Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-07-31
HAIL RETURN OF
SPORT OF KINGS
Five Thousand Out in Davenport for
Delayed Opening of Great West
ern Race Program.
coon CONTESTS ALL THE WAY
Fast Time and Spectacular Finish I'm
the ;20 Pace--Contfnue the
Meet Today. -
BY Raj BIRD.


With a crowd OF 5000 people that
made the welkin ring, big fields Of
horses in each race, a very fast track
and exceedingly good time, Davenport
came back into the racing game yes
terday after being out in the cold world
for eight years. Each opening race in
the Great Western circuit series was
holly contested from wire to wire and
every horse entered was in shape for
a good hard race.
Starting Judge Stone called the
horses in the IT trot at $3.50 and in
formed them they might score at will
the first time down. Several condi
lions were responsible for delaying the
start until this time. II was the inten-
ton of the association to have Ave
races, but the unavoidable delay caus-
ed the program to be cut down to
three The races were started earlier
today and they viii attempt 10 run off
five contests.
FarOrite Wins.
Miss Perfection, the good California
mare driven by Charles DeRyder, was
made the favorite In the first race and
was played heavily in the pools. She
did not look to have a chance in the
first heat until well past the three
quarter pole when she pulled around
the bunch and was returned an easy
winner. In the second heat she trot-
ted in second position until within 100
yards OF the wire and then came home
an easy winner Under the conditions
governing this meeting, when horse
had won two heats I'm one of the 81 800
purses. that horse was declared the
winner and ruled out and the other
horses left for the third heat. In the
third heat. after Miss Perfection had
been ruled out Mr. DeRyder relieved
Rupert Parker behind The Proof and
took the mount himself. Parker is a
pacing horse man and had very little
success in driving The Proof Mr. De-
Ryder made a good drive. but the best
he could do was finish second TO Caro-
line. owned by ]. B. Jones, one of the
hackers Of the Davenport meeting.
Big Field in Second Race.
Sixteen horses faced the starter in
the first heat Of TIE 20 pace, which
proved to be the best and fastest race
on the program It was poor race
for favorites Good News had been
played heavily IN the pools because Of
his showing ia the Illinois Valley cir
cult, but he was against a better class
of horses here than he had met before,
The horses were sent away in a very
ragged start, leaving the pole horse,
also heavily played. several lengths
behind his position. Sadye Densmore
took the pole at the first quarter and
led the field home, finishing pulled up
in a slow Jog, IN 2.05% It was the
fast heat Of the day and, had she have
been driven out could have taken a
mark at least two seconds faster. Leo
Tell took the second heat by hard
drive through the stretch. Sadye
Densmore finishing third. In the third
heat the horses got away well and it
was a battle from wire to wire be-
tween Leo Tell and Sadye Densmore.
The drivers went to the bat about $50
Yards above the wire, and In the last
few feet Henry Thomas, driver OF the
Densmore mare. let loose Of his lines
and used both hands on the whip. 1t
was one OF the most spectacular fin
ishes ever seen, Sadye winning by
throat-latch She was easily the favor
lite Of the crowd. especially the ladies.
She is small, slender built sorrel
mare. but is a perfect racing machine
and will be one Of the contenders all
down the circuit,
The horses in the third race were
evenly matched, but the field was not
strong enough to beat the favOrite, Joe
Murphy He is a strong going big bay
horse and seems to win with ease. In
the last heat, May Davis finished in
fourth position, but was placed fifth for
a foul and Society Leader given fourth
position
Races on To-day.
As many Of the races remaining on
Continued on Page Sixteen.)