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HOUSTONS ATTRACTIVE CARD More Than 8,000 in Attendance Saturday at Beautiful Epsom Downs, t c 1 Cheka Overhauls Mah Grant in Last Seventy Ycrds to Take Winners Share j of Third Race. i t HOUSTON, Texas, Oct. 10. With an at- tractive eight race program offered and with i ideal weather and track conditions prevail- ing, more than 8,000 spectators were in attendance at Epsom Downs Saturday after- noon to view the thoroughbreds in compe- j tition. i Heading the days presentation was the Juvenile Handicap, a six furlongs dash for i two-year-olds, which brought out eight of the most prominent members of this division for the fifth and feature race which was almost a complete Texas-owned contest, as only one interest was not a Lone Star State representative. 1 My Tommie and Nellie Mc were the only : withdrawals from the original list of ten named in the overnight entries for the three- i quarters sprint, in which chief interest was i manifested by the fans. Platers engaged in the early races on the i card, all of the events being dashes, and while the favorites had difficulty in getting down in front, near choices fared well. Coming from behind, the Lacopita Stables i Cheka overhauled Mah Grant in the last sev- enty yards to annex the winners share of ; the third race, a five furlongs dash, that : had seven starters. Animate landed third , money over the ill-lucked Bonnie Pan. Mah Grant possessed most early speed and jumped into the lead soon after the break and though unable to draw clear of her opponents at any stage of the sprint, the : four-year-old filly, which ruled the choice of : the affair, fought it out gamely to the finish ; but was unable to withstand the rush of i Cheka in the closing stages of the race. MAKES UP GROUND. Cheka was never far off the leaders and i when he charged down the stretch under a ! hustling ride from jockey Leland Lake, he j made up ground rapidly. I Displaying ,an excellent brand of courage and stamina, the Blue Ribbon Stock Farms Caleb proved much the best of the seven starters in the six furlongs dash that opened the program. The four-year-old bay gelding was away to a bad start but overhauled the leaders in the stretch to defeat Hip Boots by a head while Bonsall was a length farther back in third position. It was unquestionably one of the best performances for Caleb, as he; appeared to be hopelessly beaten when the break came, as Flying Justice moved into the lead, closely attended by Hip Boots and Bonsall. Flying Justice continued to show the way until approaching the stretch turn, where Hip Boots went to the front, but was soon joined by Bonsall and Caleb in a duel that lasted all through the stretch. A capacity field of cheap sprinters met over the five and a half furlongs route in the" second race and D. Farris bay filly, Parqua Pass, made every post a winning one to graduate from the ranks of non-winners. Explorer finished second and Epi Witch took down the show part of the purse. Expertly handled by apprentice Warren Cornay, Parqua Pass broke well from eleventh post position and after going a quarter of a mile overtook Explorer, which had been the fleetest away from the barrier. After assuming the forward position, Parqua Pass never relinquished it and had sufficient left to stall off the bid of all challengers during the stretch run. The powerful ride exhibited by apprentice : j J. R. Hill astride Bunty Ann gained a head decision for Mrs. E. B. Shipps chestnut filly j in the "Rube" Williams Polo Claiming Purse, j fourth on the bill, which was named in honor of the international polo star. Zorana was second, a head behind the winner, and Hard Boiled was a length and one-half farther back, in third position, at the conclusion of . the five furlongs trip. Horsemen have been notified by Sid West-heimer that he has accommodations for horses and a half-mile training track jon his farm near Houston.
