The San Francisco call., 1904-03-18
PAT M0RR|SSEY HEAVILY PLAYED
IS BEATEN OUT BY The FRETTER
Hagerdon First for
the St. Patrick S
Day Purse.

It rained cats and dogs; the down
pour made the grass on the lawns and
adjacent hills as green as green could
be; the band at Oakland track dis
coursed patriotic Irish airs yesterday,
the sons of Erin present backed Pat
Morrissey off the boards to win his race
and The Fretter beat Pat out head.
So the Russians and Japs are not alone
in their troubles
Otherwise St. Patrick's day at the
races was no different from any other
day. The attendance was good despite
the inclemency of the weather and
three favorites paraded past the judges
first.
The st. Patricl1's day purse was re-
served for the afterpiece, for which
there were six starters. Hagerdon
looked the natural favorite. His ad-
mirers held their money off for time
and the odds drifted back from to 5.
Then a scramble was made to climb
aboard and the Frank sprinter went to
the post an 8 to chance. Jack Martin
got him away first and he made a cat
hop of 1t. beating Albula two open
lengths. Daisy Green nosed out Olym-
plan for show honors.
PAT MORRIsSEY FANCIED.
Nothing would have been more ap-
propriate than to see Pat Morrissey
win the mile and 100 yard selling num-
Der. Two-thirds of the handicappers
made the old fellow their triple X spe-
cial and to was the closing quota
ton. 1t looked powerful good for Pat
as he swung into the stretch first, but
age will tell Below the paddock gate
Travers drove UP with The Fretter,
and in driving finish got the decision
by a head. Moor an outsider, was
third.
Tommy Lottridge's Gateway, with
SO pounds up, opened a pronounced
favorite for the opening mile run. Later
in the betting 215 to l could be had
The winner turned UP in Dusty Miller
to l shot, on which Travers took
the lead on the back stretch and won
cleverly at the wire by a couple of
lengths. Crosswaite did not get away
took the place without much effort
from Lady Atheling.
If ]. T. Sheehan had made less use
of his whip on Marie in the two-year
old scramble the filly might have been
returned a winner Leading Abba into
the stretch by a couple of lengths,
Sheehan drew his persuader, and in
doing so, Of course, turned his mounts
head loose, finishing third Light Of
Day, backed down to favoritism under
a highly refined play and carefully rid
den by Buxton, led Hooligan out half
a length. The latter ran an excellent
race, and will soon be decorated with
a set Of brackets.
SEARCHER is BEST.
AS events transpired Searcher showed
to be about an hour and thirty minutes
the best of the nine starters in the mile
selling affair. The old gelding closed a
mild favorite, moved toward the front
by degrees from eighth position and
then sauntered in first by half a dozen
lengths. Charley Connell rode vigor-
Gus race on the 10 to 1 chance North
west downing Tamm two lengths for
the place Rio Shannon was fourth.
Probably the distance of the fifth
six furlongs-was a trifie too short for
the favorite, Silurian, but for all that
with any sort of fair racing luck. The
field of seven ran well punched the en-
tire route. Three -sixteenths from home,
as Travers was moving through the
bunch with Silurian, he was cut off.
Again, less than a furlong from the
wire, Martin astride Skip Me, swerved
in front of him, compelling his complete
retirement Lady Kent, 31a to 1 in the
ring and we'll ridden by Holbrook, dis
posed of the to l shot Toto Gratiot
by half a length. big Bill Knapp fin
ished third with Cloche dor.
NOTES OF THE TRACK.
HoIbrook and Travers divided the
honors, each plotting two winners.
The great four-mile Thornton stake
will be decided tomorrow.
ENTRIES FOR TO-DAY.
First race-Five and half furiongs; four
year-olds and up; selling: -
GIL Ny Surprise (Mounce). lO9
51S6 sTom Mitchell (McNeiD ....-.... 104
II III