view raw text
NATIONAL LEADERSHIP James Duel With Chojnacki for Riding Crown Attracts Much Interest. Basil Fails in Five Attempts Thursday Transf un First to Win Three Races at Sportsmans Park. CICERO, 111.. Oct. 22. Basil James, who is engaged with Frank Chojnacki in a spirited duel for leadership in the national jockey standings, failed to forge his way to the front when he found himself unable to pilot any of his five mounts to victory at Sportsmans Park this afternoon. He started the day on even terms with Chojnacki, who is riding at Tanforan, each of them having ridden 199 winners since the first of the year. What Chojnacki did at Tanforan today was not known at this writing. James last hope of scoring his 200th victory today went aglimmering in the Brook-field Purse, fifth and feature event on todays card, when his mount. Masterpiece, could do no better than finish third behind Transfun and Bushmaster. It was the last riding engagement of the afternoon for the Sunnyside. Wash., youth. In the Brookfield, a sprint of seven furlongs, Transfun, which is owned by William OTooles Blue Ridge Farm Stable, became the first horse to win three races during the. current meeting. Ably ridden by T. P. Martin, the daughter of Transmute made every post a winning one to score by two lengths, while Bushmaster was second, three lengths in front of Masterpiece, which had some difficulty saving third money. Pressing him for this portion of the purse was his stable-mate, Erla, while Wee Emma and Scout Azure completed the field. MARTINS GOOD RIDE. Martin did a nice job of rating Transfun, the betting choice, along in front. Masterpiece raced in closest pursuit of the pace for about three-eighths and when he tired Bushmaster made a run at the Blue Ridge three-year-old. Bushmaster got within a half length of Transfun and then Martin shook his mount un slightly and she responded by drawing away under a hand ride. The others in the race never threatened. The weatherman provided another cold day for the sport, but the size of the crowd did not fall off a great deal. In fact it was surprisingly large, weather conditions considered. The sport, for the most part, was interesting, a number of close finishes marking the decision of the program. The well-backed Moll from the Red Cross Stable was a driving winner of the five furlongs first race, which engaged ten cheap platers. Handled by C. Crowhurst, who was riding the second winner of his career, the Lee O. Cotner filly broke from outside the starting gate, was rushed into contention in the first quarter and then, in spite of swerving out in the stretch, got up to win by a neck. Jere, which had shown the way from the beginning, was second, with Sun Dora, which shared favoritism with the winner, third. The others were led home by Oh Dolly. GOLD STEP FAILS. Gold Step was made a heavy favorite for the second event, also decided over five furlongs, but the best this old veteran could do was to finish second, two lengths behind Juaneva Baker, owned by the Mahonic Stable. The daughter of Harry Baker, ridden by T. Wilson, took the lead shortly after the start and never was headed thereafter. Gold Step raced in second position throughout, while Escostar finished third, half a length away. The third race brought together eight maiden two-year-olds over six and one-half furlongs, and the one to graduate was Boots Greenock, from the Berman Stable. Ridden by Frank Burley, the Greenock gelding took Continued on thirty-fourth page. NATIONALLEADERSHIP Continued from first page. the lead shortly after the start and continued in front throughout, passing the judges with a length and one-quarter to spare: Second money fell to Nim, while Stormy Ocean was third. Magic Lad was next to complete the sprint. The disappointment here was the well-backed Nedporte, which sulked and never proved a serious factor. Wilson completed a riding double when he piloted L. McDonoughs Morctide to victory in the fourth event, a sprint of seven furlongs which brought together a field of eight. Moving up on the outside to take the lead at the stretch turn, Morctide stood a long drive gamely to score by half a length. Jerry H. wore down Neds Affinity, the tiring early pacemaker, in the final strides to be second by a nose, while Blue Bud closed a lot of ground-to be fourth in a good effort. Onwentsia, for which there was strong backing, forced the pace for a half mile and then tired badly, finally pulling up lame. The sixth race, a sprint of five furlongs for horses of all ages, saw Hardy and Ge?s Plea race to an easy victory under jockey Stuart Vail. Jinnee was second and the heavily supported Kabo a distant third in the field of six. Plea set his own pace and was never seriously threatened after the first quarter, winning by two lengths. The only two-year-old in the race was Char-witch and she finished fourth, leading home Playmaster and Ep. The Blue Ridge Farm Stable and "Jockey Martin completed a "double" when Sir Ajar, the favorite, won the seventh race at .a. mile and a furlong. It was one of the most thrilling races on the card, Sir Ajax winning by a half length and Countess Bye and Lucid second and third respectively, with only a nose separating -them.
