New-York tribune., 1919-06-28

TheOnlyChoice
Fail Backers
Crystal Ford Outruns Favor.
ite; Recount Shows Hoofs
to Woodtrap in Handicap
By W. J. Macbeth

Those lovers of the breed who braved
Long Islands most tempestuous moods
were rewarded for the soaking a visit
to the Aqueduct track entailed vester.
day afternoon. The soaking. he i
noted in passing, should be interpreted
literally. Only the mental layers got
the deluge figuratively, on the side, as
the bangtails came right back to that
perfection of form which characterized
the first three afternoons of the meet.
No fewer than five of the choices vim
divated public confidence, and though
the prices on several were short the
fact was justified by the manner in
which the fields were deleted because
OF the elements. Only established mud
drs were sent after the extraordi-
narlly rich purses.
mere was no striking feature to tho
card The Raceland Handicap. for
three-year-olds and upward, at a mile
and sixteenth, would have been the
stellar attraction had the field not been
completely ruined by scratches. OF
seven originally named only two
Andrew Mliler's Recount, the ultimate
Woodtrap-went to the post.
Callahan and Erickson. the light
weights who handled these respective
contestants, looked like chimpanzees on
elephants. Old Man Callahan. however.
made it stern chase for Erickson
from start to finish, though he had to
ride his hardest through the final fur
long.
Favorite Pulls Away
1t was really beautiful start. The
pair were off together, but after a few
strides Recount, on the rail. began
gradually to pull away. Through the
backstretch the favorite pulled away to
lead of several lengths, which ad-
vantage he hello around the bend.
Erickson had to come wide with
WoodSrap at the stretch turn, as CAL
lahan picked the firmer going a few
yards out from the rail for his run in.
" Woodtrap hung on gamely in the run
through the stretch, but never could
make up his disadvantage, though Re-
count was straight through the last
eighth.
half furlongs, proved a breeze for A.
X. Macomber's Fruit Cake The five
year-old mare was played heavily and
went to the post favorite over Ophelia,
the opening choice. Fruit Cake was
right at home in the going, despite the
presence Of Buxton on her back, and
just tow-roped the rest of them.
Ophelia seemed to have difficulty in
untracking herself at the start. but fin-
ished strong after being outrun early,
as did also Quietude. Fairy Wand,
sent out as good thing her last sew
eral starts, was turning as the barrier
was sprung and had no chance to re-
deem a disadvantageous start.
Crystal Ford, the rank outsider Of
the field of three that went to the post
in the mile third, furnished the only
upset of the day. Hummer got this
one off winging and fairly lost Thun-
derciap and QUESTIONABLE, the favorite,
IN the run through the backstretch.
Catches Up With Winner
McAtee, with Thunderclap, made his
run from midway round the bend, and
though he went to the outside of Crys-
tai Ford at the stretch turn, actually
succeeded in mailing the winner an
eighth from the wire But right when
it seemed he was going to draw off to
an easy victory McAtee was content to
sit still on his mount.
Hummer went to the bat and spurred
Crystal Ford on to a new effort. Be-
fore McAtee had sensed the danger he
had tossed the race off, for when he
drew his whip in the last fifty yards he
couldn't shake UP Thunderclap in time.
lhOSe VINO backed lhundercldp had
every reason to vent their displeasure
at McAtee's carelessness. He threw
away race that should not even have
been close.
Nightstick had his work cut out for
him in the mile fifth. Fator waited
with the favorte till the last furlong,
then came with rush and won going
away. 1t looked for a time as if the
lightweighted Dottie Vandiver was 60
ing to spreadeagle the field under little
Vida.
The two two-year-old sprints were
virtual walkovers for the favorites.
J. w. McClelland's Phantom Fair, at 2
to 5, galloped home with the first;
Montford Jones's Brookholt, out for
the first time, repeated the perform
ance in the curtain number. Brook
holt, which was ridden by Lotus, was
noised about profusely as the dead sure
thing of the day, and was hammered
down from 4 to 5 to 2 to 5. The chest
nut son of Ballot won like l to 20
shot.