The Detroit times., 1909-07-29
Tremendous Downpour Makes Rest
of The Blue Ribbon Program
Very Doubtful
Matter.
Crowd Has Consolation Of Two Very
Speedy Stake Events and Thrills
of Every Character
BY PAUL II. HRuskE.

ready put the State Fair track In
doubtful condition. drenching rain
I. fell which made racing very doubt
full matter. 30 far as today is concern
ed, and made II necessary for some
very emphatically drying weather to
put In an appearance If there is TO be
any speed on either Friday or Satur-
day.
But that is looking on the dark side
OF things. An optimist would readily
point out the undoubted fact that the
big days of the meeting have been
passed with ideal conditions for rae
ing. and the rain has only come at a
time which may save the meeting
from any descent from the climax OF
yesterday.
The two classic stakes have been
raced TO a successful conclusion, the
main events on the program are all
past but the free-tor-all pace; the
track Is one that dries out quickly, II
given any reasonable sort OF oppor-
tunity. and the original plan OF two
more racing days may yet be taken
advantage OF, In case the sun comes
out and stays for four or five hours
This spring the track was severely
tested. and II was seldom that the
rain OF a night did not disappear from
the track by afternoon sufficiently 10
allow the horses TO be worked before
dark.
No Chance for Hamburg Belle.
OF course, fast time will be out
of the question. Hamburg Belle Will
set no worlds record here this week.
The 2:O3 "a OF the Blind Hal Raven
yesterday will have TO stand as the
high-water pacing mark OF the meet
ing, regardless Of what the free-Ior-
all PAGERS may do later on In the
week. AS this, however. Is a worid's
mark for sightless PAGERS and Is the
fastest tmile OF the season TO date. 1t
is considerable of performance In
itself. however.
And the crowd saw enough excit-
ing racing yesterday TO compensate
for the hardships and expense sus-
tanned, no matter what that might
have been. It wanted some thrills and
1t got them.
Whoever supposed that, In the roam
Margin, Lon" Mcdonald would un
cover another Allen Winter, only q
faster horse than the one that as
sonished the turf world last year when
he dropped from nowhere and won
the $5O,000 Readville handicap?
Whoever imagined that the big bay
Daughter OF John A. McKerron and
Nancy Hanks was going to make
good on all that her ancestry seemed
TO promise, and to win colt race at
this time of year In such time as
2:10 IL, and with another flly. al
most as good, right on her sulky
wheel:
Who could have predicted that the
2:12 pace was going TO develop so
many exciting finishes or that Hal
Raven was going to be so hard press
ed as To acquire a record OF 2:03 3-4
before she could call the 2:07 pace
hers?
Yes, There Were Thrills.
The crowd paid for thrills. and got
its moneys worth; that was all there
was to IL.
Aside from the surprise which Mr..
Mcdonald and Margin handed Us, the
1909 M. q M. could not be termed an
exciting horse race. II wasn't ex.
citing because, after the first heat
had been raced, there wasn't a man
who could conscientiously see where
there was another horse that had q
license TO finish within two lengths
Of the winner. In surprising us, Mr..
Mcdonald had simply ruined the race
from the standpoint Of competition.
There wasn't even any mixing up OF
the other positions. Marie ". was
easily the best Of the rest and as
good as her supporters had believed
her to be. She would have won any
other NJ q M. with the possible ex-
ception Of the one captured by So
noma Girl. Bisa was always third,
but never threatening to do better.
Margin isn't the most beautiful
mare In the world. but she goes about
as well ns any Of them.
How Margin Won.
They got away TO a nice start with
Henry Setter showing the early speed
and taking the track at the lower turn
Down the back stretch he was Joined
by Mario N. Margin trailed on the
pole In third and fourth position. On
the upper turn Marie N. passed Setter
and took the rail. 1t looked as II the
favorite was winning handily. But
Margin swung wide, entering the
stretch and II was Immediately seen
that she was trotting terrific clip
Margin caught Marie at the paddock
gate. There was a brief struggle
Marie N. stood a hard drive without
hinching. but Margin swept by and
st the finish Mcdonald won by twc
lengths. with the field strung out
Geers tried TO within the last 1OC
yards and then eased up. seeing tha,
II was no use. The crowd gasped
and then yelled its appreciation o
the strategy OF Mcdonald. The other
heats were almost exact duplicates.
Big Killing on Winner.
A conservative estimate has Il tha
Mr.. Fletcher. who owns a half inter
est In the winner, backed her at odd
OF s TO In the pools to such an ex
tent as 10 win In the neighborhoo,
Of $4,000. The average betting wa
In large sums. pools OF about $3.50
with Marie ". bringing 5000 and Mar
gin $50 being the average OF th,
speculation. though Il started highe
and finished lower than that.
II is said that Mr.. Fletcher's repre-
+, fentatives, without competing In sue
n way as to materially raise Margin
price. succeeded in getting Amos
every ticket sold on the roam mare