New-York tribune., 1920-09-19
John p. Criier
Beats Cirrus
1n Speed Test
Whitney Colt Wins the
Edgemere Handicap at
Aqueduct i'm Fast Time
! BY w. ]. Macbeth

| ~ W. - iVA0SCCSA
Harry Payne Whitneys three-year-
old colt, John P. Grier, is a mighty
fine Observation-Disclosures Man O. War
is nowhere in sight. Perhaps he is
the next best three-year-old to the
superhorse. At any rate, he ran about
as hne race in yesterdays feature
at Aqueduct as could have been ex-
pected OF any mans colt to beat Sam
Hildreth's Cirrus.
Only the pair of them went to the
post for the Edgemere Handicap, with
$I,ooo added. at mile and furlong.
Hlidreth's Mad Halter, Of the three
originally named, was scratched. But
Tor two-horse race it was about the
most thrilling ever seen at Aoueduct
barring always the duel between Man
war and John P. Grier in The Dwyer
'ohn <. Grler, never once let down
az any stage of the mile and an
eighth. galloped the distance in the
very , hne an time Of :51 2-5. Man O War
IN IN Inc Wwyer set a track record at
LAP l-5.~ Grier, in beating Cirrus yes
3!erday without apparently exerting
nimself ut any time, covered the dis
tance in front Of Hildreth's colt in as
good time as he raced behind Man
o. War. Yesterday he finished fresh
as daisy; he reelcd home drunkenly
behind the super-horse. And he car
rled four pounds more yesterday than
ne dld against the Fair Play colt.
Real Race for Mile
For more than a mile it was a
real horserace. Cassidy sent the pair
off as a team, and through a fur
long no one could tell which held the
advantage. Then John p. Grier gradu-
ally began to draw out from his rival,
away to take the rail without inter
ference. Half way down the long
backstrctch Cirrus made up some of
his disadvantage, until his nose was at
John P. Grier's saddle girths.
They raced in this fashion around
the long bend and SO turned into the
stretch, Grier racing to the outside and
consequently further. Then, straight
ened for home, Cirrus began to work
the stretch for few moments it
looked indeed as if Hidreth's colt
was about to head that of Whitney's
But Ambrose simply eased the reins
q bit and Grier bounded away again
candy Johnson, who had the leg up
on Cirrus, then went to the bat, but it
was evident that his mount was straight
as string and could not respond
John P. Grier evidently is we'll ac-
quainted with Man O. VS. and could
not be fooled by a common Cirrus.
He attended strictly to his knitting and
was under restraint at the finish.
1t is possible the race might have
maintained its keen excitement to the
very finish had "Buddy" Ensor been
able to ride Cirrus, as was at first
planned. The stable connections were
ready to bet q few oil wells Cirrus
could do the trick for Ensor. The Hill
dreth colt was fit horse, as he proved,
and it must be remembered that though
a fair rider-as riders so these days
johnson is not within twenty pounds
of the rider "Buddy" is.
Ensor Thrown and Shaken Up
Ensor was thrown from the back of
the favorite shortly after the start of
the first race rs the result Of jam
caused by the swerving Of Wcdgewood.
The stewards held f. Ambrose, who had
the mount on Wedgewood, at fault. and
suspended him for six days for rough
riding. Fortunately, Ensor was not Sc
rjously injured. He escaped with bad
shaking up. 1t is expected he will be
back in the saddle tomorrow.
The Bushwick Steeplechase Handi-
cap, at about two miles, with $500
added, furnished plenty of excitement
right toward the close. The Greentree
Stables Flare eventually won and it
was a popular victory, as Flare was
heavily played fAvorite. But Vincent
Powers had to riGe hard to save the
bacon. Flare moved up fast in the last
quarter, but had to be ridden out to
beat Rupica. which finished very strong.
Indeed, up to the very last jump it
appeared that Sweepment, the rank
outsider, might get the big end of the
purse. Sweepment tore over the fiat
with all the speed of quarter horse.
Blake was saving his mounts mouth
all the way to keep him back with the
field The jockey looked ridiculous,
sitting up in his saddle like an English
squire and running blndly at all the
obstacles as if he courted mishap.
Sweepment looked the winner all
over as he cleared the last fence, for
he could outrun anything else on the
fat. Blake let the horses head 20
as he landed. The result was a bad
stumble, the jockey catapulting over
his mounts head as the horse went
down. In his last previous race
Sweepment lost Blake at the third