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. : : ! ! Nine Allowance. Sprinters Vie in River Downs Event Fighting Man and Moose Pone Are Most Prominent Members of Field By R. E. HURLEY Staff Corresvondent RIVER DOWNS, California, Ohio. June 28. Despite the wilting heat, which cut into attendance figures last week, racing at this track heads into the final three weeks of its forty-four day meeting with mutuel handle up a brisk 28 per cent while crowds are a good 30 per cent over last season. With the holiday programs later in the week these figures will probably be revised upward, especially since some fine handicap events are to be decided over the Fourth of July week-end. A fine allowance race Monday has drawn nine of the best sprinters on the grounds to match strides in the six-furlong Mer-gards Purse for three-year-olds and upward. G. McParlands Fighting Man and Bowie Stables Moose Pone are expected to vie for the role of favorite and will be opposed by Robinson and-Steigers Hasty Hester, Reese Brothers Harem Princess, C. H. Youngs Sveltos, C. Thorntons Register Now, F. H. Swaims Mr. Fiske, C. W. Rie-dengers Bonnie Teak and W. R. Painters Neverlator. Both Moose Pone and Fighting Man were frequent winners last season who have been slow coming to hand this year. Both have shown by their last races that they are in peak condition now and ready to run all the way. Moose Pone was beaten by Roman Sandal and Bless Me Lady by slightly less than three lengths in his last race and trainer Fillman has spotted his charge nicely with a feathery 102-pound impost. Fighting Man, though beaten by Moose Pone in that race, came back in smashing style under the handling of Billy Sackett, who got his mount running in the last sixteenth of a sprint. Sackett, who has been pacing the riders most of the meeting, agam has the mount and knows him slightly better. Competition in the Margard can come from many sources, especially Harem Princess, Register Now, Mr. Fiske and nie Teak. The last named has been the speediest gate horse on the grounds and may forget to stop one of -these days. Harem Princess was an easy, four-length winner over a slow track in her last but is especially partial to soft underfooting. Mr. Fiske and Register Now are danger-: ous. The former has been freshened since the beginning of the meeting and has shown in work trials that he has benefited from the rest Register Now has been trying the handicaps at River Downs with moderate success having consecutive fourths in the Coca Cola and Buckeye Handicaps. The quality of this field is handicap variety, however, and class alone will not decide the issue.
