The New York herald., 1869-05-28
PROSPECT PARK FAIR GROUNDS.


Second Day Of the Meeting-Two Closely Con-
tested Tretsins Races In Capital Time-Sser-
or Wins the First and sheppard Knapp
the second.
"Eleven O'Clock, the beils OF ST. Paul chime.
It's all rfght the nag Is not displayed on the Ast0r
The clouds are drifting into small patches; tinges OF
sunshine skirt their edges; the blue sky above
be seen. We shall go to Prospect Park Fair
Grounds" Thus soitloquized hundreds yesterday
morning, having in their minds the second meeting
day Of this enterprisng association. And they
did 20.
The Prospect Park Fair Grounds OF yesterday and
the same course OF Tuesday were not one and
the same thing. There was a variation IN
the groupings OF spectators, In the number OF
vehicles, in the general mise en- scene. Had
noses been counted there would have been found
Of the curious and interested present to par
ticIpate in the days SPORT and had the vehicles been
counted the variation in numbers would have been
voted large enough to have been written down. as
Dogberry expresses the phrase, point OF differ
ence. There was larger number Of ladies than on
the opening day presentand this alluson is worthy
OF note-but there was the same fast driving the
road thereto, In phaetons, Victoras buggies and
light wagons, only there were more. BY the way of
the Coney Island cars went the DID, familiar faces,
packing several extra cars, who specialized as to
the results OF the day or arranged quiet wager to
be won or lost not long thereafter
jaunt OF two hours, IN connection with the rattle
OF wheels ana the quick breathing OF the animal
power ana the emigrant Ia cropped down at the
head OF aqhet, verdme covered lane glad enough
TO get ont With dozens OF Others. Pass down this
farbl-like and woodland winding pathway, I'll the
lungs with pure air, glance at the quiet beauty OF
the landscape as it revves both mentally and
physicaily-the scenery, IN fact, is Just OF that
sert to subdue the irritation of ones nerves
hsteu 10 the twttter OF an occasional bird nestled
like an embodiment OF music among the leaves
and fifteen minutes walk introduces you to the
grand gateway of the course, with It's waving flags
that seem TO stand like giant sentnels with spears
IN hand to guard tho way and keep the intruder
from entrance to the paths that lead to the grand
stand and the club house. The traveller IS now
within full sight OF the Mecca, the shrine OF which
he Is for the day Pilgrim It's halfpast O'Clock,
and the sports win soon commence. Steeds, some
whose pedigrees would bear ventilation and some
whose could not, are about TO be marshaled and yet
the day Is moment after moment getting brighter.
and in the next hour the greater number of the
arrivals VIII take place Half an hour inlervened and
then the tournament began, aifording further
leisure to note events and observe the manner OF
betting in the sale OF ''pools"
ladies' OF beauty are under its painted canopy, aud
many carriages have taken their position for the
regiment band, of Brooklyn, have already
meDced to play pleasantly. and all day between
heats they blew. and the May air shook and trem-
bled In unison herewith. From the main stand the
melody was soft and eXhilarating. and the crowd
voted its thanks therefor. The arrivals continued
Splendid spans before fine equipages pranoed
through Prospect Park to the scene. and jogging
until an assemblage excellent in numbers was
gathered together, drawing inspiration from
The contests on the track and the enthusiasm
that had been duly bottled and labelled ana laid
away fos the grand occasion. The sdIOn q incnGe,'
received a liberal patronage. Wine flowed with
some as freely as water, serving as olive oil TO the
magnificent salad OF vlands, laden with which
white aprOned walters hurried TO and fro. The bell
rang conmandngly. and all hurried to the balco-
MES or to the grand stand. The baud wreaxed
itself upon last dying note and subsidized into
silence. In the five or ten minutes that intervene
between the weighing OF the drivers and their being
cautioned by the Judges, and before the quarter
stretch Is cleared by Metropolitan policemen, may
he taken 10 finish these random jOttings.
ON the quarter stretch and fitting through the
handsomely arranged rooms OF the clubhouse aud
now now and then lndulgmg IN the vernacnlar Of the
turf, were 70 be seen Robert Bonner, Mayor KalD
feisch, William II. Parks, ID. l.. Pettee, william II.
Turnbull, Commissioner Dodge, Barney Williams,
Joseph uarker, DR.. Helmbold. Oliver Marshall.
Simeon Hoagland, Hosea Perkins, Colonel George
c. Hall, MIR. Sanford, the Messrs. Wood ward, Isaac
Phillips, Samuel Il. Philips, OF Philadelphia, and
Messfs Hamlin. Brush and Hutchinson, Of Buffalo
'rhe sport only ceased an honr before sunset, ana
then the throng left the grounds, Wen pleased with
what they had witnessed, and ndulplng In happy
anticipation OF the finer displays OF speed which
IN store for tsem and thousands OF others or Salur
day when The great $4,000 purse will he tr0tIed for
by six or the best horses in America.
The Trnftin9.
The track was In much better condition tlisn was
anticipated the rain OF the previous day. and
although 1t was trne dead the time made In the
two trottng contests that came on was most ex-
cellent. The Grst trot on the programme was
fof q premium OF $500, the winner to receive
$780, the second horse 800 and the third $50; the
being mile heats hest three in ve in harness,
for horses that had never beaten 2:37. For this
there were nine entries but at the time for the
che tha fr,a hnfg Eva fno
pearance. These were Mr.. Wards gray gelding
Mercer, by Edsall's Abdallsh: DanIe Maces bay
mare Lydia Thompson; John J. Hornbeck's sorrel
gedne Ags, by grandson OF Abdslah, dam by a
Beliounder; William Dali's black stallion Nike
Norton a Canadian, and John Mnrphy's bay mare
Lady Franklin, by Eureka, son or Long Island
Black Hawk Mercer won the race In three
straight heats. He was the favorite previous
to the start at even agans, the field. He
behaved much more steadily on this occasion Than
he has done In any or his previous engagements.
The puOlc were luDy aware OF the horses speed
above any OF The others In the race but many were
AFRAID 20 hack him and took the adverse side on ac-
count OF the snppOeed incapacity OF Peter Nance,
the driver OF Mercer. Nance, however on this oc.
caslon surprised every one By the skiful manner he
handled the horse taking him through the three
heats with only one break and not losing over q
length In that. Dan Mace did not make an effort
during the first two heats, but reserved all his
strength for the tbrd heat, when he made his rally
for the second premium and captured It,. The
sorrel pelding AGiis fought every inch OF the
ground Win Mercer Iront nrst 10 last, and proved
himself O sturdy. last little horse. Lady Franklin
did not up TO the expectations OF her hackers.
She IS a fine sized well proportioned young marc,
with good deal OF white about her legs, and has
many OF the CHARACTERISTICS OF her Bashaw ancestry.
She viii improve IN time. The four entries that
were Withdrawn were Alden Goldsmlth's sorrel
gelding Hunter, John Chambers bay mare Atlanta,
J. ii. Wilson's chestnut geldiDg Clarence and the
bay geldlng sr John. Probably II was as wei that
they were kept out or the race, rs the time made BIZ
Mercer would have been much too fast for them.
In the second event OF the day, which was pre-
MUM OF $4,000, 5000 to be given TO the winner
500 TO the second horse and 5000 TO the thrd.
there were eight entries ana six starters Tho
race was mhe heats, best three IN nve,
In harness, for horses that bal never beaten
22o. The starters were Wm Woodrufrs bay geld
Ing sheppard Knapp, Jr.; WIN. l.. simmons brown
gelding Old Put, i. I. Mavnard's black stallion
Darkness, W. u. saunders bay gelding Western
New YORK. Dan Mece's bay Reding Commodore
Mutt, and Mr.. Iarbecks gray gedlng SURPRISE.
The race was won by sheppard Knapp In three
straight heats, and, 10 al Appearances In the most
easy manner Iie was never headed IN the raco
after the irst quarter Of n mile. This horse sold