Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-03
BEhhIhG RACES
RUN IN A FOG
Misty Sport Marked the
Wind Up Yesterday.
SPECULATION HEAVY
IN SPITE OF THE WEATHER AT
TENDANCE WAS LARGE.
Ben Crockett Captures the Maximum
Stakes, and Bette Bouncer the
Special Match for Fillies.
SPECULATION HEAVY

1t was misty, foggy weather at Benning
yesterday sure enough. And as the after
noon wore on the fog grew thicker. settling
down over the race course like a pail al
| most completely obscu-ing the racing In
the later events even the starts could not
be made out. and speculation went on, the
betting continuing after the race had been
begun. until shouts of here they come
greeted ghostly shadows approaching out
of the fog, and then the layers closed their
operations.
Under these circumstances the days
sport was handicapped correspondingiy.
but the large crowd present yesterday
was good natured and made the best of the
unlooked-for climatic drawbacks. Society
| was on hand in force.
Among prominent people In the club
| house and stand were Miss Alice Roose-
| welt and Robert Goelet. w. c. Eustis. 4.
| c. LaMontague. r. II. Potter, Ralph Parr.
w. B. Hfbbs. S. c. Ross, Col. Denny, W.
| Huidekoper. s. p. Knutt. Dion Kerr Mrs.
| Blaine, w. Anstey @. Wilkins J. Louns-
| berry John 7. Devlne, II. T. OxnaTd, Will
| liam Walker, Ed. Mitchell, Geo. Howard,
| Lee Evans, Percy Evans, Col. Powers.
Henry Harrison, Col Robert Neville.
Woodbury. Blair. Rozier Dulany, ]. NJ Ben
| nett ex-Gov. Kellogg DIR. and Mrs. Kerr.
| Lee Arnett, Mrs. Phelan, Mrs. Doyle, Miss
| Haley, Mrs. Blair. Harry Page, +. i.
walsh Ut buli, JOnn DennlDR, MIS- Sell,
Jack Story. n. S. Simpkins. J. c. Sibley.
| H. w. Fuller, DR.. and Mrs. MacGruder.
Fred 0kie. Archie Dalton and many others.
Miss Roosevelt divided her time between
the club house. paddock and stand. view
ing the steeplechase and the three-mile
race from the latter point OF vantage. Her
progress was marked by much good feeling
on all sides and in her box at the stand
she held quite a levee.
Racing in the Fog.
AS to the days events. speculation was
very heavy and rather favored the layers
Three favorites out of the seven events
scored, but two of these, Ben Crockett and
Bette Bounce, were at odds on and the
general public was not benefited to any
great extent, while the successes of out
siders in the second and third races found
most of the layers profit to a measurable
degree. However, two second choices got
home first. which partially evened up mat
tiers on the general result.
OF course, the main interest of the day
centered in the three-mile race for the
Maximum stakes. even IL scratching did re-
duce the field to four horses. Racegoers
are partial to race over "A route, and
small field at this sort of sport, arouses
much greater interest than scurry of a
score of horses in a six-furlong sprint.
AS the oldtimer observed, these short
races are little test of a horse. Before
one has time to turn around couple OF
times they are over" But in long distance
racing, as noted In yesterdays Slar, a
horse has time enough to overcome even
mistakes of his jockey that may cause him
to drop out Of a race. It is these various
incidents of races over a route that popu-
larize them in the public heart. And the
three mile race of yesterday for the Maxi
mum was no exception to this rule. The
spectators cheered the horses In each sue
cessive circuit of the course. when they
went into the fog and came out of II, and
when they finished roar of welcome
greeted them on all sides.
Ben Crockett's Maximum.
Ben Crockett set the seal on his fame in
the District by his easy win. Taking UP
seven pounds penalty for his cup success
only made Ids weight Ill pounds, and he
shouldered this like feather, after the
welterweights he has been accustomed to
carry In the field. In the market on the
race Crockett was an odds-on choice at all
times. and his stable and the general public
placed thousands on the SOB Oh Ben ioia-
day
| Ben Holiday was one of the best, IL not
| the best long-distance horses of the last
decade, but his stud career at Elmendorf
| has not been marked by any stayers like
himself until Ben Crockett's star shoots
across the horizon Now that Crockett has
shown so WELL Ben Holiday viii doubtless
| receive more attention from breeders. for
| in the Maximum victor he has reproduced
himself.
call, and with Miller UP was expected to
show a better performance than he had
| in the cup. But little Miller was not much
stronger than the boy who had ridden os-
trich on Thursday and could not prevent
| the son of Orer from opening up a gap
early in the struggle.
For two miles Ostrich led Ben Crockett
| by from six to ten lengths. But then the
favorite began TO close, and as the pair
went out of sight in the fog bank on the
lower turn, ending two miles and hair
Crockett had Tapped Ostrich. When they
20 n fa6ftnR shadows
way up the home stretch. Crockett was In
front and the race practically won. Ostrich
beat Noblesse ObligeAas easily for the place.
while Louis II. was beaten OF.
steeplechasers Go to Grass.
From a spectacular standpoint the steepie-
chase was of great interest to the half
holiday portion of the assemblage. and
many of the visitors as well. And when
the first horse that fell Parnassus. got up
and went on over the jumps rideriess he
was greeted warmly passing the stand. For
a mile and a half Parnassus raced side and
side with the third and fourth horses, TAX
ing every jump Hike bird and finishing
fourth Then he trotted back to the stand
with the others and stopped. as much as
to say, We'll. 1 lost my weight, but did
my best" An exhibition OF almost human
intelligence.
The Phizer stable pair. favorites In the
speculation with Rockmart, the Virginia.
rating Ro,kmart and Cherry Fighter
after Parnassus unseated his rider, alter
mated in the lead for nearly mile and a
half. when Rockmart went out In front ana
looked like a winner. But at the last jump
Rockmart came a "cropper" and Cherry
Fighter against whom much Is to i
was laid. won cleverIy from Howard Lewis
and Follow On.
Follow On, second choice. was well rid
den by Mr.. Dion Kerr, but had not quite
foot enough to beat the leaders home.
Neither of the fallen riders WAS injured and
the race produced the usual excitement over
its various phases. If the club should de-
eide to lower the jumps bit II would
produce the same spectacular interest and
L. ser, the Iercanfage of falls The hue. and