Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-11
DON DIEGO
IN FINE FORM
Belmont's Handicap Horse Wol
Feature Event at Benning.

ty-four hours helped to dry out the Ben
ming course to a degree, 1t was still
heavy and holding in spots yesterday
If no more snow or rain falls it will be
fairly fast for the last three days of the
meeting.
Naturally the going affected results IS
generally is the case under similar con-
ditions. A card that looked to have GER
tain horses stand out in every one of the
six events gave spectators hard jolts in
four Of the six events, only two favorites
winning, and both of these at odds on.
Fourteen very Moderate horses, as far
as public form is concerned. faced the
music in the opening event So we'll had
Legerdemain shown at longer distance
that, with Mountain up, he was strongly
backed. The big son of Galore likes the
mud, and his success was generally con-
ceded, barring accident.
Lucy Strome was always second choice,
but medley of tips on half a dozen of
the others caused several movements in
their favor that made sl.>-ulators put their
thinking caps on. Maddens three-year-old
to I; Hitchcock's colt, Dog Rose, from 80 to
1 to one-third Of that price, while How
About You. Miller's mount, and Black
Chalk were also played.
To a fairly good start for all but Mad
denis colt, Dog Rose set the pace, closely
followed by Lucy Strome, How About You
and Legerdemain. But the favorite got a
rough deal reaching the bridge and was
knocked back. This left Dog Rose sailing
away with everything in his favor, and in
the homestretch he was not reached.
Miller, with How About You, brought Dog
Rose to drive in the last fifty yards, but
Louis Smith kept the Hitchcock colt going
long enough fO verdict vii ha
10O-to-1 shot. Grafton third. The winner in
the fourth division of the Hitchcock stable
is trained by the veteran, w. P. Burch.
He showed some speed in his last race,
hence his support yesterday.
The large body of losers on this race tried
to even-up matters in the second by back
Ing Miller on Wood Stocktons Trey of
Spades, the youngster trained by William
Garth. OF the seven opposed to him Will
liam Shields started two-Lady Powell. his
own filly. and Bilfl, the fast Toddington
colt that he trains for Paul Powers. The
latter was preferred in the market to the
filly, but as the race turned out Lady
Powell proved more than useful pace
maker for her stable companion, Bilfl.
Don Diego in Form.
With her great speed for short distance,
Lady Powell outbroke Trey Of Spades and
quickly opened up a gap on the favorite.
who led Servile and Bilfil by several lengths
as the youngsters ran round the lower
turn Making the homestretch Lady Pow
ell and the Trey led the other two by fully
three lengths, and hackers Of Miller's
mount began to calculate their winnings
But the fast pace set by the leader began
to tell on the favorite. and half way home
his hackers were dismayed to see that he
was beginning to hang. And as just then
Bilfl and Servile came banging up the
race at once assumed a phase Of uncer-
tainty that set the spectators In a ferment.
In the four-horse drive home that ensued
Trey of Spades was the first to crack, and
Servile looked the winner until young Hen
nessey got Bilfl's nose in front in the very
last stride 1t was one of the closest fin
1sheS Of the meeting, and only the officials
could tell the result with any degree of ac-
curacy. Lady Powell was a close third
and the favorite fourth, the finish being a
hair raiser.
Golf Ball in the third race looked the
surest investment Of the day with Miller
up, and as the field was small the colt
was plunged on by most of the heavy specu-
lators on the ground. The big Of
Plaudit seemed to outclass Greene at even
weights, especially as the latter had shown
himself so sluggish in his late races, and
any price was considered good one for the
followers of Miller and the Hitchcock colt
Lally had some place backing.
The only solution of Golf Balls bad per-
formance is that the colt has been over
rated. Evidently he is not Of much account
right now, whatever he may be later And
it will be a long time before he will be an
odds-on favorite again over anything. Yes
terday he outran his company at first, but
in the last furlong passed 1t up to Greene
like a $50 horse instead of one of great
reputation. Lally, off slowly, closed quite a
gap in the run home.
Layers were now on velvet, with favorite
after favorite beaten, and took all the
money they could get on the Belmont four
year-old Don Diego and asked for more.
The half brother to Beldame looked so well
in blq rralfninn9rv and had cd oil
for Trainer Whalen that hackers who were
still solvent placed their few remaining dol
lars on the Don.
Still, two other contingents backed Rose
of Dawn and CederstrOme, and at the end
Don Diegos price heightened as the money
came in on the other two. None of the
other four were seriously considered ex-
cept for third place.
Holscher Wins at Last.
Don Diego acted rather unruly going to
the post, but once there Miller was able to
handle him easy enough. Miller took him
out In the center of the track at the start,
where the going was firme~ and soon had
the lead, which he never reiinqushed after
ward. Cederstrome and Rose of Dawn ran
at him alternately. but neither was equal
to the task and the namesake Of the Span
ish don won g. bloodless victory in hollow
style. Cederstrome would have been Sec
was all out chasing Don Diego, and Rose
of Dawn beat him easily at the end.
After her late consistent races here the
little filly Wabash Queen looked equal to
winning the fifth event and she was always
the choice. But the Ivanhoe, Warning
and Cobleskill people all thought their
horses could beat her. and backed them ac-
cordingly, the market on the race took a
wide range, conservative layers having
chances to 'round up on the four win
something to either Of them and have two
long shots running for them. one of whom
Society Bud, proved the winner. Rarrly
do layers have such an opportunity as this
was.
Since her arrival here Society Bud was
sold out of the Richards stable to L. J.
Carey, and carried the latter's colors for
the first time yesterday. With little SIM
mons up as much as 10 to 1 was obtain
able and more in few instances some of
the club house. contingent ''nibbling" at
the dlly for moderate amounts.
Always good mud mare, Society Bud
showed the others the way all through
and at the end had enough left to stall off
Wabash Queens final rush. Ivanhoe, a
Joke horse, was virtually left, but closed a
big gap when too late.
With Ormonde's Right and The Quail
scratched. Holscher was always hot
favorite in the final. The Madden colt
Faust, however, gave his hackers all sorts
OF emotions in the final furlong where