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; Atalanta Gains Wei I -Deserved Mermaid Score Before 37,378 Darby Dan Farm Miss Leads Gay Grecque Home; Atlantic Handle Hits ,599,797 Peak By PALMER HEAGERTY Staff Correspondent ATLANTIC CITY, Mays Landing, N. J., Aug. 15. Atalanta, a five-year-old daughter of Count Fleet Omayya, this afternoon accomplished a well-earned victory in the seventh running of the Mermaid Handicap, thus giving John W. Galbreaths Darby Dan Farm a sweep "of the stakes offered during the inaugural week of competition here. Skipper Bill won the the opening day Pageant Handicap for the same establishment. Displaying her usual speed and will to win, Atalanta, a former Brookmeade color-bearer, was timed seven furlongs in 1:23 under 119 pounds, thus equalling Halters track record. In second position at the wire, slightly more than a length behind the winner, was Mrs. S. G. Zauderers Gay Grecque. Another length back came William H. Wickhams Winning Stride. Under Harrison B. Wilson, Atalanta was the favorite and paid .00. The afternoon was clear and pleasant following yesterdays hurricane scare and records fell like Fridays raindrops. The attendance of 31,378 surpassed the previous high established last August 23, and the 93,839 wagered on the Mermaid also eclipsed the record handle. The record single day handle prior to this afternoon was ,591,932, and that mark, too, was definitely in danger. The total handle set a new record of ,599,797. Victress Slight Favorite Favorite players in the record throng enjoyed fair success through the program as Atalanta was a slight choice at .00. The victory was worth 2,600 of the 8,100 gross purse. Atalantas previous stakes victory this year was accomplished in Hia-leahs Black Helen Handicap, and she now has earned 3,850. Atalanta was first to show when starter Cecil Phillips sent the field on its way, but the Darby Dan miss was joined immediately by Charles Wacher ni.s Jubling, an invader from Chicago. The latter wrested command before three furlongs had been completed, but Wilson allowed Atalanta to race along on her own courage, being well aware of his mounts capabilities. Gay Grecque was coasting along behind, the top pair as the opening quarter-mile was completed in :22 and the first four furlongs were covered in :45. This pace proved too much for Jubling and she faded badly, as Gay Grecque moved to challenge for command. As the field turned into the stretch, Atalanta was again in the van, but held an advantage of but a head over Gay Grecque. The leader drifted out slightly, as did Gay Grecque and Winning Stride seemed destined to move into the thick of the battle for the lions share of the purse. She lacked the needed ftunch, however, and was unable to make up ground. Gay Grecque showed signs of wear through the final three-sixteenths of a mile and gave way as Atalanta drew clear to an advantage of a length and a quarter. Winning Stride held Sickles Image safe, as the latter continues to seek her initial stakes score of the season after having earned in excess of 00,000 last year. The race was a cleanly . contested one throughout, with John H. Clarks Quiz Song the only one to encounter trouble. She was moving nicely leaving the backstretch when she was taken up when in danger of run-ning-up on the heels of Sickles Image near the three-furlong pole. My Celeste, winner of the Molly Pitcher and Monmouth Handicaps at more extended distances, finished fifth, closing a world of ground after having trailed into the stretch. Sam Boulmetis, New Jerseys winningest rider, registered a consecutive double early in the program, completing a 61.00 Daily Double with Samuel A. Pecks Coonamasset in the second race, then taking honors in the third with H. L. Koplins Lovely Wave, a .60 favorite. The winners were the 62nd and 63rd of the Jersey season for Boulmetis.
