view raw text
RUNSTAR -- WINNER . OF THE . cs COFFROTH HANDICAP VICTOR OWNED BY A. B. SPRECKELS Osprey Finishes Second, Cherry Tree Third and the Gallant Exterminator Fourth-Great Crowd Journeys to Mexican Track to See Big Race SAN DIEGO, Cal., March 30. A. B. Spreckels, the veteran California breeder and foremost turfman of the Pacific coast states, won the rich Coffroth Handicap at Tijuana this afternoon with his five-year-old Runstar, a product of Napa Stock Farm, by Runnymede Salvatrix, by Salvation. The finish was one of the most sensational seen in the "West, Runstar beating Osprey by a head, with the latter a similar distance in advance of Cherry 3 Tree and gallant old Exterminator in fourth place, beaten but not disgraced. The value of the race was 3,630 to the winner, ,000 to the second horse, ,500 to the third and ,250 to the fourth. The winning jockey also received ,500 from the Tijuana Jockey Club. Runstar led all the way. carefully nursed along in front by jockey Barnes, who used rare judgment and showed an uncanny skill in rating his mount along, with the result that when challenged in the last eighth the Spreckels colt managed to outlast the fast-finishing Osprey and Cherry Tree. The weather was ideal, with the sun shining brightly throughout the day. The sky was cloudless, the day was warm and there was a gentle breeze blowing in from the Pacific. By dint of hard work of the track management the course was fast when the horses faced the barrier for the big race. Following the heavy rains of Wednesday and Thursday six crews of men operated harrows and rollers worked the course all of Friday and Saturday nights and were rewarded by a good track by noon Sunday, which turned to fast by the time the bugles called the thoroughbreds to post for the Coffroth Handicap. As early as 10 oclock steady streams of humanity were windir.g through the turnstiles and by high noon the grandstand and clubhouse were packed. The throng soon became dense, jamming into the betting rings, the paddock and the walks, so that at 1 :15 general manager Atkin ordered that the infield be thrown open. Several thousand persons crossed the track and spent the remainder of the afternoon inside the circling track. At post time for the first race it was estimated that approximately 25,000 persons were in attendance. Thousands of automobiles came over the line, soon filling the fifteen acres of parking space on Mexican soil. At 2 oclock sheriff Byers of San Diego County, personally superintending the greatly aurmented traffic force on duty at the border, said that an immense number of machines were blocked from crossing the border because of lack of space and were forced to park on the American side. Fifteen books were operated to cover the overflow of those speculatively inclined who could not gain access to the mutuels.
