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DESERTER LEADS THROUGHOUT Wins Best Offering on Oaklawn Card by Six Lengths. Program Made Up of Seven Claiming Races and Maiden Dash for Two-Year-Olds Sand Cloud Surprises. HOT SPRINGS, Ark., March 31 Deserter, a fractious chestnut son of Man o War, was on his best behavior this afternoon at Oaklawn Park and, breaking with his rivals, led through the mile and one-sixteenth of the Welchers Toggery Claiming Purse, best of the offerings on the eight-race program, which consisted of seven claiming affairs and a maiden race for two-year-olds. Six went postward in the fifth and feature attraction of the day, which was staged over a good track despite a hard rain last night, and Deserter, breaking from his position for the first time at the meeting, was away in front, to defeat Mannerly by six lengths, while third place was earned by Hill Jimmy. Under the guidance of jockey Charlie Swain, Deserter set the pace under light restraint and warded off the bids of Mannerly and Jokester during the first five furlongs of the journey, then went about his business of opening up a big lead on his rivals and romped to victory as his rider pleased. POPULAR SCORE. The triumph was a popular one with the large gathering of fans who were in attendance for the days sport, which was made up of mostly distance races. An outsider in the betting stepped down in the first race on the program, a dash over the Oaklawn course, when Sand Cloud came from behind to gain the decision in easy fashion over the favored Miss Balko, which finished second. Third money went to Little Empress. Miss Balko was rushed into the lead soon after the break and set a swift pace but when Sand Cloud moved up on the outside in the stretch, the faint-hearted daughter of Balko was unable to ward off the bid of the ultimate winner which paid 2.20 for . Maiden two-year-olds went postward in the second race for a sprint of a half mile, and Red Moss, an odds-on favorite in the betting, romped to an easy victory over eleven others that accepted the issue. Trans Wise finished second and Cant Catch was third. Jockey Alfred Robertson, most popular of the reinsmen here, was astride the big bay son of Epithet Locust Moss. He sent. him into a commanding lead soon after the field was sent on its way, and was never in danger of being overtaken at any stage of the dash. RUNS GAME RACE. Displaying a game effort and cleverly handled by Eddie De Prang, Mrs. D. Christians Foxster came from behind in the last sixteenth of the mile and seventy yards contest, which served as the third on the card, and gained an easy victory by a length and a half oyer Polariscope. Mr. Deins finished in third place. Rated off the pace until straightened away in the stretch, De Prang sent the black gelding between horses and, disposing of Polariscope in the last sixteenth, drew away to win with something in reserve. In the fourth, Earl Ogdens Declaration proved much the best of the field of ten that engaged in the mile and seventy yards contest for platers, coming from behind in the last sixteenth to register by the comfortable margin of three lengths over Ted Husing, which set the early pace. Free Spirit, the favorite, finished in third place. Declaration was rated close to the pace for three-quarters and saved much ground but, after entering the home lane, apprentice Jimmy Carter took I Declaration to the outside and did not ex-jperience much difficulty in wearing down j Ted Husing.
