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SWEEPSTAFF WINS IN DEBUT Begins Five-Year-Old Campaign at "Woodbine With Victory. Carries Top Weight and Scores Easy Tri- ;umph in Hamilton Plate Handicap Attendance Falls Off. TORONTO, Ont., May 26. Coming out of winter quarters in perfect condition enabled Sweepstaff, sturdy home-bred sprinter of the H. C. Hatch barn, a winner of six races last season, to begin his five-year-old career in handy fashion when he delivered one of his usual honest performances to achieve victory in the Hamilton Plate Handicap, a test of six furlongs for sprinters of Canadian parentage. The race served as the main event on the third program of the Ontario Jockey Club spring meeting at Woodbine Park today. Opposed by nine others, including his sta-blemate, Chickpen, the Hatch sprinter, a heavily backed choice, found his task none too severe under his top weight of 114 pounds and scored his triumph in rather easy fashion when he ran the distance in 1:12 to win by a length and one-half. In this, Hittie, from the D. and M. Stable, came home challenging the winner, while Worthy Duke, one of a pair forming the T. S. Coche-nour entry, was an easy third before Lady Marnock, and the others that finished in strung-out order. With the hectic first two days of the meeting among the records, the meeting of the Ontario Jockey Club returned to normal today and a general decrease in the attendance was noted. No special attraction was down for decision, the card being given over mostly to the cheapest platers on the grounds, with three races bringing out home-breds. Sweepstaffs victory was the second for odds-on favorites during the afternoon and he was smartly handled by Sterling Young, to dominate the race. Driving past Worthy Duke after the Cochenour gelding led the way to the turn out of the back stretch, Sweepstaff never left the result in doubt, to prevail at the leisure of his rider at the close of the contest. Hittie was always closest to the winner and for the second share of the purse withstood a stout drive to gain a nose decision over Worthy Duke, which had a big advantage over the remainder. Another local victory was registered when Shoeless Joe, from the C. Smythe barn, achieved a hard-earned victory in the running of the Oshawa Plate, a dash of six furlongs, listed fourth and supporting attraction of the afternoon. Picking up top weight of the ten better than average sprinters that met, the brown son of Black Servant earned his success by the shortest possible margin when he was awarded a nose verdict at the end of the trip over M. Keelings veteran Easter Hatter, with Mrs. A. R. Stuarts Miss Monoa an easy third over the disappointing Feudal Lord. The silks of the Parkwood -Stable were seen in their initial success of the season when Lissom Lad, a first-time, starter, led virtually throughout the six furlongs of the opening event, that attracted ten lowly homebred sprinters, for which he was lightly considered. " Running down Bonnie Sight, the early pacemaker, which led the way down the far side, the Parkwood Stable colorbearer reached the finish leading F. H. Schelkes Lumberer by three parts of a length, while eight lengths back of the fighting pair Barton Girl, a despised outsider, took third over the early pacemaker and the six others that included the disappointing Seagram pair of Khaki Fuller and Judge Pool. Another surprise occurred in" the second, that was also over six furlongs and framed for three-year-olds exclusively, . when The Corner, from the Mrs. F. Gilpin barri, arid H. R. Bains Big March, two rank outsiders, took first and second in the race that attracted ten starters, with Drearn Kiss ruling a prohibitive choice. In this Patsy Macaw took the short end of the spoils, with the favorite in fourth position and no apparent excuse to offer for her failure. Willow Wand and Patsy Macaw dominated the early stages, with Sandy Mack and Big March in advance of the others. Reaching the turn Patsy Macaw supplanted Willow Wand, but she was unable to continue in that position and succumbed when The Corner swept up with a bold rush in the late stages to land the winners share by almost a length. Seven timber toppers met for the two miles of the Thick Thorn Steeplechase, that was decided over the two-mile journey, and it saw Leadgold, from the locally-owned G. Ellison stable, making a show of the opposition to score by a wide margin under the handling of E. Kennedy. Finishing second in his first local appearance the nine-year-old son of Transmute covered the distance over thirteen fences to lead W. T. North-grave, Jr.s Celeritas to the end by eight lengths, with Greatorex, forming part of the H. R. Bain entry, driving into third place over his stablemate Grainger and one other in the field of seven that finished. Those missing at the end were Pekisko and Wilfrid G. The former fell at the eleventh jump, while Wilfrid G. lost the services of A. Kelly at the ninth fence. No injuries were reported. G. M. Hendries Stormblown, runner-up in the recent renewal of the Kings Plate, which dropped down into a field of the poorest home-breds on the grounds and at prohibitive odds, had a degree of difficulty in escaping from the maiden ranks when he defeated Lady Challenge, Paravant and eight others at the close of the six furlongs fifth race. Ridden by E. Barnes to mark the first success for that stable, the winner led Lady Challenge past the line by a little more than a length, with Paravant right. at the heels of the leaders to easily capture third.
