view raw text
CROSSBOW II. WINS CRETE HANDICAP FOR WRIGHT «- « * ■ #~ — _ 25t000 Illinois Fans Present on Inaugural Day at Lincoln Fields -- ■ t 1 Calumet Farm Colorbearer Stands Long Stretch Drive to Defeat Hal Price Headleys Preeminent — Kings Blue Finishes in Third Place ♦ CRETE, 111., May 30. — The major racing season in Illinois got off to an encouraging start at Lincoln Fields here this afternoon, when approximately 25,000 persons from Chicago and its environs turned out to witness a splendid Decoration Day program of eight races, headed by a renewal of the Crete Handicap. Skies were overcast, there was a threat of rain in the air, and the track was not quite at its best when the program began, but all of the races brought out well-matched fields, which met at varying distances from five furlongs to a mile and a sixteenth. The inaugural card gave fans some idea of the calibre of sport they can expect throughout the twenty-four days of the local season, for assembled on the • scene are some of the most fashionable and representative stables in the country. Besides the large number of the sort of thoroughbreds which perform in the better grade selling races, the track is well fortified with horses of stake quality and a promising band of two-year-olds, quite a few of which will be initiated to the rigors of competition during the present meeting. SMASHING VICTORY. Crossbow II., flying the colors of Warren Wrights Calumet Farm and ably ridden by Irving Anderson, charged to a smashing nose victory over six furlongs on a slow track in the ,000 added Crete Handicap. The five-year-old son of Crusader, carrying 118 pounds and the confident support of his connections, stood a long stretch drive gamely to beat out the favorite, H. P. Head-leys Preeminent, by a matter of inches. Preeminent was shouldering top weight of 124 pounds and though he gave a fine performance he was not quite equal to his assignment, although he took second place a length before John Marschs Kings Blue. Mrs. T. Newmans Cardarrone was best of the others in the field of nine sprinters. CREDITABLE PERFORMANCE. Through his victory, Crossbow II., achieving his second triumph in four starts this year, earned ,330 and those who supported him in the mutuels received a little more than 5 to 1 for their money. The Calumet per rmer ran the distance in 1:12% which w- creditable enough, track conditions considered. Besides the Crete Handicap, which was contested over six furlongs, four other stakes are on the local program. The Steger Handicap is down for decision on Saturday, and on successive Saturdays thereafter, the management will present the Joliet Stakes, the Lincoln Handicap and the Francis s! Peabody Memorial Handicap. Continued on fortieth page. CROSSBOW II. WINS CRETE HANDICAP FOR WRIGHT Continued from first page. Stuyvesant Peabody, president, and Col. M. J. Winn, general manager of Lincoln Fields, joined in an expression of pleasure with the success of the opening, and both are optimistic over the meeting in general The Crete Handicap, which was endowed with ,000 .in added money, drew a powei-ful field and served as a fitting h .»adline: for the seasons opening card. BEREIT SURPRISES. One of the real surprise winners of the day was V. E. Berrys Bereit which accounted for the six furlongs fourth race and carried apprentice William Kelly to the first victory of his saddle career. Kelly sent the five-year-old daughter of On Watch to the front shortly after the break and, keeping her there to the end, rewarded her backers to the extent of 3.00 for . The boy, who is 18 years old and hails from Kingston, Pa., is under contract to Berry and has had a few mounts stretched over a period of a year. Among more favored winners were the Calumet Farms Doubt Not, a juvenile which accounted for the five furlongs opener, W. C. Reicherts Skalkahoe, which took down the six furlongs third, and Mrs. Ed. Haugh-tons Sadie F., which was never headed over the three-quarters of the third event. «
