New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-16
Washes
Away Feature
AT Empire City
Royce Roofs, Only Starter i'm
Cramatan Handicap, Has
a Walk-Over in Water
By w. ]. Macbeth

Yesterdays feature of the racing
card at the Empire City race track
was washed right out, before the en-
tertainment started, in such deluge
as would have driven an East St.
Louisan to his cyclone cellar. Rain!
Say, Empire City race track is noted
for its summer rains and squalls and
tornadoes and SIGH like. But anything
that ever went before in all history
since the redskin roamed untrammeled
In pursuit of prey-or-rum was simply
plker compared to yesterdays storm.
About the time the odds for the
first race were mouthed about by the
orailsts the overcast skies began to
leak and a freshening drizzle drove
the besieged within the battlements
beneath the stand. The heavens low
ered,. then lowered some moro. Storm
clouds rolled up. More storm clouds
joined in. A funnel shaped cloud had
the speculative betting on cyclone.
AS the deluge hit the atmosphere
see as far as the judges stand. The
accompanying. rain did not fall in
sheets. 1t fell in wall or a series of
walls. In five minutes the lawns and
grounds were flooded ankle deep. A
pyrotechnic display of rare quality,
with the accompanying thunderclaps.
eventually broke the pail and gradu-
ally the cloudburst abated so that by
the time the horses paraded to the
post the colors could be plainly dis
cerned though 1T was still raining hard
Track Washed Away
No track could be seen; rather an
ellipse of muddy water. And that is
why the feature event was washed
away with generous cubic yards of the
course. The feature was the Gramatan
Handicap at mile and an eighth. with
$2,ooS.S3 added. The weights, for the
field of four, had been assigned with
the idea that the track would be fast.
Ballet Dancer ii. was scratched early.
sam Hlldreth, trainer of the Rancocas
Stable, Withdrew Mad Halter and
Thunderclap when the elements left a
course to the ideal liking of Royce
Roofs, which had big pull in the
weights from each of the Rancocas
pair.
And so, though the crowd did not
tnlnK II very sportsmanlike on the part
OF Mr. Hildreth, and though it really
reflected on the far-fune slogan that
the main idea of the sport is the de-
velopment of the breed, Royce Roofs
had walk-over. That is, he simply
mad to gallop around the track (Which
ne dld) to win the portion of stake
money allowed
II was about the easiest money Billy
Gibson (owner of the Fairmont Stable)
ever earned, and Billy is manager Of
that busy bee, Benny Leonard. light
weight champion. But Billy was actu-
ally provoked. He thought Royce
Roofs the surest thing of the day with
the Rancocas pair in, and many an
other shrewd judge would have strung
with him had anything given issue.
This was the first walkover on the
metropolitan turf since 1919, when
Purchase galloped unchallenged to
certain victory.
Mudders Romp Home
Naturally, the mudlarks we're in their
glory, than of which there is none
greater than Sea Sinner. This four
year-old colt of T. H. Cross simply
tow-roped field of four in the Edge
wood Purse, the secondary feature.
This was gallop of mile and sew
enty yards. Carroll rushed his mount
into the lead at the start and simply
opened a to 5 favorite, receding to 6
to 5, was next best. Sunnyland and
The Enquirer were outrun from start
to finish. Sea Sinner was backed from
to 2 to evens.
Jerry Carroll, the wizard of steeple-
chase trainers, uncovered another real
mudlark in Bantry, which won the fifth
race at mile and an eighth. Bantry,
cleverly handled by Butts Fairbrother.
off we'll in the middle of the track,
soon took the track to himself, opened
a wide lead and won galloping.
Father Bill Days old Rockport,
winch has scored twice this season at
long odds, might have given Bantry a
real argument but for some tough rae
ing luck. Rockport was shut off on the
fur turn, but when clear in the stretch
he closed like bullet under little Ed
die Hummer. 1t must be remembered.
however, that Bantry always was we'll
/, within himself.
Sleiveconard Canters In
John Sanford's colors were carried to
victory in the Carnation Purse, the
opening dash of five and a half fur
longs, when the o-year-old bay colt
Sleiveconard simply cantered all the
way. The Rancocas Stables Rose Bril-
gsde was much the best of the four
others. Sleiveconard was the medium
of a fine coup by those who knew he
revelled in such going, andswas backed
from 8 to / to to /.
| Cydonia, which opened an to IA
vorite, but which was to l at post
time, did not appear able to untrack
himself in the going, and finished out
Of the money. Missionary, which was
third, went wide the entire trip.
Turnabout was much the best of q
field of fifteen in the second trail at
six furlongs. The filly raced quickly
to the front and made every post a
winning one.
F. J. Kelly's Alta Gal, making her first
start in the East, spreadeagled a field
Of fourteen in the Springdale Purse
a selling affair for year-olds that
closed the entertainment. This was the
only real upset Of the day, as Stock
Pin, which finished second, had been
backed from to to 6 to 5.
There will be two stake features OF
merit this afternoon-the Whirl Stakes
of $500, for two-year-olds at five and
q half furlongs, and the Empire City
Derby, for three-year-o at mile
and quarter. Fifteen of the best juve-
niles seen in the East to date have
been named for the Whirl. Ny Play
the brother of Man O. War, is not in
the list, probably because of the heavy
| Of 81