New-York tribune., 1920-08-19
Smoke Screen
Wins Grab Bae
Prize of $4,000
Defeats Favorite. Gen. ]. M.
Gomez, and Large Field
in Saratoga Feature Race

SARATOGA SPRINGS. N. Y, Aug. IS.
Clifford Cochran's Smoke Screen, a
two-year-old bay colt by His Majesty,
Veil. won the Grab Bag Handicap of
$4,000, six-furlong dash for two-year
olds, which was the feature event
of the Saratoga Associations racing
program this afternoon. Smoke Screen
beat out the favoritc, A. H. Diazs Cen
eral ). NJ. Gomez, by a length. Two
lengths behind, the Quincy Stables
knobbie nailed the consolation end Of
the purse by a neck from W. R. Goes
Pahaska
This grab bag, which was worth So
$50 to the winner. is considered one
OF the most important of the pre-
liminary juvenile classics. 1t has come
TO be regardedeas trial for the rich
hopeful. which. with the Futurity, de-
termines the two-year- champion
ship of the year. Smoke Screen, which
was making his first start of the sea-
son on an Eastern track and which had
won one race in five starts on Kentucky
tracks, was somewhat lucky to qualify
as championship candidate
General ]. M. Gomez Favorite
The favorite. General j. M. Gomez,
was pounds the best of the eleven two
year-olds that went to the post. an
original nomination of twenty having
been scratched down to that number
The favorite had all the worst of the
racing luck. He drew third position
from the rail, and, getting away none
TOO we'll, was butfeted about and
slammed mere and there in the early
running.
Teddy Rice showed rare courage and
fortune and made his WAY through the
tortuous field in the dash around the
turn until he had almost collared J. X.
l.. Ross's Hildur, the early pacemaker,
swinging into the stretch.
Here Clarence Hummer who had the
leg up on Hildur, willingly or unwit-
tlngly ruined the last hope of the ia,
vorlte, for Hummer swung wide with
Hlldur and carried Gomez with him.
This presented golden opportunity
which the veteran frankie Keoeh
quickly seized. Keogh, off poorly from
an outside position wormed his way
over to the rail, where he bided his
time In the hope that the pacemakers
might swing wide on the stretch turn.
Quick as fash, when they did so, he
shot through, skimming the rail
he had War Screen up with the two
dueling front runners before she lat
ter realized what had happened. Even
then Rice might have been able to re-
'trieve the favorite's cause had Hildur
not continued to interfere and carry
MIN wide almost through the entire
'stretch 1t seemed a case of Hildur
Dorlng out as a result of tiring from
the early pace, but the favorte hap
pened to be in a position where he had
to suffer most.
When General J. NJ. Gomez finally
shook OF the firing Hildur it was too
late for him to overcome Smoke
Screens triumphant rush, straight as
an arrow, through the stretch. Bripa-
der General, considered a champion
SNIP possibility earlier in the season.
mad no excuse and quit badly in the
streSch after being prominent through
the early running.
Naturalist a Winner
The Clemons Handicap, at a mile.
u Inc secondary feature, was won by ]
T. " Mldener's good old campaigner. Nat
urallst. In spite OF Naturalist's re-
cent consistency the general public
c0uld see little to the race but Sam
Hildreth's Mad Halter, and plaved ac-
cordlngly. Mad Halter was bumped
down from & to to II to 10.
But when it came to racing there
was nothing but Naturalist in the heat.
Camoufeur gave the gelding an areu-
ment tor three quarters of a mile. and
after Camouteur chucked it Mad Hat
Ter TOOK up the challenge 1t was as
easy Tor Naturalist to stand this sec
ono challenge, for after Mad Halter
mao worked his way up resolutely he
weakened right toward the end Mr