the stands much to the discomfort of the patrons. The track, though drying rapidly, still was slow and under such conditions the .geldings final time of 1:14 was good. With 103 pounds up, he was packing thirteen less than scale weight. IRA HANFORD RIDES WELL. Ira Hanford, top apprentice at Hialeah . Park and Tropical Park, had Jay Jay away fast and in second place for the first half of the race as Bright Haven set the pace. He sent the chestnut sprinter up to his older rival turning for home to quickly dispose of the Bright Knight horse and open up a commanding lead. The Baltimore-owned sprinter had his rivals defeated a furlong from the finish and only had to romp from that point. Bright Haven, displaying much improvement over his previous effort at Bowie, left the post swiftly but could not shake off Jay Jay in the first half. He fell easy prey to the challenge of the Howard Bruce three-year-old but continued steadily, to gain the place award. Nautch, making his first appearance of the year, galloped along in third place for practically the entire distance. Under hard pressure he managed to withstand the stretch bid of Brown Twig. The latter left slowly, but finished well. Sablin was last of the field in the back stretch run and managed to pass tiring horses in the last quarter. Dreel showed a flash, while Bachelor Dinner lacked his usual dash. Singing Wood broke a trifle slowly and was under hard pressure and intermittent punishment from the half-mile ground. He appeared to sulk, refusing to extend himself at any stage of the journey. The effort was one of the most dismal of his career, and came right on top of a sensational six furlongs trial. The Hialeah campaigner. Nightcap, favored by the soft footing, raced to a handy victory in the six furlongs Page Brook Purse, coming from behind the pace to be a length and a half in advance of Galmica at the end. The latter was along just in time to take the place award from the tiring Green Mist. The effort of the A. W. Abbot color-bearer was not much from a time standpoint when he finished out in 1:16. He proved the second of the days major surprises, showing 3.20 in the mutuels. DECISIVE TRIUMPH. During the early stages the successful son of Nocturnal and Ruth S. was well off the pace and he did not shape up as a contender until straightened away for home. Then Dabson drove him smartly to come through between the leaders and away to a decisive triumph. Galmica had only one horse beaten during the back stretch run, but he leveled away in earnest in the last Continued on eighteenth page. SINGING WOOD UNPLACED Continued from first page. three-sixteenths to overhaul all but the winner. Green Mist left the post winging to open up three lengths on her rivals in the first furlong. She continued undisturbed on the head end until the stretch was reached, but through that lane Sammy Renick had her under the whip. Possibly she needed the race, which was her first of the year. My Colin had early speed, but tired. Sun Rap quit utterly in the last quarter. She was the third successive favorite to fail. Manatella. first time starter from the establishment of William Dupont, Jr., carried the banner of Foxcatcher Farms to the easiest sort of a triumph in the initial four and a half furlongs. Taking the lead directly after the start, the homebred daughter of The Satrap and Boadicea, opened up on her company and only aired along for the entire way. At the end she was five lengths in advance of Gay Balko, with Double Scotch four more away. The blonde miss completed the distance in :55 over a slow track. Few had any line on her worth and consequently she showed 1.40 in the mutuels. Gay Balko, another of the homebreds and reputed to be one of the fleetest in the barn of Alfred Vanderbilt, was a heavily supported choice. She broke as quickly as the winner, but could not outrun her, though she easily held the others safe. Double Scotch, in tight quarters on the inside during the first sixteenth, raced along in third place for the entire trip, just lasting long enough to nose Ejector out of third money. The latter had no apparent excuse. Apprehend, seasoned in Bowie competition and shifting from Shelhamer to Jones, drove to victory in the six furlongs claimer, which was second on the program. At the end the Apprehension Bantry Pass gelding was three parts of a length in front of the steadily closing Naval Cadet, with the leg weary Character two and a half lengths back. Guy Bedwells charge displayed good courage in his score, for he was under intermittent punishment from the half mile pole until a furlong out to overhaul the pacemaker. Then he hung on well under a drive of hand and heel once he had disposed of Character. Naval Cadet left the post slowly, but finished with a good burst of speed from the quarter pole to the stand. Character had the speed to open up a five length lead before half the journey had been completed. He looked all over the winner at the head of the stretch, but quit badly under pressure, being the second straight choice to fail. Xandra was going fairly well at the end. Play Book showed speed for three furlongs and then retired.
