The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-25

fair grounds to-day. San Francisco, Oak
land and San Jose sent large delegations,
and riders from all over Sonoma County
were here to witness or contest in the
races. The grand stands were packed to
overhowing, the audience being composed
largely of ladies, all of whom had favor
ties whom they wished to see win, and as
the honors of the day were about equally
divided among the various clubs and
teams every one seemed satisfied.
The races were held on the one-mile
horse track, which had been rolled and
as trotting events had been held on it dur
ing the fore part of the week it was not
very fast. The races were called promptly
at 2 o'clock, at which hour it was estimated
there were fully 5000 people on the fair
grounds.
An unusual number of "sure thing
gambling devices, wheels of fortunes, crap
games and the like fourished on the
grounds, as some of the outside wheelmen
have cause to remember. The gamblers
had all the best of it, and for time did a
LAND office" business. Such practices
would not be countenanced by any of the
leading clubs, and if the proposed circuit
is followed by this gentry the racers will
soon be broke and will have to come
home.
There was sad lack of business man.
agement about this, the first meet of the
circuit and if to-day's meet is any critic
ron the circuit chasers will only have
their trouble for their pains, The Agricul-
tural Association and the Petaluma wheel
men did all they possibly could to make
the meet a success, but the promoters of
the racing circuit were very negligent as
to the comfort of the racers and the many
little things which go to make a meet sue
cessful.
Referee WEIGH placed a time limit on the
races of 2.25 for the class B events and 2:45
for class A, it being necessary for the rid
ers to make the mile events within these
times or the races would be declared off.
The object of this, a practice customary at
all meets, is to make the men ride and pre-
vent loafng tactics.
Slow time was made in the mile class A
scratch. The third heat was over the limit
of 2:45, and was declared off, as was also
the final heat, which had to be run over
again. Bates of the Reliance Club won
the first and final heat in splendid style
from Byrne and Chapman. Tandem pac-
ing was introduced in the second final,
Pettis and Crawford of Petaluma being the
team. Byrne caught'first place behind the
tandem, closely followed by Bates, Chap
man, Haynes and Simmons. In the final
squirt Chapman won from Bates in 2:33,
Haynes third, Simmons fourth and Byrne
fifth.
In the first heat of the mile scratch race,
class A, Floyd Mcfarland of San Jose fell
and broke his left shoulder-blade.
In the one-mile scratch, class B, tandem
pacing was introduced to make the race
fast. At the start all sprinted for the tan
dem, and Slater was first to catch it. The
others tackled on in Indian file, the order
being Slater, Burke, Edwards, Lacey, Fos-
ter, Jones, Hall and Ulbricht. These posi-
tons were maintained up to the three
quarter pole, when the tandem dropped
out and the final sprint was started. u
BRIGHT from last place came up with a
great squirt and took the lead, but the
effort tired him and he was beaten ten
yards by the tape by Foster. Ulbricht got
second, and Allan Jones, with the aid of
his wonderful sprint, took third. Lacey
was fourth, Edwards fifth.
The race was hot one and closely con-
tested, and pair of blankets would have
covered the entire bunch at the finish. 1t
created a great deal of enthusiasm and
Fosters victory was popular one Judging
by the way he was applauded from the
grand stand. The time was not as fast as