The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-12
MURKY RUNNING.
Mud and Fog Held the
Fort at the Track.
MORE OF THE WINTER EVENTS
Bookmakers Display Hoggish Tactics
at Oakland Wild ScrambleS
i'm the Dark.

Fog, mud and the hoggish tactics of book
and combination makers we're the principal
features OF the racing events on the Oakland
track yesterday afternoon. Henry Schwartz
is no longer conducting the races there. and
has temporarily retired in favor of Ben
Wright. the lessee of the track. Wright.
however. promises to keen up the good rec
ord OF square racing that was started at the
beginning OF the winter meeting last De-
cember.
And the track? 1t was neither good, bad
nor Indifferent 1t was positively abomi-
nable. Mud was king, and no one disputed
its supremacy. The racers sank nearly TO
their knees and the white Jockeys were so
badly despatched that they could scarcely
be distinguished from Jockey Sharp, one Of
the cleverest riders who has yet appeared
on the track.
Those who went to the track yesterday
with the expectation Of winning money on
the outcome Of events must have been sadly
disappointed. "Bookies" gave them no
chance 10 win and changed the odds with
dazzling rapdity, making nearly every horse
on the list favOrite in rapid succession.
Starter Lee Shaner did some good work
until the fog became so dense that 1t was
difficult to see the runners until they neared
the wire. The judges were q. Treat, Nj.
Norton and NJ. c. Dole.
There were eleven starters in the first
race. which was over n distance of five fur
longs. Mischief aud Hugue1ot were favor.
ties with the boOkies who offered odds OF
Ito /. Miss AIDA and Bonnie Blue sold at
10 to /, Currency at 10 TO |, and such run
ners as Seamstress and McGinnes' First at
10 !. Some funny manipulations with the
timers and starters flags caused the horses
10 get off on false start, aud before the
ipdUae pIuhph n ring thn hall Flair
Volta, Bonnie Blue and Huguenot had
floundered around to the stretch. The next
time the racers were started evenly and
Flair soon took the lead, holding 1t to the
finish and winning by three lengths in
:0S%. Tacoma was second, Huguen0t
third ard Mischief fourth. The others
were scattered along promiscuously in the
distance.
The second even; was selling race of
seven furlongs, with five starters. Altus
sold at even money, Charmer at 3 to q.
Democrat at 4 to l, Guadnloupe at s to / and
Ouarterstaff at to 1. From the start
Charmer had everything his own way, and
won easily by nearly length In ;37B.
Democrat was second. Altus third aud
Guadalupe last.
In the third race, which was over course
OF five and half furlongs, Charger was
the favorite at to5; Young Thad sold at
2 to !, Stoneman at TO / and Jack the
Ripper at /. There was nothing about
the race worthy Of description. Charger
won in walk" by five lengths In lI4A;
St0neman beat Jack the Ripper about
twenty lengths for place; Young 1had lost
himself in the mud and fog.
1t would be impossible to tell what oc-
Cured during the last race, which was over
a distance of six furlongs. The spectators
and judges did not know that tue horses
had started, so thick was the fog, until they
neared the wire. No one made any attempt
to time the race. which was little more than
a wild scramble in the dark. Alfred Is won
by two lengths. Myrtle was second and
Red Rose brought up the rear of the gloomy
procession.
Appended are the summaries of the days
events:
SUMMARIES.
OAKLAND TRACK, Feb. II. 1s93.-Weather hay
track bad.
First race, for madens FIVE furlongs: purse 800.
j. Murpbys CHI. b. ST. John, a., by Grinstead, liz
w. NJ Sinclair's b. h. Tacoma, a. III (HnD...... 2
q. Webbcr's b. h. Huguenot. 3. 100 &C. Webber)..
Time OSA
Won by two lengths; three lengths between Sec
0nd aud third.