The morning call., 1893-06-11
FOR ONLY A DAY.
A Short Race Meeting at
Oakland.
THE PURSES WERE MYTHICAL
Strange to Say the Jockeys Rode
Like Indians and the Horses
Ran True.

The shortest race meeting ever held
around the bay is that which took place at
the Oakland racetrack yesterday after
noon. 1t lasted four hours. Not only was
the meeting marked by brevity, but it was
also one of the most peculiar ever held in
these parts and one that will long live in
the memory of horsemen and race-goers.
1t was Spring" meeting, but the asso-
citation under whose auspices il was held is
not known. Ben Wright, the lessee of
the track, was supposed to be the moving
spirit of the affair, but his attention was
entirely devoted to the cash registers at
the par beneath ths rattle-trap of a grand
stand. Ben watched the money as it came
IN over the bar and hardly anything else.
1t was getaway dav" at the Oakland
track. Henry Schwartz had attracted a
lot of horses and horsemen there to attend
his contemplated two months meeting.
AS the Supervisors of Alameda County
threw damper over the meeting the
horsemen came to the conclusion that they
would have TO have one days racing to
enable them to make enough money to
transfer their livestock to a more con-
genial cline.
Benjamin Wright was equal to the emer-
gehcy and he arranged a programme as
elaborate as the menu of a swell restau-
rant. Six races were billed to take place,
ana the blood lessee of the track offered
$3.50 in purses. The offer was made on
paper only, for the purses never existed,
even In the mind of Mr.. Benjamin Wright.
10 delude the public, so as it would turn
out IN hordes to witness the races, forty
hve horses were named TO start. Only
twenty-one horses faced the starter in the
six events, and then the judges had hard
time getting some of them to the post.
With the possible exception of the last
hn t..Gf .kns,-
There was no excuse for them being run
otherwise, for the trio in the judges stand
was enough to ntimidate crooked Jockeys
or horsemen. 1t may be said in passing
that one was detective named league,
another rancher named Howard, who
enjoys the distinction of being one of the
party who CAPTURED the famous desperate
Joaquin, and the other newspaper re-
porter.
The Jockeys received no pay for their
mounts, the horsemen apparently received
nothing for the winnings of their steeds,
yet the jockeys RODE with as much deter
mination, spirit and yigor as if they were
sufficient to make the meeting remarkable.
Just think OF jockeys riding like Indians
for glory!
The first race, four-furlong dash for
maidens, brought Tacoma. Jessie Stur-
gill. Joe Winters, Samantha and
Miss Edsall to the post. Samantha
and Tacoma were equal fayorites in
ated on the meeting, and they ran one two.
Saman lha led around TO the stretch and
and flying away, lea Tacoma win handily
with Jesse StuIgill third. Time, :5Ok.
In the three-eights dash. Cyclone, GYPSY
Girl and Relay started. Gy Girl was
won as he pleased in the fast time of
So seconds. Relay was never in the hunt.
After long delay. Prince, Relay,
Guadaioupe and Msckey were induced to
face the starter in the tive-eigh,bs dash.
Mackey was made 2 TO 5 fayorite, but
Gnndaloupe Outran him in the drive home,
and won in 1903. Prince, who ran well,
finished second. half a length behind
Guadaloupe. and length in front of the
ridden-out Mackry.
Bronco, the handsome looking brother
to SNOWFALL and Snowdrop, appeared in
the six-furlong dash. He looked race
horse all over and his fitness devolve>
rlty. BE was to choice, and had no
trouble in disposing of his contestants
Currency and Morton, In l ;16h.
Lady Gwenn and Louise ran seven fur
longs. The last named, who was slight
post favorite, was clearly outclassed.
Lady Gwenn won all the way in :3l1b.
In the closing dash at four furlOngs Jack
the Ripper was always favorite, with
Volta strong second choice. Lodi and
Joe were the other starters. The Ripper
won ali the way. butit looked that if Harry
Smith had ridden Volta a bit in the
stretch she would have won easily instead
OF being beat out head. Lodi ran third.
Time, 80.
H. d. Brown acted as starter and gave
general satisfaction. His starts were ex-
celleut, and as his style is similar to Rowe's,
so nopular here, 1t is pity that he is not
asked 10 handle the flag often.