Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-11
GRAVESEND RACES.
Contentious Finished First in the
Glover Stakes.

,uo,,st Belmont lust missed seeing his
fI1v Reldame win in the Clover stakes yes
terday. at Gravesend, and If the filly had
not bean so,eezed out of her position as
soon as the barrier was released she might
have won Beldame was-last for the first
quarter of a mile, then began to make up
her lost ground, but though she finished
strong on the outside she could not over
take Contentious, who was one of four
added starters.
Beldame is a daughter of the famous Oc-
tagon, out of Bella Donna. dam of Don de
ORC and is one of the most substantial
hllies of her sex in training. 1t was said
that she would have been backed to beat
even Hamburg Belle If that filly had start
ed. AS It was. Mr. Belmonts filly was
backed down from to l to 212 to l. Con-
tentious won mainly because she is thor
oughIy well seasoned. Trossachs, who was
heavily backed in her previous essay on the
strength of fast trial, but who was beaten
on that occasion. again suffered defeat yes
terday. The added starters were Conten-
tious Gold Ribbon, st. Roma and Pirouette.
The Clover stake was worth $500 to the
winner. &c ...,f
Bon Mot, winner of the fourth. was forced
to terrific race to win. He is very
bad-tempered horse, always giving trouble
at the barrier. and yesterday he was at
least ten lengths behind when the machine
was released. Not chance in hundred
the favorite virtually left. Hack, how
ever who had the mount. went after the
others and caught his nearest competitor
at the beginning of the backstretch.
Bon Mot revels in heavy going, which
prevailed yesterday, and though his back
ers expected to see him drop back at any
moment. to their agreeable surprise he show
ed no indication of weakening. and at the
sixteenth pole the cry arose that after all
Bon Mot would win He was all out. but
struggled home half length In front of
Arden, and the cheers were tremendous.
In future under the rules Bon Mot will
be placed behind his field. He has also been
put upon the schooling list, but. as he pull
ed up somewhat lame, he will not perhaps
be out again in hurry. In yesterday S
race there was terrific and unaccountable
plunge on Irish Jewel.
King Pepper got off well in the first race
and led all the way up to the last eighty
yards when Van Ness, who had run the
outside and made up much ground, caught
King Pepper and won by three parts of a
length w. R. Condor was third and
Nevermore fourth.
Tankard won the selling steeplechase,
after keenly fought contest between him.
self. Gum Honey. Gold Ray and Lord Rad
nor. Gum Honey. ridden by A. Jackson,
fell on the backstretch, and his rider was
knocked to the ground by oncoming
racer as he was rising to his feet after his
| fall
1t looked as If he were badly injured but
he emerged from the starters wagon ap-
parently not hurt and walked to the jock
| eys room. Draughtsman and Cheval dor
refused and Tfreless fell. Seven of the
eleven starters finished. Gold Ray known
to be game horse. persevered to the end.
but Tankard was so much the best yester-
day that his ebOn-faced rider took the lib
erty of pulling him up near the finish, and
he almost cantered past the judges.
Harangue though he showed a poor warm
up, was much the best in the two-year- old
handlcap, and was running on very strong
at the end Miss Nancy was the only one
able to give him an argument Ishlana was
ridden by Burns. because Cochran, the
stable Jockey, had been suspended by the
stewards for three days for reckless riding
on Miss Dorothy on Tuesday Reveille of
very badly, was running strong at the
finish. He Is a good-looking colt owned by
Andrew Miller.
What many regarded as the surest things
OF the year fell by the waysde when Sem
tfnel. who was at odds on could run no bet
ter than second to the long shot Bob HILL
lard in the maiden race, which ended the
day. Sentinel was whipped at the start to
get to the front, but he was never far
enough in advance to make his hackers feel
safe, and when McCue brought Bob HILL
lard up next the rail Sentinel was beaten.
Tristesse was third. 1t was a bad race from
time standpoint. even for maidens so
that it Is plain Sentinel did not run his
race. He may be a sulker. Eddie Burke
was the chief beneficiary by the victory Of
Bob billiard.