Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-18
SANTA ANITA
TRACK CLOSED;
RACING DEAD
BIG CROWD SEES LAST OF
ARCADIA GAME
RRs-NcE OF CHEER MARKS END
OF MEETING
Big Plant at BaldwIn's Ranch Out OF
Business-"Getaway" Day
Not Fatal to the
Public
BY JAY DAVIDSON

Anita park and Emeryville, when the
last races were run and the last legal
lied bets in this state were officially
ordered settled. The Walker-Otis bill
goes into effect at midnight tomorrow,
and 1t was possible for the two racing
associations to continue the sport one
more day, but it generally Is under
stood that the Pacific Jockey club, orr
ganized and promoted through many
years by Thomas II. Williams, already
had decided to adopt policy OF COM
pliance with the law and make a test
of its validity in the courts upon some
other pretext than a direct violation
that might be construed as defiance
of the law.
The closing scenes at Santa Anita
park were disappointing. Although IN
other seasons there had been the en-
thusiasm of good friendship, regrets at
parting and other formalities and in
formalities that approached those of
love feast. instead of a funeral, the
sport died what may be termed a
by any scenes of good fellowship or
good will, and even the usual taps
that the bugler was wont to blow out
OF his shiny horn in other closing days
was omitted. Farewells were said
among friends, a few sincere regrets
WCit tADItSScu anu tiit Cul Tam wac
tightly drawn, but the closing mo-
ments were utterly lacking in all that
the general public had expected to wit
ness on this occasion.
No "Taps" Sounded
1t always had been the custom for
the bugler who calls the horses to
the post for the last race on the last
day of a local race meeting to sound
taps" and whenever these notes were
sounded it almost always was true that
the band would follow with "Auld Lang
Syne," at which the crowds in the
grand stand and on the promenade in
front would stand and with bare heads
join in singing and otherwise show
some enthusiasm in the bonds of
friendship and the forgive and for
get regrets at parting. But there was
none of these scenes yesterday. In fact,
the day passed as all other ordinary
racing days pass, without formality
and without sentiment.
There was one commendable feature
of the closing day of the sport, and
that was the fact that the ponies"
ran up to the average of form for the
season. and those who went out to the
track in the expectation of witnessing
wholesale slaughter of innocents and
the triumph of the long shots over
popular choices were disappointed
two possible exceptions there was no
form reversal in the results
Closing day was featured by the
Meddler handicap at one mile, and
Green Seal, coupled with Ida May as
the st. James entry, galloped home in
front by nearly four lengths. The abb
sence of any great speed marvel to
go out in front with Green Seal en-
abled this coward to stick on the JOB
all the way and he never was seriously
menaced. Glorio ram his usual form
full race, coming from behind with his
regular stretch run, but was unable to
do better than second, in which hole
he was played to run by more players
than those who pinned their invest
ments on to the favorite, Guy Fisher.
Edwin T. Fryer also ran consistently.
and while not good enough to collect
the real money he got the small slice
of the purse from Mark Antony II
without any difficulty. The mile was
reeled off In :37 2-5, which justified
the performances of all the field behind
the winner.
Favorite Wins
Friend Harry won the third race at
a mile at odds on, going to the front
at the half and staying there to an
easy victory over Tavera, which was
second choice in the public estimation.
in 1888, uncommonly slow, but prob
ably accounted for in the fact that
Friend Harry outclassed his field and
was not forced to extend himself to
win.
Wistaria, long overdue and in a soft
spot, got UP in time to win the first
race by head from Sly Ben, the
muchly touted good thing. Kopek,
juicy long shot, showed. while Cobble-
skill, the favorite, was nowhere.
Pho Pico was very much overlaid in
the ring because he was not expected
to go six furlongs, owing to his cow
ardly nature, but he was played nearly
off the boards to win, and managed
to hold onto his lead to the wire, al
though Firm Foot was only whisker
behind at the crucial moment Nc
Chord got up in time to gather the
shot end of the purse.
Reliable old Spohn was well ridden |
by Schilling and won the fifth race in }
a hard drive all through the stretch
with Jane Swift and Milpitas. The
latter never was speedy enough to get
far away from his field, despite that
he broke In front and led into the
stretch. Jane Swift was on even terms
with him at the stretch turn, and then
Spohn moved up fast, and when the
three went into a hard drive Milpitas
quit to nothing and Spohn gradually
Overran Jane SWIFT, getting the de-
cision by the narrowest of margins.
Free Knight the Bear was third.
Breaks Many Heart
Lawton Virgins broke many
heart when he beat Fleming and
Rialto in the last race of the day by
running the best race of his career.
He, Fleming and Rialto were almost
inseparable at the wire and Fleming
was best the way the race was run,
but was weakly ridden by Rice. The
field kept the crowd in suspense by
remaining at the post twenty minutes.
Col. Bob being the principal cause of
the delay. He ran his race at the post
and never showed any speed at all.
Tom McGrath retired after chasing
Rialto, the pacemaker, into the stretch.
Just what will happen between now
and the date for opening Santa Anita
nd Emeryville tracks next fall re-
~ains for the future to determine, but
it is known that the racing promoters
will not die an easy death and have
decided upon a vigorous campaign to
undo the acts of the legislators in put
ting the sport out of business. Many
expressions, some of them of a semi
official nature, have been heard for
some time to the effect that racing
will not be interfered with in this state
and that the usual winter meetings
will be held. How, when and where
the test Of the law will be made also
Is unknown.