New-York tribune., 1918-08-17
Ross Colors
Flash to Front
In Close Race
Son of Broomstick Beats
Westy Hogan by Nose in
the Schenectady
By W. !. Macbeth

-Cudgel, the gallant four year old son
OF broomstick, whose brilliant perform
ances on occasion have illuminated the
1918 Eastern racing season, won the
most thrilling race of his career here
this afternoon. While fifteen thousand
thoroughbred enthusiasts threw fits of
frenzy in all it's variegated forms
Cudgel fought his way through the long
stretch to a victory that stamped him
as one of the gamest colts that has
carried American silks.
Cudgel won the Schenectady Handi-
cap, at one mile and three -siHteenths,
Tor three yearolds and upward. He
set new worlds record for the dis
tancc His time was l.: Sc fat. On Au-
! gust 3 here M. L. Schwartz's three
year-old Enflade, carrying ia pounds,
tied the worlds record of 1856 80
made by Milton B. in 1908. Cudgel
shouldered l31 pounds in his record
run to-day. But that, too, is merely an
incident. He beat Westy Hogan.
Westy Hogan Not Disgraced
Therein lies the theme for the turf
saga that Will be sung of him when
Cudgel finally passes to the Valhalla of
all good thoroughbreds Westy Hogan,
four-year old star, which established
his class week ago In heavy going
and on fast track, ran one of the
greatest races of any thoroughbred's
career and still lost. There was no
disgrace in his defeat. He gave of the
very best he had. He fought Cudgel to
standstill through the last bitter six
teenth. He stood his drive so admir-
ably that none but the judges and
those directly behind the finish line
could possibly tell which of the stout
hearted four-year-old colts had won.
The two jockeys most interested had
not the least idea which way the YER
dict fell till they cantered back for a
flash at tie board. Neither could tell
from his reception by the crowd.
Westy Hogan. the beaten colt, was ap-
plauded quite. as generously as was
the odds-on winning favorte
This Schenectady handicap may not
have the sentimental associations of
some of the more generously esteemed
classics, but never stake race, under
whatever name, developed more soul
stirring bit Of excitement through that
final stage where all races hold real
interest. For more than furlong--
the final furlong-these two uncon-
querable four-year-old colts fought it
head to head, stride for stride. Each
~,
could gain an inch.
Cudgel won simply because Cudgc's
head happened to have bobbed down at
the end of stride as the wire was
reached. Westy Hogan's head was up
for the beginning of a new stride
that is how close it was. The chart
says nose. 1t was fractional inches
merely.
One cannot 60 behind results Fig
ures talk and there is a new record for
the mile and thrce-sixteenths this
be made Of the respective horscmanship
displayed detrimental to the fame Of
c. Hummer, who had the mount of
Hogan. Hummer, who had the rail
position, got Westy Hogan off to q
most advantageous start. Before the
first turn he had drawn we'll clear, and
many were of the opinion that Westy,
if he ever got away winging, never
could be headed. There is a suspicion
enough use Of his mount in the first
quarter
Hogan opened up lead of two
lengths in that first quarter, yet it was
q very slow quarter for such sprinter.
Hogan stepped in 0:25 1-5 only. The
boy sent Wcsty Hogan along then. The
Viaux colt sprinted the second quarter
in % seconds fiat. But at the end of
the half mile Cudgel was second, only
three lengths behind the pacemaker,
and the hackers Of the odds-on favorite
smiled with satisfaction. From there
they figured Cudgel would simply run
over Westy through the stretch.
Well. that is about all there is to it,
From there home each was sent to the
limit of his endurance. Cudgel had cut
down one length of Westy Hogans
three lengths of advantage by the time
the latter flashed past the three quar-
ters in :12 is. He had picked up an
other length at the end of the mile,
which was turned in 1887 rs.
Real Horse Race
A sixteenth more sufficed for Cudgel
to come almost to even terms with the
pacemaker. And the folks saw real
horse race through the final. No gamer
pair ever fought it out. 1t was a ques-
ton of which ones head should be
down at the finish, and Cudgel hap
pened to have fortune in that respect
in his favor.
! To-day's racing was by far the most
interesting and exciting Of the meeting
There we're head or nose finishes in
all Of the first five events, any one of
which might furnish thrilling lead
for any ordinary card. The only start
! ling upset developed In the final race,
which was run by J. w. McCleland's
Eternal.
Eternal opened favoritc in the bet
ting, but in going to the paddock de-
veloped a soreness which prompted the
/ stable to petition the stewards for the
! privilege Of Withdrawing from the race.
The stewards ordered Eternal out be-
fore them. to be trotted and cantered,
and finally decided the soreness was
not 80 pronounced as to Justify with
drawal at the eleventh hour.
IF Eternal had only three legs, as
reported "a fact which made the talent
! shy clear Of him at any price). it is
good thing for the American racng
record that the colt did not happen to
1 be sound. Evidently the stable or
some Of it's connections discovered sub
sequently that the soreness had dis
appeared before the colt went to the
post, for he won just about as far as
you can throw a stone.
Eternal incidentally set now track
record for the five fnrlongs, which he
stepped in $50 seconds. This was
four-ffths seconds Improvement over
the mark established hv H. T. Whit
ney's Sticking the third dav of the
present race meet. Sticking on that
occasion carried only 1o6 pounds. Eter-
tai totcd 107 to-day.
Not counting Eternal, which opened
second choice. tho talent had n pretty
fair afternoon, as favorites won three
OF the other races. Wonderman barely