Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-02
MEETING At
BENN|NG ENDED
H0lSCher, 0ddS-on Favorite,
Captures the Maxi
mum.
Coup Planned With KerchevaI
Fails Because of a Jockeys
OverConfidence.

Judged by public enthusiasm over tho
final scenes at Benning yesterday the
Washington Jockey Club could have con-
tinued its meeting longer with benefit to
the club and pleasure to the patrons of
racing. But while such an extension would
have proved popular one with a continu-
ance of the present favorable weather. the
dates allotted ended yesterday, and so did
the meeting, as originally intended.
Under the uncertain situation at the
opening the marked success of the meeting
has been very gratifying, patrons from a
distance, well as local sport lovers
adapting themselves TO the changed order
of things with a promptness that was re-
markable. And whether the new system Of
speculation is adopted at the metropolitan
tracks next spring or not Washington has
shown its entire feasibility, and up north
the system could be perfected in more ways
than one
1t does not need critical observer Of tho
trend of affairs on a race course to see the
great popularity of long distance contests.
and the 5000 people al Bcnning yesterday
showed this fact plainly by the great inter-
est taken in the three-m race for the
Maximum stakes.
Although scratching reduced the field
somewhat the six horses that came to the
post furnished sp etacular contest that
gave the usual satisfaction of these long
races. even to losers 1t would have been
a more interesting contest by far had Agile
been started. but the first money. some
thing over $1,000. was not large enough TO
tempt his owner considering the horses
engagements for next year.
If the Washington Jockey Club will in
crease the value of its Cup and Maximum
stakes by another year. and add a four
mile dash. II will correspOndingly boom It's
next fall meeting, for horses that this year
held aloof would be pointed for the three
events. provided they were run a week
close
Four mile races have been run in the
District before and they always proved n
great drawing card. And the fact that the
Washington Jockey Club has taken the
lead in this return to old-fashloned distance
racing gives every reason to believe that
the club will realize its opportunities and
go ahead still further.
Holscher's Three-Mil Win
The general public, that took so much
pleasure In Holscher's success. little knew
how close contingency arose which came
very near to complicatng matters and per-
haps causing the horses defeat had It not
been bridged over The setting down of
the horses regular jockey, Noone. by the
starter Friday left young Shields with no
rider for his colt. And those he would
have put up, he could not get, while some
Of those he could get he would not have
He first tried to get Horner. without sue
cess. and then decided to put up little Tom
Chandler. the feather-weight jockey But
the colt threw up both hands declaring
that little Chandler would be powerless
to place the big colt and that he would
probably get away with the boy and lose
the race.
Finally some one who wanted to see
Holscher have a capable pilot. Induced
Horners employer to send the boy to
Shields and the difficulty bridged-a
matter Of congratulation, for in the opin-
ion Of many good judges Holscher would
not have been one-two-three with a midget
rider like Chandler up. AS il was he hau
Jockey able to place him properly.
With the race looking like a foregone
conclusion for the Dixie and Cup winner,
1t was not strange to see the layers offer
very short odds about Holscher. The c 1T
was always al odds on with Banker second
choice. But so easily had Holscher beaten
the Benning special winner in the cup that
1t did not seem reasonable to expect the
latter to reverse that verdict over a longer
route.
The two cross country horses Sandalwood
and Pete Daley, took such prominent part
in the race that by another year more OF
the ''leppers'" will be pointed for these
contests. Douro for instance, up to his
form here of last spring would have been
a keen commended and would Good
and Plenty, John NJ. p. and other crack
jumpers.
In yesterdays contest Sandalwood started
out to tail his field off and followed by
Palette, the two soon opened up a gap Of
twenty lengths in the first mile, the favor
ties Banker and Holscher, away back. taxi
ing matters easily. Passing the stand
dog Joined in the race for hundred yards
or So causing many humorous references
at the expense of the class of some of the
outsiders in the contest.
Long Races Are Popular
For the second mile Sandalwoou and
Palette still kent gan hut had