Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-21
Attendance at Benning Track
on a Steady Increase.
CONTESTS VERY CLOSE
Oxford at the Head of the Handicap
Brigade.
LEE HARRISON A SURPRISE
LEE HARRISON A SURPRISE
Last Practice Before Big Foot Ball
Game Saturday-Shortstop Billiard
Tourney-BowlingB Battles.

At the rate that the attendance at Ben
ming is increasing the turnstiles at the
gates will soon show record crowds In
spite of unfavorable weather conditions yes
terday the assemblage was a large one, Dis
trict racegoers showing that they can adapt
themselves to the new system of specula-
ton as easily as to the old one.
Business was brisk yesterday from first
TO last and as a majority of the events
were of a very open character speculation
took a wide range in most cases. giving
conservative layers chances to round up
their transactions IL they felt so disposed:
and as only two post favorites won hackers
had to be content with the short end OF the
days financial battle.
That the best laid plans sometimes slip
UP through unexpected complications Is
matter of frequent occurrence in the game
of racing but rarely has hard luck OF TINS
sort been more fully emphasized than IN
the case of Senator McCarrenS CUT Leg
Harrison yesterday.
Here was one of the most promising Two
year-old maidens still in training whose
late form up north had been good enough 10
warrant strong support In MS class, anu d
heavy commission was planned for his race
of yesterday in which his owner anu
friends hoped to make their expenses lor
the coming winter
But the unexpected happened few days
ago in the suspension of the stable Jockey
Highlander This left the stable without
Jockey for the colt, and at the last moment
a novice was substituted In such pig
field as the one Harrison started In yester
day a capable jockey is half the battle. ana
the McCarren confederacy had little conn.,
dence In their green Jockey.
McCarren Missed a Coup.
But Lee Harrison warmed up in such i'm
pressive fashion that many OF the ran
birds before the names of the jockeys were
known to them, almost tumbled over each
other to ges down on the colt at the OPEN
ing odds of 10 to 1. In few minutes
when Mercado's name on the Jockey board
showed who was to ride Harrison all such
early hackers berated their foolish haste.
Chagrin that was intensified as Harrison's
price scared to 40 to with few takers
Then. however, Commissioner Hayman
of the stable rather than let the colt run
loose placed $50 against $500 Just to
have something down" as he expressed It,
A mere bagatelle as to the amount intended
to have been placed had a satisfactory
jockey been up: BESIDES the IA haym man
eral public. one of the scribes In Press Row
spreading SIS across the board on the colt
at 40. u and g.
The only Miller furnished the favorite
in Speed Queen, and Juno Time, Sandy
Creeker and Hiram also carried tons or
collateral and the confidence of their re-
spective hackers, while those who had
ridiculed for their temerity in putting good
coin of the realm on "Mercado."
The race can best be described as be-
tween two stable lads and two crack
Jockeys. all the way, In which the novices
put II all over the jockeys at the end. Mil
Ter and Mercados mounts outbroke those Of
and Doyle, but the quartet were
well punched from the start in front of the
81 Vt w changed nOStinDS N
Kaleidoscope order as the mass of horses
rushed down the backstretch like a flock
of birds on the Potomac
Harrison and Mercado, however, kept
their few hackers in the seventh heaven
of delight by the way they kept the lead,
the novice stalling of each and every effort
and device Of Miller and Mcdaniel to
either reach him, crowd him or cut him
OF. And as once the homestretch was
reached Harrison had his followers well
settled, all the novice had to do was to
sit still and let him CO.
Green Jockey Beats Crack Riders.
Lee Harrison's three lengths OF daylight
at the end could have been a dozen had 1t
been necessary. and then the McCarren
party who had missed a ieviathan coup on
account Of the unknown jockey. looked very
foolish as they discussed what might have
been. While little Mercado came in for
much praise over his success and he is like
whether his win 'fluke'' or not.
Followers Of Jockey Miller. however, could
not complain over the days results In going
TO the crack rider on all his mounts. The
boy rode in five races, winning two and
landing third in each of his other attempts.
A ten-dollar "parlee on his mounts for the
positions In which they finished would have
realized at closing prices 500. Not bad
days work for the average layman In the
business OF racing.
Red knights warm-up was good before
the opening race that he carried a good deal
OF support from some of the best Judges of
condition at the course. Bohemia had work.
ed six furlongs in LII, good move for her
and she was always natural favorite on
her class alone.
Lone Hand. Miller's mount, had worked
@ fast mile at Gravesend and been shipped
down here for a coup. While Closteress.
Jupiter and others were also supported.
Stolen Moments. the old mare so long on
the shelf was also credited with having
newed her youth. judging from a fast trial
And she was backed.
Lone Hand and Red knight were the con-
tenders from the start, with Bohemia a
fast-closing third in the homeStretch. Red
Knight however beat them all home In the
stretch. with Bohemia finishing so strongly
that she was unlucky not to have got under
full Roadway sooner in the struggle. Be
hind Lone Hand were Cloisteress, Stolen
Moments and Toots well up.
Hooray Got the Applause.
For little one Hooray Is all horse. In
rather close quarters at the start Hooray
shouldered his way through his fellows on
the backstretch. and at the last turn got
in front. That this was well for him as 1t
happened the finish showed. where he had
to be ridden out to beat the fast-closlng
voladay. The latter ran a good race. beat
ing De Kaber and Homelander out in the
run from the head of the stretch.
no hoo vito LAT Of dav
in the last three events. Montfort was
backed for thousands by most of the
heaviest operators at the course, and his
success put a decided crimp in the rolls of
some of the more venturesome layers.
Blue Pigeon landed the maiden race
under heavy support. But as every one Of
the other starters was also played layers
who lost to this one had only themselves
to blame. The winner sold by e. d. Nor
gan of New York to ]. w. Colt, beat her
field off in the homestretch.
oxford is probably the best horse here
the way he handled 100 pounds in the
handicap being worth a long tourney to