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ARMOR BEARER IN FRONT Races to a Narrow Victory Over the Courageous Panther Creek. Victory Gives Eddie Arcaro a Double at Keeneland Greentree Stable Wins First Purse of Meeting. LEXINGTON, Ky., Oct. 12 Armor Bearer battled his way to a close finish in the fea- tured Columbus Day Handicap at Keeneland this afternoon to give the Greentree Stable of Mrs. Payne Whitney its first victory of the meeting. The triumph of the three-year- old gelded son of St. Brideaux Gallant Lass was particularly pleasing to the good-sized crowd on hand, as he had been installed the favorite in the field of eight capable sprinters clashing over six furlongs. Ideal weather and track conditions again prevailed. Overcoming trouble at the start when he stumbled and compelled to do all his running on the outside, Armor Bearer gamely fought his way forward until his nose dropped in front a few yards from the finish. His winning advantage was a head over Panther Creek, representing the H. and H. Stock "Farm, as Tall Trees Stables Bacon was third, another two lengths back, and a neck before Gene Wagers. PACEMAKING DUEL. Gene Wagers and Bacon staged a duel for the pacemaking job from soon after the start until inside the final furlong where Mightily made a bid only to falter. Gene Wagers gave way suddenly and then Panther Creek moved forward to wrest the command away from Bacon and although the Brown Bud Gelding was ridden briskly to the finish, he was unable to stave off the challenge of Armor Bearer as Arcaro brought him forward on the outside with the powerful riding for which he is noted. Dusty Dawn also was a factor in the race until, reaching, the stretch but he likewise found the pace too fast. Armor Bearer, which ran the six furlongs in 1:11, gave Arcaro a double as he previously had scored with Top Queen. Congressman, sporting the Parkview Stable silks and capably handled by Kenneth McCombs, led from end to end in the Bramble Purse, which served as the secondary feature. Outsider in the field of five, the gelded son of Rhinock and Our Carrie ran the mile and one-sixteenth in 1:43 to triumph by two lengths over Hal Price Head-leys Dah He, the favorite, as the Valdina Farms Diavolo Boy was another three-fourths of a length back. Miss Bull Dog was fourth, and The Whale fifth. After sprinting into a clear lead in the run to the first turn, Congressman was taken in hand and rated smoothly while setting the pace, but McCombs took no chances and shook him up after reaching the stretch. The Cincinnati-owned gelding then held his advantage under hand riding as Dah Hes bid fell short. AUSPICIOUS START. Favorite players began the afternoon auspiciously as Hal Price Headley provided his first winner of the meeting in Top Queen, which defeated eleven other maiden juvenile fillies at five and one-half furlongs. With Eddie Arcaro up and giving that saddle artist his first bracket, the daughter of Supremus and Ancient Queen came from behind the pace entering the stretch to draw out by five lengths over J. W. Parrishs Euneva. Overcoming interference from Lady Charlotte in the stretch. Ramrod came on to capture the second race in the interests of Mrs. Ed Haughton. The veteran Cherokee gelding gained the decision by a head over A. G. Tarns Jens Son, the favorite, as Lady Briar, representing Burger and Murdock, was third in the field of eight ordinary platers meeting at six furlongs. C. Charlton had Ramrod close up from the start as Lady K Charlotte set the pace and was sending his mount forward on the outside in the stretch when the latter bore out to impede the Haughton gelding momentarily. Just at this moment Jens Son slipped through on the inside to take a slight lead but could not hold Ramrod in the later drive. Lady Briar made up ground steadily to be third, a half length back of the choice as the tiring Lady Charlotte was fourth. : : ; : ;
