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SORTIE STAR WINS HANDICAP Seven Horses in Blanket Finish in Cleveland Stake. Saunderstown Beaten a Nose in Thrilling Contest — Sky Ball Nose Behind Second Horse. CLEVELAND, Ohio, June 17.— Charging from behind when it appeared as though he was hopelessly out of contention at the head of the stretch, M. J. Schmitts four-year-old bay colt Sortie Star, under the guidance of jockey Charlie Swain, captured the initial running of the Cleveland Handicap from seven rivals here this afternoon at the North Randall course. A nose behind the Louisville-owned racer at the completion of the mile and a sixteenth jaunt, was A. T. Simmons Saunderstown, and a like margin farther back in third place came J. R. Nevilles Sky Ball. Less than a length and a half separated the first seven horses, thus providing the most thrilling spectacle presented during the current session at the Cleveland suburban track, bringing together eight well-matched thoroughbreds of the better grade. Ideal weather and track conditions, plus ; an attractive eight-race program, brought j out the largest gathering of racing enthusi-1 asts of the meeting. IMPRESSIVE TRIUMPH. The impressive triumph of Sortie Star , proved beyond question that the courageous I son of Sortie — Rare Bud is not strictly a j mud runner, as many of the gentry are wont i to believe. Handling the 117 pounds impost, j which was the highest weight assignment, I Sortie Star virtually did all of his running i in the last quarter of a mile. Saunderstown and Janice indulged in a I duel for the right to set the pace for the | first three-quarters of the journey, while I Sortie Star trailed. The field began closing i in on the leaders as they approached the turn that leads into the stretch and from that juncture to the finish it was a wide-j open affair. Spread across the track, virtually abreast, the eight contestants battled down the stretch, with Saunderstown holding a half-length advantage over Janice, which was a head in advance of Brown Bei: as the fur-, long post was reached. At this point, Sortie Star moved up to fifth position and within striking distance of the leaders. GAINS PHOTO FINISH. Fortunate to find racing room between horses as the field spread out in fan-like fashion, Swain sent the stretch-running son | of Sortie between Sky Ball and Saunders- j town as the shadow of the finish line was near and the strapping bay colt got up in | the last strides to gain the verdict in a photo ! finish. Sortie Star traversed the mile and a sixteenth in 1:46%, three-fifths of a second i slower than the track record for the dis-| tance, which was established by Neighbor in I winning the Memorial Handicap earlier in the season. Backers of the Schmitt color-i bearer received a return of 0.20 for each straight ticket. Janice was installed the choice, and faded out of the picture after , making a bold effort on the turn into the I stretch. In the secondary feature, which immediately preceded the Cleveland Handicap, A. J. I Andersons Me o My proved an easy winner ! and reduced the track standard for a mile to 1 1 : 40 J. 5 , defeating Union by four lengths, i while third money was garnered by Per-| suader.
