New-York tribune., 1918-06-11
Balanced Fields
Furnish Thrills
For Racegoers
Head to Head Finishes Com
mon Throughout
Afternoon
w. J. Macbeth

The Long ISiand railway trains car
ried lot of soreheads back from Bel
mont Park race track last evening, for
the talent got quite a humping through
the afternoon. Wise Joan, in the third
race, was the only favorite that brought
home the bacon, and the wisenheimers
mostly passed her up because of a sup
posedly unfavorable post position. OF
that later. But to those who attend the
races for sports sake and the improve
ment of the breed of horse flesh moth
ing fairer could be asked. The we'll
balanced fields fought from barrier rise
to finish in almost every competition.
There was an unusual number of head
to head finishes and often quite as stiff
battles for the place and show posi-
tions.
One of the very most thrilling fin-
ishes of the afternoon developed in
the feature race, the Hampstead Han
dicap, which was put on fourth. Jockey
Y. Robinson landed this, after spirit
ed and clever ride, with D. ]. Leary's
Flash Cd. Robinson had to use every
art at his commond to get the last
ounce of energy out of his mount in
order to vindicate the advantage of a
early pace that gave him the jump of
his field.
Mars Cassidy during the present
meeting never got field away better
than in this feature event. The seven
contenders broke in perfect alignment.
The sturdy Old Koenig. which ran the
race of his life, showed his muzzle in
freut before the flag dropped, but Sun
fash and Damrosch had both unfeoted
him at the quarter. There Robinson
found himself free enough to ease over
on the rail, which he hugged tight all
the way in.
Sunfiash Sets Fast Pace
Sunfash set very fast pace and
at the end of half mile had drawn
away from Old Koenig by length and
half. Lanius, hot favorite in the
estimation of the layers, was fighting
it out with Flittergold, Drastic and
Damrosch - only heads apart at this
stsge-an equal distance behind Old
Koenig. 1t was anybody's race when
they rounded the turn into the stretch.
Sunfiash and Old Koenig were only
heads apart, the lead alternating with
almost every stride. The pair fought
fought it right down through the
stretch this way, in whipping finish
through the last furlong.
not gain the few inches necessary to
assure him victory. Sunflash I'd was
nose in front at the end. R. T. Will
son, jr.s, aightforward, with Ambrose
in the saddle instead of the customary
Johnny McTaggart, drew the outside
position. straightforward tried to
come through on the inside ON the
backstretch and was pinched off. Am
hrose could not get free with the colt
until the field Strengthened out for the
stretch run. Then it was bit too late.
he came like bullet through the last
1urlong and was running strong at the
end
flittergold, which was in pretty
good position at the stretch turn, blew
al chance by running wide. The
iavorlte, Lanius, outfooted all the way,
further dissipated his chances after
strengthening for the home run by
"".tihe away over 10 the rail-.
The wiseacres all laid off G. D.
Midener's two-year-old chestnut filly
WISE Joan, favorite for the four and a
nan furlong dash over the straight,
because she was unfortunate enough to
dfaw the extreme outside position for
held of nineteen. The outside going
az this particular start is sandy and
heavy, and dopesters figured Joan as
good as beaten in the early scramble
for this reason the price receded per
eeptibly.
Ensor outjockeys Field
But Ensor, who has shown a disposi-
ton tc think on occasion, so jockeyed
a. the barrier as to congest the field
was sprung Wise Joan was right in
she middle of the track, where the
lnooting was good, and not in the sand.
wise. Joan, q fast breaker, got away
wlnglng and was never headed. Once
out IT. front. Ensor took no chances.
he rode for all he was worth all the
way In. and managed to stave off Keen
sSane's spirited challenge through the
last hundred yards.
.ne prettiest and most thrilling finishes
.he tlmber-toppers have shown at the
meeting. Robert Oliver, an outsider,
elosed with great burst of speed after
taxing the last fence and in the very
sast stride nosed out the favorite, Lou
vois. The latter, which was fencing
put lndifferentiy, tired in the final
sprint oyer the fiat after setting the
pace all the way. Still, it looked
ss n Myers might have saved the
asvorite had he been Just bit less
eohhdent at the end. The finish was
30 close that nobody but the judges
were quite. sure of the result
The Beldane Handicap for mares
over the six furlongs straight course
somewhat disappointingly. Erickson
scored with Salvestra in one Of the
ywsefy closest finishes of the afternoon.
'ae winner, Ina Frank. and Rose dor