Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-31
ORBICULAR IS
BIG SURPRISE
SHOWS SENSATIONAL TURN OF
SPEED
RUNS 1VER MEELlcK IN STRETCH
AND WINS
Hildreth Candidate in La Senda Hand
leap Seemed Easy Winner Eighth
Out, but schlIing Went to
Sleep and Lost
BY JAY DAVIDSON


The feature event of a rood card
yesterday at Santa Anita park, the La
Senda handicap, was won by the speedy
Texas trick, Orbicular, by a sensational
finish, and after Jockey Schilling had
eased down Meelick to what he UNI
doubleday expected to be an easy VIC
tory. Orbicular made his first start of
the season in this race and was ridden
by Powers. AT the start Meelick broke
IN front and soon opened up a gap or
two lengths. Then Schilling told hold
of him and allowed him to breeze easily
to the last sixteenth, holding the same
seemingly safe margin of ADVANTAGE
that he had when he entered the
stretch. Orbicular had been carefully
rated by Powers and held out of the
early pace to the stretch. At this point
he was set down for his run for the
money and he flashed by his field in
sensational manner, catching Meelick
and Schilling mapping fifty yards out
and winning by head. Meelick should
have won, and had Schilling kept his
eyes open he hardly could have LOST,
and this caused many to make COM
ments of an unfavorable nature to
Schilling. Big Chief, owned by Presi-
dent Tom Williams of the Pacific
Jockey club, also making his first local
start, finished third. Marc Antony was
bumped out of, it at the start and re-
fused to run thereafter.
Whidden probably was the real sur
prise of the day when he won the
second race in romp from Third Rail
and Prince of CASTLE. 1t was a poor
bunch opposed to him and he had a
right to win, despite that he was rid-
den by Jockey Mulligan, wholly I'M
known to local racegoers until he made
rep by putting over Whidden.
Ffr,ar To- H. q - Il.
Sam Hildreth a barrel of money down
east last fall, had no difficulty in VIM
ming the last race of the day from
Rialto and Pinkola. This was the
classiest field of the day. King James
was coupled in the entries with Nee
lick in the handicap, but was asked to
tote LA pounds in that event and only
10S in the last race, so Hildreth sent
Meelick after the handicap and King
James after the last race. expecting TO
win both. Rialto made the pace to the
last sixteenth. where King James, just
getting into his speed, ran over him
and won by full length, going away.
Pinkola, a famous Sulker, ran kindly
and showed ahead of Tom McGrath.
The six furlongs was reeled off in
ILL rs.
Hildreth also won the opening race.
his Steel running Reformation out of
breath in the first half a mile and then
going on to win easily by nearly a
length. Reformation hung on gamely
and got the place from Uncle Walter.
Pert might have spilled the beans with
good start, getting away almost last
and then running fourth.
Seymour Beutler ran very consistent
ly and got up in time to beat Adriuche
by a head at the wire. c. w. Burt set
the pace to the stretch, where Adriucho
passed him, and then was passed by
Seymour Beutler. The latter did not
have to show any improvement to win
the race, and only justified the claims
for his high class in beating such a
classy FLY as Adriuche.
Alteration and Merrill had a hard
fight all through the stretch in the
fifth race, and the former outgamed
the latter in the final jumps. Both were
carrying high weight-114 pounds each
and the distance probably suited
Alteration more than it did Merrill.
Orcagna showed and might have won
had Musgrave taken better care of
him instead of hugglng the rail in be-
hind the leaders and shutting himself
out of any chance to get through. Vir-
lando set a fierce pace for five furlongs
and then curled up and faded away.