Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-12
BOOKS LOSE IN
GUESSING MATCH
ODDS LAYERS UP IN AIR AS
REGARDS FORM
TRACK CONDITIONS CAUSE ALL
TO BECOME CAUTIOUS
Animus Shows Great Consistency by
Winning from Good Field at Mile
in Feature Event of Day at
Santa Anita Park
BY JAY DAVIDSON

The bookmakers out at Santa Anita
yesterday were very much up in the
air when it came to figuring out their
odds and seldom 1t was that they
"doped" the right horse to win.
Changed track conditions and the all
most utter lack Of any mud" form this
season, owing 10 the lack of rains,
made bookmaking strictly a guessing
contest on h1t-Or-miss basis. Added
TO these facts, the lack of class to the
various races also added to the misery
of the dopeSters. 1t was Blue Monday
selling platers' day, and nobody yet
has been found who can figure them in
such going as that which prevailed
yesterday.
The only p1etension to class was
made in the fourth race, a $500 selling
affair at one mile. Animus, of course
won, with Hasty Agnes, a prime mud
der, second, and Red Gauntlet, third
Rapid Water, John Carroll, Carthage
and Centre Shot refused the issue via
the scratch route. Hasty Agnes set
the pace, with Capt. Burnett and Mark
Antony II closely following until well
into the back stretch, where both faded
away and Hasty was left alone out in
'front.' After turning for home, AMI
mus moved up fast and soon over
hauled Hasty and in the final eighth
he pulled away and won as he pleased
proving much the best Of his field. The
mile was done in 1:40 over track that
was holding and heavy and deep.
La Londe, once a clever sprinter, but
afflicted with bad legs and a regular
habit of breaking down when running
over a hard track, had no difficulty in
winning the opening race from Femi-
nine and Albion H. 1t was a race for
mo hot hoI
a worthless lot faced the barrier. Femi-
nine broke running and took the lead
at once. La Londe and Albion H al
ways stayed close up, but never could
catch Feminine until after turning for
home. La Londe seemed to want to
run all over the track, as if searching
for dry going, but when Strengthened
out for home she slung mud all over
everything behind her and soon over
took Feminine, winning comparatively
romping. Albion H. easily got the
show money.
Johnny pullman showed his real
form in the saddle when he Schillinged
away from the post with Mary Van
Buren, and towroped the field to the
wire in the baby race. Ell Perfecto,
from the Baldwin barns, probably was
best, but was at disadvantage in get
ting away poorly and could not over
come the lead Of Mary, although plac-
ing ahead Of Tyras. Chalum, one Of
Dick Williams speed marvels, saved
ground on the stretch turn, when all
others ran wide, and seemed dangerous
for a few seconds, but probably was
short, as he got nothing at all.
Barney O1dfield, making his first
start since OPENING day, found the go
ing made to order and under a skillful
ride by Archibald cot up in time to
win from Norfolk and Madeline Mus
grave. Barney was not seriously men
aced in the last sixteenth and the
pikers' colony certainly whooped up
things when he romped to the imagin-
cry line and and made good many
tickets calling for magnificent returns
for small investments. Norfolk ran
his race, but Madeline Musgrave weak
ened fast in the last eighth, after set
ting a furious pace.
William Walker and his usual luck
enabled A. Muskoday, running in his
colOrS for the first time, to win the
long race from barrier to wire. Mus
koday had the foot to go to the front
at the start and he soon opened up a
gap that could not be closed by those
behind him. ID was dazed and wobbly
as he approached the wire, but Clark
kept his head up and he f1oated home
in front Of Lord Stanhope and Brancas
The sixth race was won by The
Thorn, which was backed all over the
ring for a good thing, and it was an
easy victory for Arthur's gelding Or
cagna, which had been showing good
form on fast track and is known to
revel in soft or muddy going. placed
and Calves, an extremely fast son of
Galveston, showed.
Owing to an accident which delayed
the arrival of the trains over the
Southern Pacific until o'clock, the
first race was delayed until 2:10
o'clock A large crowd attended. de-
spite the threatening weather and the
nm tfvoo