Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-07
FOURTH DAY At THE PARK
An Attractive Programme, but
No Great Race.
Riceta, the Outcast of Last Year,
Has Another Inning.
Dona Lila Captures a Handicap Under
Big Weight-Hock Hooking
Easily Defeats Santa Fe
and Nero.
The morning dawned full darkly.
The rain came flashing down,
And the jagged streak ofthe levin Dol


If ever day dawned unpropitiously for
racing purposes, it was yesterday. The
purple clouds which had lowered over
the town for nearly a week had given
forth rumbles of angry thunder, fol-
lowed by an occasional shower of rain
that sooh dried up and left no impress
sion upon the deep autumnal dust.
There was break in the clouds toward
noon, and fairly good crowd sought the
track, where there were three as good
races az were ever seen here, when we
consider there was nothing sensational
about any Of them. But the runs were
fairly good, and as for the trot for the
2 :27 class, it was one series of desperate
finishes in every heat. The yearling
trot was sort of practical Joke on the
part of the sedate Mr.. Vance.
THE JUNIOR HANDICAP.
This was 2-year-old race OF six fur
longs, for which the San Gabriel colt
Vendome and the Capistrano colt San
Juan carried the top weights, while
Dona Lila, who had romped through the
mile on the previous day, had merely a
sex allowance in the case, and that good
colt, Dick O'Malley, was no such look
ing animal as he appeared at Sacra-
mento last spring. The post of starter
was filled by Ben Benjamin, who got
them off fairly punched at his third at
tempt. Good as Vendome and San Juan
were, they never could begin to exercise
"Uncle Dawes" flying filly, who drew
out of the ruck before they had fairly
gone 400 yards, and went along by her
lonesome self. San Juan and Vendome
both ran gamely, but the daughter of
Gano was frolicking along with bent
neck, and declined to take the kinks out
oft, and won without being extended,
in the comparatively slow time of l :1711a,
with San Juan second and Vendome
third.
THE WESTERN STAKES.
at one mile and half furlong came
next in order and saw three candidates
for favor led to the post, with Nero a
favorite at 500 against $14 for the other
two. Mr.. Case, owner of Hook Hooking,
Jr., had the good fortune to back him at
overnight sales ard get better odds
against him than that, for in those pools
the chestnut sold separate. The flag
fell without any very long delay and
Santa Fe shot out into the lead at once,
hotly pressed by the Fresno horse all
the way to the,quarter and Hook Hook
ing lying back under big pull. In this
way they went to the half-mile post,
where the rider of the chestnut called on
his mount and began to move up to-
wards the leaders. At the head of the
homestretch he was only two lengths
from the leaders and, though steel and
catgut did their best work all the way
home, he was too feet for them and won
with at least four pounds to spare, in the
comparatively slow time of l :52, by a
half length from Nero and two lengths
from the Ventura colt. There have been
races run at this distance in / :46, the
best being that of Aloha, who did the
trick at Garfield park, Chicago, with ITO
pounds in the saddle.
THE 2:27 TRoTTING RACE
came next on the bill and better con-
tested or squarer race has never been
trotted in this state. Originally there
were 10 nominations for this purse, but
four asked to be excused-Roy Rex, An
tioch, Wilkes Moor and Tono; and the
judges decided that Holly, entered by
Bell & Griffin, was ineligible to start in
the same race with Fred Drake, who
was also trained by Griffin. This left
field consisting of Riceta, Bob Mason,
jr., Ben Corbett, Fred Drake and the
Chino ranch mare Thera. In the pools
Riceta brought 500 against $40 for Ben
Corbett and $40 for the field. Fred
Drake had the pole, Mason second, Cor
bett third, Thera fourth and the favorite
outside. Mr.. Rose was presiding judge
in this race, and everything went of
with snap. The first heat was duel
between Riceta and Ben Corbett, who
collared Fred Drake and passed him Just
hallway between the quarter and Che
half, reaching the latter post in :09I
From there home Riceta held the lead
amid intense excitement up to the dis
tance flag, where the stallion fairly out
footed the mare and won grand race by
q neck in 2:21.
A revulsion of sentiment now tool
place in favor of the brown stallion, whe
had outfooted Riceta fairly for siz
furlongs and never made break, so ht
sold favorite at $50, Riceta $25 and the
field So. In the next heat, however
Corbett was unsteady, and broke at the
first turn. Riceta quickly got the lead
and although Walter spared no effort
SIG leu ulm Ill Cuo way huu WOu Ny i've
lengths in 2:2414. The pools now sold
Riceta 500, field 81. The third heat wal
one of the grandest battles ever seen
and the driving of both leaders wal
superb. Bob Mason and Corbett were
the first off, but Bob took song ant
dance as the word was given, while
Corbett broke hundred yards further
on. Vance now made play with Riceta
and was in the lead before Maben coulC
get the brown stud down to his work
She made the quarter in 35 seconds, thu
half in 1:111s, and was four length
ahead at the three quarters, when Wal
ter came with rush. The pace was ter
rife, and Corbett gained slowly and sure
by at every stride. just above the dis
taqce flag he made break and, although
Maben caught him beautifully, he conlt
not overtake Riceta, who won by goot
length in 2:221a. 1t was now cham
pagde to sarsaparilla that she won tn
race and pool selling was at an end
The fifth heat was duel from the wor'
''go," and Riceta got off we'll in front o
Corbett and outtrotted him fairly to tn
half in l :12, by four lengths. Waite
now made his last rally and a super
one it was. The spectators got excite
and cheered Corbett till their throat
cracked. The gallant horse came on bu
broke at the distance flag and before h
could be settled Riceta broke. Vanc
had been on her feet again in thre
strides and won magnificent race by
neck in 2:23H.