The Washington herald., 1922-05-07
EXTERMINATOR DEFEATS CRACK FIELD in WINNING PINfI
FAMOUS CELDINC
TRIMS BONIFACE
BY SHORT HEAD
Victor Shows in Front at
Top of Stretch and
Holds Advantage.

BALTIMORE, Nd. May 6.-"old
Poison" still remains the champion
long distance performer Of Amer
lea with twenty-odd thousand
wildly cheering him on. Willis
Sharpe Kilmer's aged gelding. Ex-
terminator. this afternoon, added
to his long list Of turf conquests
when in one of the most thrilling
finishes ever staged at the Pimlico
course he defeated Comdr. ]. h. L.
Ross brilliant Boniface by a short
head in the sixth running of the
Pimlico Spring Handicap.
The event. which is one of the
Maryland Jockey Clubs annual
spring fixtures. with $1,000 added.
and at a distance of one mile and
sixteenth. brought seven starters
to the post. In addition to Ex-
terminator and Boniface. Mrs. H.
Dattner's Bunga Buck: Spaulding
Lowe Jenkins Polly Ann; William
Fenwick's Dresden; the Quincy
Stables Captain Alcock and Regis
trar. which ran coupled with Boni-
face, also accepted the issue.
Veteran horsemen were unable to
recall when a thoroughbred was
accorded any more acclaim than
that which Exterminator received
when he. was returned by Jockey
Arthur johnson to the unsaddling
ring. Even those more hardened
to the ups and downs of the sport.
those to whom a race means moth
ing other than a monetary gain or
loss, could not restrain themselves
from joining in the ovation ten
dered the courageous old cam
psigner.
Boniface on Badly.
While it Is true that Boniface got
none the best of IL in the ragged
start. the Ross silk bearer suffered
Just one of those breaks" which
is liable to hapen at any time and
which could have fallen to the lot
of the winner as we'll as any other
starter in the race Even with all
things equal there are many who
still believe that Exterminator was
a better horse today than Boniface.
Six minutes were lost at the post
through the fractions behavior of
Polly Ann. BunEa Buck and Dres-
den. with the Dattner entry being
the worst offender. When Starter
Milton finally sprung the barrier
Boniface broke sideways: Polly Ann
was caught fiatfooted and the
others were away in Indian nle.
Lang. astride Registrar. sent his
E'ount out in front before severity
five yards had been traversed. Ex-
Termination. the next to begin. was
in close pursuit. with Dresden,
Bunga Buck. Boniface, Captain All
cock and Polly Ann trailing in the
order named.
BY the time the quarter-pole was
reached Registrar was leading Ex-
terminator by full length, the
veteran campaigner had the same
margin over Bunga Buck. while
Boniface was three lengths to the
rear of the Dattner silk bearer.
The rest. even at this early stage,
were counted out of 1t.
Registrar In Early Lead.
Lang kept Registrar on top un-
til after the half-mile post had
been reached. Boniface, in the
meantime. had moved up and was
running on almost equal terms
with Exterminator. Just before
coming to the far turn Registrar
Curled up from the gruelling pace
he had set and the Kilmer gelding
and his stablemate passed him.
The contest then resolved into q
duel between Exterminator and
Boniface.
Going to the three-quarter pole
Boniface's head was seen to show
in front and the cry went up, "Ex-
terminator is beaten" Almost as
simultaneously Johnson's arm was
seen to raise upward. II poised in
the air but a moment and de-
scended quick as a fash. A hush
momentarily hung over the big
crowd. Again Johnson's arm went
upward The thought that Ex-
terminator was beaten enshrouded
the crowd with a sickening sileno.
Johnson's arm came down Those
two singing lashes across his
tanks had reused the courageous.
fighting spirit of the old thorough
bred. With a mighty bound he
again was on even terms with
Boniface. In a few more strides
he had stuck his nose out In front.
Try as he would he was unable to
increase his advantage. yet 1t
proved enough.
two were running so close that
only the more expert could tell
which was in front. The crowd
was in a wild frenzy. Turner was
getting every ounce he could out
OF Boniface. He was using. the
very last of his riding skill to gain
but a scant foot or so. But Ex-
terminator was not to be denied.
Hats were being tossed into the
air with a reckless abandon as the
two sterling thoroughbreds thun-
dered towards the finishing line.
Those who could cheer, did so. while
those in the excitement of the
thrilling spectacle who were unable
to articulate. silently prayed. others
just as silently cursed and in the
eyes of quite a few Of the game old
veterans feminine supporters there
welled tears.
Across the line they flashed And
old EXterminator had maintained
that half head advantage he had
gained before reaching the top of
the stretch. He was still tho
champion of the handicap division
at an age when most others are
through. Boniface had gone down
in defeat, but not disgraced. The
victory for the Kilmer campaigner
in part atoned for the score Boni-
face had registered over him less
than a fortnight ago at Havre de
Grace.
Registrar after cracking mahaged.
to save third portion of the purse,