Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-20
MORRIS PARK RACES.
Three First Choices Finished First In
Heavy Fog.

1t was gloomy day at Morris Park yes
terday. The track was shrouded so thickly
in mist that half the races were in a
vail Of moisture through which it was I'M
possible to distinguish the horses on the
back stretch. In the races down the chute
the animals cantered away up into the OBJ
security, and that was the last the specta-
tors saw of them until the race was half
over In one of the chute races no time
could be taken. On the races around the
Withers oval the thOroughbreds were swal-
lowed up in the mist all the way from the
middle Of the backstretch to the last eighth
pole. The racers jumped off when the bar
rier went up, and then the crowd of faith
full regulars sat down to wait until
they leaped out of the blank gray wall Of
m list for the last sprint for the wire.
1t was a gloomy day for the bookmakers
in more than one sense. Almost every
horse that won was heavily played. These
included Somerset. backed from to to l.;
Handicapped. backed from to 4 to L.;
Royal an added starter, backed from to
l to 5 to 2: Platter, heavily backed at even
money, and Advance Guard and the Cough
acres stable entries in the first race, which
were also at odds on.
The only fixture Of the day was the
Meadow Brook Hunters steeplechase, for
horses actually hunted in last season. T.
Hitchcock. jr.s s. Somerset, which won a race
on the fiat the other day, made his first ap-
pearance in a jumping race. He was al
ways we'll up. and coming strong over the
last jump passed Self Protection easily and
won by a length. Mr.. Page rode an admi-
rable race, on the second horse, taking the
shortest route all the way through the
course. At the second jump from the wire
Hank Forward fell and threw his rider,
Saffell, who had his ankle badly sprained
but suffered no other injuries.
Handicapped was well backed to win the
fifth race. and he just succeeded In doing
so. He was off in the forefront Of the
field at the start, and then the mist swal-
lowed up horses and riders. What hap
pened on the backstretch nobody knows but
the jockeys, but when the field reappeared
Agnes d. appeared to lead. But as they
drew nearer it was seen that Handicapped
was running with her on the inside, stride
for stride. Little Dreamer rode an admra-
BILE race on the DAILY horse. and managed to
get him home a winner by short head. J..
H. Mccormick bid the winner up to 81, 500
and bought him at that price.
The addition of Royal to the third race
backed to win. and would have done so but
for the Candlemas colt, who was making
his first start, although a four-year-old.
Mineral was the favorite, but he ran an in
conceivably bad race and was unplaced.
Frankfort. who is a full brother to Ham
burg led most Of the journey, but Royal
drew away from him easily when asked, and
won by four lengths. pulled up. Platter
was much the best Of the four selling plat
| ers in the second race. and justified the
even money price against him bySwinning
| as he pleased. Advance Guard had his last
| trial for the Brooklyn handicap He had
| nothing to beat. but won cleverly at mile
and an eighth. in good time.