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- Argentina * Rains Cut Fields, Hamper Favorites By HUGH LYALL Our Buenos Aires Correspondent BUENOS AIRES, Argentina.— Torrential rains during the week restricted work on the training tracks and reduced the size of - fields iieias at at the tne week-end weeK-ena fields iieias at at the tne week-end weeK-ena meetings at San Isidro and Palermo. Fortunately, the weather so -greatly improved that the army of racing fans were able to enjoy their favorite sport under a canopy of sunshine, although the going was exceptionally heavy. The consequence was that times were-bad and and of of little little value value as as a a and and of of little little value value as as a a guide to the future. Only about 30-per cent of the popular fancies were successful, but there were no serious upheavals in form. Mutuel dividends as a whole were on the small side, the biggest on both days being those paid out in the races for maiden two-year-old colts: 4.40 for in the case of Picado at San Isidro Saturday, and 8.20 returned by Saicu at Palermo Sunday. Picados relatively long price suggests that few of the public paid attention to his pedigree, which, on both the sire and dam side, literally bristles with mudlarks. The principal event at San Isidro was the old-established Juan S. Boucau Handicap, for horses and mares, over 11" furlongs. It fai ed this year to attract much in the way of class and was won very easily by the much-improved Frisco, a son of Guatan out of Fantine. After a long: absence, he ran at Palermo at the . end of May and finished third in a big field, over a mile. A week ago, on the same track, he carried 118 pounds to victory in a ninc-furlong event, timed in 1:50. V He was made favorite for Saturdays semi-classic, and during the early stages of the race was content to lie in fifth place in a field of six. Antojo made the running from Star Shot and held the lead until the homestretch was reached. There both gave way to Heliaco, but opposite the popular stands Frisco came up and went on to win by a distance, while Heliaco, Principe Er-rante and Antojo fought a battle for second place. The former finally was successful by a head. The time of 2:23% was poor, but the going was exceptionally heavy— a mass of mud held together by. the turf. f The deplorable slate of the track also explains why Nasara expended 1:05 in winning: the maiden two-year-old filly race over five furlongs. Even such useful handicappers as Nueva Espana, Nazimova and Casua took 1:02% to cover the same distance in the -sprint handicap. Four of Sundays races on the heavy dirt track at Palermo failed to attract sufficient runners to permit place betting, yet it was in two of those four-horse events that the afternoons interest was mainly centered. One was a five and one-half furlongs sprint, for which Simpson was a warm favorite. A week earlier, on the same track, he had won over five furlongs in the exceptionally good time of :55%. Sunday he had little to beat,, except Vitelio, the old son of Claro who spent all his early racing years at unofficial country meetings and already was six when he made his bow under "jockey club rules. Once again the old fellow he is rising seven showed how useful he is over short distances Conceding Simpson eight pounds, he just reached home? by a neck in 1:03% — not bad time in view of the state of the , going. The other two contestants finished far back. - _ All four entries went to the post- for-the Jorge Atucha classic, for two-year-old fillies. As .each of them had previously run over the. distance of the race seven and one-half furlongs, there was little apparent difficulty in weighing up their chances, and the logically minded public had no hesitation in making the unbeaten Precinta an apparently unbeatable favorite. .The daughter of Phidias-Belisama did as she always does. She went away from the moment the tapes were raised and won by a distance from Vedette, who had won the Etoile classic in heavy going on the same track a fortnight earlier. Carlinga finished a neck away, in third place, and the unfancied Abadia was last. Time for the sprint Mas 1:31%, while the dividend was .10. Yet, strangely enough, Precintas easy victory left behind it an element of doubt as to the future. She led Carlinga by a length until the homestretch was reached. It was then seen that Chapadmalal Stables filly was gaining ground, and jockey G. G. Rivero, on Precinta, began, to use his whip. When excitement was at its highest and the fate of the favorite seemed in doubt, Carlinga quit and swerved across the track, toward the rail. Jockey Artigas could do nothing with her and eventually she lost second place by a neck to Vedette, while, as recorded, Precinta retained her unbeaten ticket and won as she liked. Most racing men who saw the incident are now asking what would happen if Carlinga decided to make a sustained effort when next she meets Precinta. It is a speculation such as this which makes racing so exciting — and so gloriously uncertain.
