The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-08
GUNFlRE THE WINNER
WHITNEY FILLY TAKES THE
 METROPOLITAN HANDICAP.
E. E. ,mothers Picks Her to Finish First and Wins S2O,OO0-Track and Race Records are
 Broken.

New York, May 7.-Gunfire won the twelfth running of the Metropolitan at Morris Park today before 45,W0 cheering spectators, who made MT. Whitneys swift Ally the favorite in the betting. With T. Burns in the saddle she went the Withers mile in 1:3S l-2, breaking the record by one second and the record for the race by one and a quarter seconds She displayed speed and gameness. and was the first of her sex to win this clas- sic.
 Two lengths behind the winner, to which she gave four pounds weight, ac- cOrding to the scale, and nine pounds by actual load, came Old England, the fla nous sprinter of Green B. Morris, ridden by Shaw. Lux Casta, the Albemarle sta ble's entry, with Hannon up, was third.
 These three had the race among them selves from the start. Articulate, who was pulled up by his rider, the apprentice Larsen, when the barrier rose, ran re- markable race and finished fourth, a length behind the tired Lux Casta. Yel- lowtail was fifth. Masterman. the pride of the Belmont stable, was an inglorious last, with Herbert and Colonel Bill close in front of him.
 Gunfire won s11,1SO for his owner, Old England 5000 and Lux Casta 5000.
 g The fractional time of the handicap was One-eighth, :12 3-4; quarter. "A; three eighths, :35 1-2; half, AS 2-5; five-eighths, 100 4-5; mile 1:3S 3-5. The official time was Nl1uS loo 1-G, bcGduSS VI bhC lAihc boards used at Morris Park.
 Every famous stable in the country was represented in the great race and hundreds of thousands of dollars were wagered. A field of fifteen faced the starter. All proved tractable at the post and they're off, roared out within three minutes. Like a shot Old England jump ed into the lead with New York two lengths back. Gunfire was a head when the barrier went up but was bit slow t,1 ktf,rr lnner hA ha. stretch Old England held his lead ot a length or more, while New York dropped back giving place first to Gunfire and soon to Lux Casta. Like a team they went around to the home stretch and there Lux Casta was beaten. Dowr through the long straightaway home raced the Morris and Whitney horses side by side. Both riders were driving tc their utmost, but while Shaw rained WhI strokes on Old England, Burns could ust only unspurred heels and the cast of his body to aid his mount. Gunfire looked tC be beaten a quarter of mil from home Close on the rail she seemed to falter while Shaw with whirling whip took the big bay a neck to the front.
 Burns never stopped riding, however and soon Gunfire was neck and neck with the leader, then a head in front and as the leaders reached the grand stand en- closure the Whitney Ally drew clean while perfect thunderbolt of "Gunfire roared from everybody,
 Delighted with the result, MT. Whitney shook the hand of Tommy" Burns. He said he had felt confident of the result and added that Leonora Loring, stable mate of Gunfire, could beat the Metropo- Titan winner at any distance from one mile to four. Articulates splendid race led to an offer of his owner, w. c. DeB Lopez, to match him against Old Eng. land, and MT. Morris agred for $1e, 900 | side. E. E. Smathers won $20,000 or Gunfire.
 | Metropolitan follows: Gunfire, Old Eng | land Lux Casta, Araiculate, Yellowtail | Waswlft, Royal, Igniter, Dr. Saylor Syr | lin, New York, Zoroaster, Masterman | Colonel Bill and Herbert