THE FRENCH HORSE BEHISTOUN YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) WON THE WASHINGTON D.C. INTERNATIONAL INVITATION RACE AT LAUREL IN MARYLAND. BEHISTOUN, STARTING AT SIXTEEN TO ONE, WAS RIDDEN BY JEAN DEFORGE.

A RACE HORSE FROM THE SOVIET UNION, ANILINE, RIDDEN AND OWNED BY NIKOLAI NASIBOV, WAS SECOND, AND AN AMERICAN ENTRY, ASSAGAI, RIDDEN BY LARRY ADAMS, WAS THIRD.

BEHISTOUN CARRIED EIGHT STONE NINE POUNDS (54.4 K.G.) IN THE RACE, RUN OVER ONE AND A HALF MILES. THE TOTAL PRIZE MONEY WAS 150-THOUSAND DOLLARS OF WHICH BEHISTOUN'S OWNER RECEIVED 90-THOUSAND DOLLARS.

DEFORGE, WHO RODE THE WINNER IN THE RACE LAST YEAR, KEPT BEHISTOUN TO THE REAR OF THE FIELD OF TEN FOR THE EARLY STAGES OF THE RACE.

HE MADE A BREAK ABOUT THE FURLONG FROM THE FINISHING LINE TO PASS ANILINE WHICH WAS IN FRONT.

THE RACE HAS BEEN RUN FIFTEEN TIMES, AND FRENCH HORSES HAVE WON ON FIVE OCCASIONS.

THE SOVIET HORSE'S OWNER RECEIVED A PURSE OF 25-THOUSAND DOLLARS.

THREE OF THIS YEAR'S FIELD WERE FROM FRANCE; TWO WERE FROM THE UNITED STATES; AND THE OTHERS WERE FROM ENGLAND; VENEZUELA; THE SOVIET UNION; BRAZIL AND CANADA.