New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-15

finally came bdCk anto us own WITH
Yesterday afternoon.
Naturalist, cleverly ridden by
to have finally mastered all those
gelding just as Fairbrother had then
his mount quit cold to Hannibal in
whisper, won the Empire City Hand
ture race of the opening day of the
Naturalist not only beat high class
field. including Mad Halter, Boniface
and Audacious, which finished behind
MIN in the order named, but did it we'll
within himself, after making every
post winning one. The big disap-
nointment of this race was the favorite,
n. L. Schwartz's Audacious, which
finished absolutely last.
It is possible that the track had most
everybody fooled. Audacious likes a
papier-mache course, and though the
footing appeared fast it was scarcely
50. if time means anything. Judging
from average time, the course was a
couple of seconds off, which may ac-
count for Naturalist's exceptional eff
fort, as he is at his best in heavy
going.
Favorite Always Outrun
However that may be, Naturalist had
the foot tc take the track before the
first turn, and down the backstretch he
opened up gap of half q dozen
was always cutrun. 1t looked for q
time as if the game Boniface might be
able to run down Naturalist, as the
Ross horse was closer to the pace than
usual in the early stages, but Boniface
seemed to have too heavy a package
aboard.
Mad Halter might have done the
trick with more advantageous start,
but this one also took too much out of
himself trying to overcome the long
lead OF Naturalist. Though the Wild
ener gelding tired toward the end, he
had won the race in the first three
quarters.
Naturalist will bear watching from
now on; 1t is true ne was in yesterday
with the proverbial feather on his
back; but it is equally true he has
raced very consistently. throughout the
entire year. In eight starts around
the New York track this year, and
against the very best horses of the
older divisions, Naturalist has never
finished outside the money. He has
won his last two starts, has been
second once and third five times.
Form players had Roman holiday
at this opening of the Empire City
meeting, which was one of the most
generously patronized in history of the
track. By a stretch of the Imagination
one might say that favorites swept the
card. Naturalist was as strongly sup
ported as either Boniface or Audacious,
despite the vital statistics of the form
chart. 1t was practically 21a to / and
take your pick among the three most
Of the way. In all other five races
pronounced favorites rolled home in
front Rolled is used advisedly, for
none Of the finishes was close.
Leonardo II Hot Tip
Perhaps the most popular victory OF
the afternoon was that of J. W. Nc
Clelland's Leonardo II. Leonardo, a
two-year-old brown colt which re-
sembles Eternal, his half brother
they are both the get Of Sweep won
the last race at five furlongs. Leo
season. The checkers reported that he
had twice sprinted half miles under
48 in his workouts and one trial gave
him minute fiat for five furlongs.
Everybody about the race track, it
seemed, was anxious to speculate on
Leonardo II's chance the moment the
odds were posted, and he was quickly
taken from to l to l to 2. No horse
this season got a stronger play unless
perhaps it was Dough Girl, the even
ing before, in the closing race of the
Aqueduct meeting.
The checkers knew what they were
talking about, all right. No greater
cinch ever went to the post. Schultz
niger got the colt off we'll and in
few bounds from outside position he
was a couple of lengths in front.
Schuttinger then took the track, and
though he had his steed under triple
wraps all the way and was pulled to
canter through the last sixteenth.
Leonardo II beat such a good colt as
Guv'nor by ten lengths at the end.
He simply raced Guv'nor and all the
rest of them dizzy and still cakewalked
1nchcape spreadeagled his field in the
fremont Stakes at Aqueduct Saturday
last
Fast Time by Winner
Leonardo II galloped the five fur
longs in the wonderful time of one
minute over a track that seemed
couple Of seconds slow. There are
those who believe Inchchape will have
his work cut out the first time he meets
Leonardo II at Saratoga.
Schuttinger, by the way, won quite
as easily with Jim Daisy, another two
year-old, in the first race at five and
half furlongs.
=, The only winner to come from
behind was War Smoke in the fifth
race at mile and seventy yards.
Sam Hildreth, who recently pur-
chased 1nchcape for s150,0o0 from j. H.
Rosseter, of California, made an I'M
successful attempt to purchase Inch
xpe's sire, Friar Rock, from the same
9'rseman, but was informed the stall
Ion was not for sale at any price.