view raw text
SUPERSTITION HAVRE WINNER Camera Decides Bedwell Colorbearer Is Victor Over Dark Watch. Cheaper Performers at Maryland Track Furnish Fridays Entertainment Affair Not of Derby Caliber. HAVRE DE GRACE, Md., April 21. The silks of the Maryland turf man Harry Guy Bedwell, which have been shown on few i winners in the past few seasons, were borne successfully today by Superstition. The chestnut three-year-old son of Apprehension, won the Sky Lark Purse, an allowance race for three-year-olds that topped an ordinary program at Havre de Grace. Meeting four others of his age, including a pair of Derby nominees, the score of the H. G. Bedwell gelding came in one of the closest finishes of the afternoon. It took the camera to decide the small margin of superiority that I he had over Chester F. Hockleys Dark I Watch at the close of the mile and seventy yards race run over a slow track in 1:48. I I Battling the length of the home stretch after engaging Affair and Dark Watch on the last turn, Superstition gained his reward right on the line under the strong finish of jockey V. Pool. Three lengths in the wake of the fighting leaders, Affair, after setting the bulk of the pace, was an j easy third as Many Flags found little diffi-i culty in leading home Greedan, the only other starter. DERBY ELIGD3LES. The Derby horses in the small field were Dark Watch and Affair, and by their showing here, neither of the pair will hardly meet j the engagement. Superstition ruled favorite i and he was the first successful choice of the : matinee. ! With conditions the best of the meeting ja crowd of excellent size turned out for the j entertainment that was mostly furnished by I the cheaper performers on the grounds. The I racing strip, in heavy condition for the past few days, was drying out steadily, and it was . termed slow for the program. I In the best race some delay was caused ,by the fractiousness of Many Flags and , when the bell rang all with the exception of Greedan left on the same stride. Affair took up the running immediately, and he went along at a good clip as he furnished the early pace. Dark Watch was holding to sec-ond position, while Many Flags was before , Superstition, who was in slight trouble a I few strides after leaving the gate. On the I far side no change took place in the run- ning positions, but there was a change at the I final turn when the Bedwell gelding went on by Many Flags. He quickly joined the two leaders, then surged on courageously to get up in the last strides. ADAMS ON WINNER. Jockey Johnny Adams registered his first riding success of the meeting when he drove Grand Duke, from the Mrs. A. J. Abel barn, to a front-running victory over eight other cheap sprinters in the first race, at six furlongs. The six-year-old Stimulus gelding, making his first start of the season, had speed enough to race into the lead in the opening furlong and stick to his task gamely to account for his success in a hard drive. At the end, he led Idle Elf, from the M. J. Reed stable, while James Pal took third a length and one-half away. Grand Duke, neglected in the speculation, paid 6.20 for his backers and his margin of victory was I only a head. Another upset occurred in the running of i the second race, that was a split of the open- I ing race, when Royal Cross, from the D. N. ! Gilpin stable, proved best of the eight that met. His score came in a drive that was registered at the direct expense of the heavily supported Apprehend. Way Out landed third just a short distance in advance of Lula Khayyam. REGAINS FORM. Showing sudden improvement over his last race here a few days ago, when he was beaten off badly in cheap company. Sir Mow-lee, at liberal odds, made a show of nine other Maryland-breds to register a double for the Mrs. A. J. Abel silks at the end of the third race. This was another dash at six furlongs, and in contrast to his recent race, when he had little or no speed, the son of Mowlee was in front all through the contest for the unexpected success that came by four lengths. Without any serious opposition after shaking off Jolly Flag and Plot in the first half-mile, the Abel sprinter led W. L. Branns Fictitious to the finish, while Manymor, a rank outsider, captured third from Plot. Six better-than-average middle distance performers supplied the opposition in the mile and seventy yards of the fifth race, and once again the camera was called into use to separate three of the half-dozen starters at the close of the number, with Trina, from the D. J. Sullivan stable, ruling as the choice, rewarding. Her victory, which proved the second in eight starts this season, came by inches over Mrs. A. Pelleteris Blazing Heat, the lone three-year-old among the starters, while Slattern, from the G. Ring barn, was lapped with the two, to have a wide margin over Sun Victor.