New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-09
MERRY LARK'S TUMBLE.
FALLS IN THE CROTONA.
PIOagbed-Up Path Along Outer Rail
the Cause.

The accidents which have been predicted ever
s,nce the straightaway course at Belmont Park
r,ss ploughed UP for a distance of fifteen feet
4o,, the outer rail occurred yesterday in the
c,otoua Handicap. the first in the spring serial
..,dicsps and the feature of the days pro-
--au,une The so-called path" along the outer
ace Of this track was ploughed up in order to
haven't riders from crowding in an effort to set
= Il. but for some reason the management did
at deem II necessary to run harrows over the
,sth, and the burrows were left as the ploughs
he'd turned them. 1t was pointed out at the
time that If q galloping horse ever got into these
arrows It would be almost impossible for him
% keep his 1eet. and a serious accident would
n all probability occur.
Andrew AIiIlers Meadow Lark. ridden by
I6.;s Smith, was the first victim. Fortunately,
rsither horse nor jockey was seriously hurt
,fsrrv Lark was one Of three added starters in
she Crotona, which is at six furlongs on the
st-ajghtaway, and was well up with the first
4ebt when just as the last sixteenth pole had
bssn passed he was crowded into the ploughed
ground. and in q twinkling turned an almost
comulete somersault- Smith scrambled out of
The dirt and shaking himself. walked on to the
Judges stand as unconcerned as though that
was the way he always finished a race. Merry
Lark vas caught at the paddock turn and taken
to his stable little the worse for his tumble.
The finish of the Crotona was another evidence
Of the really wonderful form Mr.. Vosburgh has
been showing all this spring in his official handi
Gaping, and his adjusting of weights brought
the horses that accepted his imposts so close to-
Eether that q sixteenth of a mile from home any
one Of the nine contestants seemed TO have a
chance 10 win. At the deciding post Wild Mint
with 105 pounds Sprirg with 10S and Sparkling
Star with SO were heads apart in the order
named. There was a tremendous amount Of
crowding and jostling, and whatever chances
Roseben, one Of the added starters, might have
had were lost when he was shouldered on 10
The edge Of the rough going and almost went to
bis knees. Blandy, the favorite for the Crotona,
was beaten of after running well up for a
greater part Of the journey. Eight to 1 could
be had against the winners chances.
Prince Hamburg has inherited the courage If
not all Of the speed Of his great sire OF this he
gave unmistakabIe evidence in a six-furlong
sprint for maiden three year-oIds and upward
The son Of Hamburg stood a gruelling drive for
almost an eighth Of mile, and after apparently
being beaten came again and won by narrow
margin from Mgraine. In running the three
quarters in 1:l2 10 the colt incidentally showed
that he was not deficient in speed. The time is
the fastest by three-ffths of a second that has
been made over the straightaway course. Prince
Hamburg is the first horse that has brought
Harry Payne WhItney's colors home in front
this year.
The fvo-year-Old colt Astronomer was made
the medium for an old-fashioned Gideon plunge
and so heavy was the commission which this
astute horseman and a few of his friends sent
into the ring that the opening prices were more
than cut II half, and to l was offered only
grudglngly at post time. The colt which is
owned by M Gideon, was a starter in q selling
race for two-year- Odds at four and half fur
longs, and disposed of Mintia, Veribest and FIVE
Or SIX others IN sharp struggle. Veribest was
1aVoTlte, but was beaten for the place by AIintia
The Hamburg colt Battle Axe, one Of the
We'll tried youngsters in the Whitney stable
prohun5 by his first race last week ran TO
MS Work yesterday and showed lot of maidens
The way home in scramble Of four and a half
fIrlongs without apparently doing all that he
is capable Of in the way of speed. Don Diego,
the final choice Of the public, had to be content
with second place, and had some difficulty, in
fact, IN getting that from Newton Bennington's