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MOWER MEETS FIRST DEFEAT ■ Tugboat Frank Outfinishes Stewart Colt in Spectacular Duel. Roberts Racer Pays 8.80 at Narragansett Park — Red Roamer Furnishes First Upset of Day. PAWTUCKET, R. I., May 5.— In a spectacular finish, Mower, from the Mrs. W. Plunkett Stewart string, was forced to bow in defeat for the first time in the Barring-ton Purse. This allowance race, exclusively for three-year-olds, served as the principal attraction on todays card at Narragansett Park. Tugboat Frank, from the J. L. Roberts barn, lowered the colors of the Sickle colt for the first time. The Bostonian colt came from far back in the final three furlongs to gain top honors by the margin of a neck. Mower arrived heralded as one of the outstanding three-year-olds of the year, an opinion shared by many horsemen on the strength of his two easily attained triumphs at Jamaica. The finish found the Sickle colt doing his utmost to save second place from Gallant Gay, from the Weston Adams stable. Mower, supported with rare confidence, flattered by taking the lead in the first few strides and opening up a big margin on his closest rivals in the run to the first turn. As Mower sped down the back stretch G. Seabo was sitting straight up in an effort to restrain the Stewart standardbearer. Gallant Gay was holding second place, then followed Miss Bam, with the ultimate winner heading only Nightcap, which brought up the rear. Swinging around the far turn Gallant Gay moved up to challenge the leader. Seabo met this bid by permitting Mower to move away again as a great sigh of relief escaped from the supporters of the favorite. As Mower sped into the stretch with a couple of lengths advantage it did not appear that he would be caught. They were driving hard in back of the leader, which appeared to have something left. However, Tugboat Frank started his move and it was then that the crowd seemed to sense that Mower would be beaten. The Sickle colt did not give up without a struggle despite the failure to respond to the frantic efforts of Seabo near the line. It was just possible that the restraining tactics used was the determining factor in the defeat of Mrs. Stewarts colt. Tugboat Frank was one of the neglected ones in the wagering and returned 8.80 for Continued on twenty-sixth page. MOWER MEETS FIRST DEFEAT Continued from first page. each ticket. The one mile and seventy yards was negotiated in 1:44% over a track termed good. Another banner off-day crowd was on hand to view the days sport. The track dried out rapidly under the bright sunshine of the early afternoon, but as the day advanced a threat of rain came when clouds obscured the sun as time for the feature approached. Form followers received a setback in the opening four and a half furlongs scramble. Yetive, supported almost to the exclusion of the six others on the strength of her splendid performance on opening day, failing to be in the first three at the finish. The winner turned up in Our Major, mak-j ing his initial appearance under silks. The ! score was rather a lucky one, for had Hooper I not taken a wide course with Dusky Miss, the Lee O. Cotner filly would in all likeli-I hood turned the tables on the Busy Ameri-| can youngster. Whittle, another first-time j starter, was the one to gain the show plac-| ing, getting the nod over the odds-on choice. Yetive flattered her supporters by showing | the way until reaching the stretch, but was ! under extreme urging to show the way and faltered without much of a fight when collared. If Archie Zimmer was disappointed with the showing of Yetive in the initial event he was partially recompensed when he sent out Silver Palm to account for the second, another dash for two-year-olds. The close of the four and a half furlongs found the Chil-howee gelding with daylight showing over j Addis Ababa. A former stablemate of the latter, Fortuity raced into third place, a nose ! before Jeanne Fetzko. Addis Ababa, under the hustling tactics of j Willie Carroll, went out to make the running. Silver Palm was being steadied along : in pursuit. Caperton waited until the turn I for home was reached before sending the j Zimmer gelding to the front. Once in com-I mand, Silver Palm drew out readily, though ! under hard riding to the end. Hurtle, the j favorite, was unable to overcome his slow sendoff, racing far back throughout. Rod Roamer, after performing chiefly in distance events, was dropped into a sprint | offering with the result that he was some-i what overlooked by the public. The Wildair i six-year-old demonstrated that he is equally | at home at either sprinting or route running. He charged up on the outside in the stretch to overhaul the leading Zulu Lad I ! inside the last sixteenth, beating him to the j line by two lengths. Zulu Lad had fallen | heir to the lead when shaking off Evange-i list in the first three-sixteenths, the Zev i gelding opened up on his field, but through I the stretch was unable to maintain his ad-j vantage, though holding second place safe I by a length from Longford. The latter made j his move in the last three furlongs to close in determined fashion. The racing strip, drying out rapidly, had turned good by the time the third race had been run, though slow for the preceding two contests. The six furlongs was run in 1:13%. M. J. Brennan turned back the eleven platers that opposed him in the fourth, an-; other six furlongs dash and a split of the third.. Tommy May was astride the Republic four-year-old. After encountering some trouble in the opening three furlongs May found ample racing room with M. J. Brennan and went up on the outside of the : leaders. Miss Subway had taken the lead when Maderis started shortening strides. : Miss Subway lasted out in front until a few i strides after passing the furlong pole. At that juncture, M. J. Brennan drove to the front to increase his winning margin with j each stride to the close. Miss Subway was a driving second, lasting to hold a neck ! advantage over Virbet. The latter, a widely circulated tip, turned in a smart effort to break into the picture. Fitter Pat, the medium of a good play ; that drove his odds on the "tote" board from 15 to 1 down to 5 to 1 while the field was being aligned at the post, scored his first victory in a couple of years. The Pen-I nant, four-year-old from the Lone Star Sta-ble, finished with a brilliant burst of late speed that enabled him to run down Aunt Flor and win by better than his own length. Baby Sweep came with a belated rush to snatch third from Semaphore. Epitaph, the choice, turned in a disappointing performance when he led but one of the field, Second Guess, to the line. Pitter Pat did not appear to have much of a chance as the field swung from the : far side of the track. However, things started to happen as the stretch was neared. ; The Pennant gelding had moved up with a rush and literally appeared to be taking i two strides to the others one. Aunt Flor, after having withstood bids from Wee Wink and Good Omen, had taken care of these threats when the winner began his charge. Aunt Flor continued on in game fashion, but when Pitter Pat ranged alongside, was not equal to keeping pace and was forced to take the seond share of the spoils. Auburndale, turning in an improved effort over his last race, was winner of the seventh. ■ His winning margin was a nose over the recent winner, Pay Rack, while Lone Hand was third.
