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CRETE HANDICAP FALLS TO SILVERETTE BY NOSE 1 Ten Thousand Race Fans Journey to Lincoln Fields for Inaugural Patrons Rewarded by Thrilling Contest in Headliner — Woolford Farms Beau Insco Accounts for Opening Race of Chicago Season — Miss Baker Victorious CRETE, HI., May 25.— The nine-year-old Silverette, one of the most durable running machines on the turf, added the Crete Handicap to her list of achievements, as the Chicago racing season got under way before a large and enthusiastic crowd at Lincoln Fields this afternoon. This aging daughter of Vandergrift, owned by Garrett Watts, and ably ridden by the Canadian youth, George Wallace, ran the six furlongs of todays engagement in 1:12, on a fast track, and this performance, accomplished under 118 pounds, landed her home in front by a nose, as John Marschs Lightspur finished second, and the Calumet Farms Easy Mon third. Wil-liarnF. Morgans The Fighter, top weight in the race under 120 pounds, »was best of the others in the field of ten. Silverette, which added ,240 to her earnings through this latest triumph, took the lead at the start and held her position throughout. Dora May ; raced in closest pursuit of the Watts mare for about a quarter of a mile and then had enough; Lightspur, performing as part of an entry with Kings Blue, then moving up to present his bid. This three-year-old colt stood a furious drive in the run through the stretch, and he battled on gamely, but he could not master the veteran Silverette, which also stuck tenaciously to her task. BEST OF OTHERS. Lightspur was easily best of the others for she took the place four lengths in advance of Easy Mon, which had been ia a forward position from the beginning. The Fighter was another length away at the end of the featured sprint. Early in the race a number of the contestants dropped out of contention and did not figure prominently thereafter. The Marsch entry was the public choice, those who backed Silverette in the mutuels receiving 0.80 for . Silverette last year won six races and the year before took seven. Her score so far this year is four victories in eight engagements. The crowd was estimated at 10,000 persons, a very encouraging turnout considering that Thursday is not normally a big day for racing. The track, however, was favored by ideal weather until late in the afternoon when skies became somewhat overcast and a few drops of rain drove patrons to shelter. OFFICIALS MUCH PLEASED. • Colonel Matt J. Winn, president of the American Turf Association and executive director of Lincoln Fields, and C. Bruce Head, general manager, were much pleased with the response the inaugural program received from racegoers in this area and they ventured the opinion that todays attendance augurs well for the success of racing generally in Chicago this summer. Lincoln Fields arranged a splendid program for the opening and there were nu- Continued on thirty-fifth page. CRETE HANDICAP FALLS TO SILVERETTE BY NOSE Continued from first page. merous close and exciting finishes to stir the enthusiasm of fans. As will be the program throughout the meeting, eight races were on the card. The local meeting will be followed by seasons at Arlington Park, Washington Park, Hawthorne and Sportsmans Park. Chicago racing comes to a close at the latter course on October 31. The Woolford Farm stable, whose horses promise to figure prominently in the racing here this spring, got off on the right foot when Beau Insco accounted for the six furlongs sprint which officially opened the meeting. The colt came from behind in the run through the stretch and was up near the end to score by a little less than a length. He to carry Warren Yarberry to his first saddle success since he lost his apprentice allowance last week. Majority Vote, the favorite, started off as if she might make a runaway of the race and she still was three lengths in front turning into the stretch, but she faltered badly thereafter and finally wound up third, three-quarters of a length behind Red Moss, which accounted for second money. DENEMARK COLORS. The colors of Mrs. Emil Denemark, of Chicago, were seen in front at the end of the second race, another six furlongs sprint in which Prairie Dog was the victor. With Carroll Bierman at the reins, the son of Bull Dog assumed command on the stretch turn and held his rivals safe the rest of the way. His winning margin was a length and a quarter. Royal Blue, which showed the way until the winner came along, was the Dene-mark horses most persistent rival right down to the end and he took the place a neck before Commission. The favorite, Charmed One, and Cautivo practically eliminated themselves at the start, the latter stumbling and bumping into Charmed One at the break. Another Chicago patron, Mrs. John Marsch, provided a winner on the inaugural card when Miss Baker, handled by Charles Kurt-singer, turned back six other sprinters over the six furlongs of the third event. A sharp factor from the beginning, the daughter of Harry Baker, which was well backed in the mutuels, won with two lengths to spare, as. Rollingheels finished second and High Place third. High Place offered stern opposition to the winner to the last eighth and then weakened finally, being beaten in the last stride for second money. Rollingheels might have been much closer to the winner at the wire and might even have beaten her, but for racing extremely wide. The fifth race was a distance affair at a mile and a sixteenth and it resulted in a hard earned victory for Leo Beydas Sure Swift, handled by Paul Ryan. The locally owned four-year-old gelding was never a great distance back, while the heavily backed Colonel Ed was setting the pace.
