The New York herald., 1922-08-02
Bon Homme, Second; Prudery,
Third, and Old Extermina-
tor in Last Place.
FLASH TO DUST FLOWER
Great Crowd Sees Fine Days
Racing in Brilliant Open
ing at Saratoga.
by HENRY ". KING.

Special Dispatch to THE NEW YoKK HEnALp.
SARATOGA, N. ". Aug. 1.-Grey Lag.
Harry f. Sinclair's four-year-old colt.
won the Saratoga Handicap here this
afternoon In a driving finish by half a
length. Edward. Sings Bon Homme
was second and Harry Payne Whitney's
black racing mare Prudery third. Steve
Pcttit's Devastation was fourth. far In
the rear, with Willie Sharpe Kilmer's
famous old cup horse. Exterminator
last and beaten nearly sixteenth of a
mile.
Grey Lag for the sixth time this year
proved, that he was a truly great colt
and in class by himself in the race for
the championship crown unless old Ex-
terminator wakes up and shows an i'm
provement of at least twenty pounds
Mr.. Kilmer's old fellow carried the
crushing impost of 1877 pounds to-day
giving seven pounds to Grey Lag. but
Mr.. Sinclair's colt gave him a fifty pound
beating.
1t wasn't the weight that made Ex-
termlnator run so ANONYMOUSLY. He
wasn't ready to run his best and with
the feathery impost of 100 pounds on
his back he couldn't have been close to
Grey Lag. He ran close te-the post for
a mile with his mouth open and then
quit to a walk. But at that he could
have been much closer at the end and
a good fourth and probably third II
Albert johnson, his jockey. had perse-
yered with him. But Johnson, who is a
good horseman as well as a good jockey,
eased him up when he was beaten fur
long from home.
One of Years Rest Races.
But despite Exterminators poor race
the event furnished a grand contest and
the 10000 race goers present heralded
1t as one of the best long distance races
Of the year. And all present showered
praise on Gray Lag Only a great colt
could do what he did. He gave sixteen
pounds to Prudery and twenty-eight
pounds to Bon Homme and beat them
home fairly and squarely.
He ran behind the pace as he has in
all of his other races this year until
nearing the homestretch and then he
sped around his field and at the final
furlong pole was in front But 1t was
not easy for him from then home. The
lightly weighted Bon Homme and Pru-
derry still had plenty OF run In them, and
to lead them home Fator was compelled
to ride him all the way.
Gray Lag covered the mile and
quarter In 2 :o3 1-5 fast but nothing
approaching a record breaking perform
ance.
Just before this classic distance event
had been decided thirteen royalty bred
Juveniles went forth in the Flash stakes.
This $1,000 event went TO the West
when j. G. Milam's Dust Flower.
Peter Ounce filly. lead the field home.
She won by a head with Bud Fishers
Cartoonist second and August Belmont's
Messenger third. Dust Flower ran like
a good Peter Ounce. She showed plenty
of speed. but little staying power. She
isn't much to look at either. and there
were probably half a dozen youngsters
behind her which will leave her In the
ruck before the end of the meeting.
One in particular that Is almost sure
TO run away from her when they meet
again is Messenger. This son of Fair
Play and Mission. which carried August
Belmonts silks for the first time since
the immortal Hourless defeated the
equally i.1nortal Omar Khayam In
MARYLAND In 1917. merely coasted into
third place.