The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-25
Lucania, Backed From 100
to 20 to I, Broke Down
Badly.
Flashlight Was Beaten Out a
Head by Argentina, the
Favorite.
Walter j, at 20 to I, Afforded His
Backers Christmas Coin-Char-
treuse II Won As She Pleased

A great big frosted Christmas cake was
all prepared for carving at the Oakland
track yesterday, but the unforeseen, which
is always happening in horse-racing g,
popped up and gloom was spread where
sunshine was expected to have shone.
The fast mare Lucania, running in the
colors of Rookmaker George Rose, one of
five starters In the fourth race, was to
have been the medium of big coup and
while running very fatteringIy to the Sc
lect few who got aboard broke down lust
as the bend for the wire was reached. She
WIS played down from odds Of 100 to l to
2Aand 30. Patsy Freeman set astride the
daughter of Sir Modred and after the race
the authenticated jockey looked as though
he had staked his last dollar on the high
card and lost. He said she was simply
galloping when the accident occurred and
was positive the entlcing looking tickets
would have been cashed. The race after
this proved a gift for the even money
cholce, Chartreuse IL, which won in romp-
Ing fashion from Lady Diamond
The weather was perfect for racing pur-
poses, and the crowd was quite liberal in
dispensing its surplus cash. Three favor
lies, second choice and a 90 to 1 shot
furnished bettors with Santa Claus
money.
Riot and Henry Grattan were very hot
tips handed around to capture the first
race on the card, a six-furIong selling
dash, but both had to give way to the 7 to
choice, Cadenza, which mare, with
Jones up, won very handily from Isabella,
20 to l shot ridden by Frawley. Graf
ian ridden by his owner, Marty Bergen,
finished in the show.
Fifteen spTinters started in the next
q five Il ILL
and liberal odds were quoted against all.
At the close Banjo and Gold Bug we're
most in demand; 81 being laid against
either. Pebble Thompson on Gold Bug
showed in front soon after the barrier was
raised, and the stocky little chestnut easily
disposed Of his com pany, finishing three
lengths in advance of Irma, an s to 1 out
slider. Marty Bergen again took third
money with his horse, O'Fleeta.
Charley Thorpe was very much in evil
dence again with the leg up on the Bald
win entry, Argentina, which mare with
Little Cripple ruled equal favorite in the
betting on the third event, over a mile.
Argentina acted badly at the post, and
when the field finally was dispatched she
had much the worst of the start.
Slaughter on FiashIght, a to 1 chance,
stole a march on the field at the turn. and
for a while it looked as though he was
going to elope with the big end OF the
purse. Striking tae head of the stretch
in fifth position, Thorpe sat down on Ar
gentina and began to ride. She rapidly
closed on the leader, and in an exciting
idrive crossed the plate short head before
~ihe outsider, Keeling off the mile in 1:41, a
track record. Little Cripple was lair
third.
Of the fifteen sprinters originally
entered in the final five and half furlong
sprint seven declined the issue. Mont
gomery, with ninety-nine pounds up, and
Jones to do the plotting had his odds
backed down from to 5 TO evens and
after looming up prominently for a way,
quit like dog" Quicksilver, with Shaw
up, second choice IN the ring, looked a
winner up to the last few strides, when be
was nlpped out by the 20 to l chance.
Walter ], ridden by Slaughter. Sea Spray
was a good third.