view raw text
FINANCE A BIG SURPRISE Chicago-Owned Racer Accounts for Grade "A" Handicap at Laurel. Defeats Brown Top by Neck With Zay Leading Mantagna Home In Closely Fought Finish. LAUREL, Md., Oct. 22. Displaying considerable improvement over his recent Maryland outing and carrying top weight of 118 pounds in handy fashion. Finance, from the Chicago-owned Mrs. Emil Denemark stable, furnished one of the many surprises that have taken place at Laurel when he accounted for the Class "A" Handicap, a gallop at one mile and one-sixteenth that featured the sport served by the Maryland State Fair, Inc., on its eight-race program today. Beaten off in thq Havre de Grace Handicap, which was his last start, Finance, under a masterful ride by jockey Charles Kurtsinger, displayed at his best speed to dominate all the running and in a camera finish reached the close of eight and one-half furlongs a neck in advance of C. T. Graysons Brown Top, which was making his first start here, while lapped on the pair and beaten a nose for the runner-up prize, came Zay, a two-ply winner, to lead home Mantagna, the only other entrant in the field of four. This handicap, named the Ellicott, under allowance conditions and for two-year-olds, and Class "B" and "C" handicaps that were also graded, were the offerings that lured a crowd above the average on week days to the Maryland State Fair Grounds. PERFECT START. In the featured Class "A," which was the fifth event, the start took place after a one-minute delay and all left on the same stride, with Finance first away and definitely able to take command when Zay and Brown Top were taken under reserve and Mantagna was slow, as usual, to gain stride. Finance opened up a one-length lead on Zay as the back stretch was reached and, with Brown Top leading Mantagna by a safe margin, this order was maintained down the far side of the track and into the home stretch. Finance was on the inside as he went along, guided by Kurtsinger, but his margin, obtained in the early part of the trip, was cut down somewhat when Zay and Brown Top moved at the same time leaving the far side of the course. Straightened for the drive through the stretch. Finance was given his head and, with Kurtsinger riding a particularly vigorous finish, the Denemark colt waged a stirring argument with his opponents and at the close was just a neck to the fore of the Grayson three-year-old, which raced through on the inside of Zay in the closing furlong. Mantagna was beaten little more than a length as he closed fast in the final quarter to be right with his company. MAKES AMENDS. Displaying improvement over his recent race here when he failed as a public choice. Biologist, from the E. R. Bradley stable, made amends for that performance when he took the measure of six other shifty two-year-olds to account for the Ellicott, a dash of six furlongs for juveniles, which was fourth on the program. Given much backing despite his defeat in his last outing. Biologist Continued on thirty-fourth page. FINANCE A BIG SURPRISE Continued from first page. registered in easy fashion when he reached the end of the journey two lengths before Mrs. E. Denemarks Prairie Dog, while Golden Era, one of a pair that raced as part of an entry for Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Jeffords, landed third. In the Grade B Handicap also at one mile and one-sixteenth that was offered a3 the sixth race, Nightcap drove to victory one-half length before Silent Shot while third in the field of seven went to Two Bob. Bulwark, coupled with Two Bob as the Mrs. E. Dene-mark entry, was a close fourth. The winner was ridden by jockey E. De Camillas and completed a riding triple for that saddle artist who had been astride Deep Wick and Army and Navy, winners of the first and third races respectively.
