Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-20
TrOttIng at OakIand-C0ntest Between
Santa Claus and NutwOod.


OAKLAND, September 1Sth.-Everybody at
the track this afternoon was on the qui vive
for the race between Santa Claus, Nutwood
and Abbotsford. The latter having with
drawn, left the battle to Nutwood and Santa
Claus. This was not SO much of disap-
pointment, as there was desire to see the
two come together without others in the way,
though the friends of Abbotsford were san
guine that had it not been for the accident at
Petaluma he would have made good show
ing in the race There was q good deal of
betting the night before, at even rates, some
large wagers being posted. while the pools
went as fast as the clerks could write the
tickets just before the start Santa Claus
was the favorite at the odds of 800 On him
to SS2 so on Nutwood. At the second score
the horses got very level start, though be-
fore hundred yards were covered Santa
Claus broke. He is bad breaker" and
before bis driver could make him regain the
trot Nutwood had taken a lead of several
| lengths. The haf-mile was passed by Nut
wood in 1:12, Santa Claus | j seconds behind,
| Claus came in with rush, reducing the
distance around the turn, and when fairly
Strengthened iAto the stretch he came with
his old-time vim. Every stride he decreased
the lead Of his competitor overlook him as
| he came opposite the stand, and among the
ringing cheers of thousands won the heat in
2:22. 1t was well known that Santa Claus
twas not himself, and only ten days pre-
vious he could scarcely strike trot, the
trouble being cracked heels. It would not do
to trot him fast until these were healed, and
hence his owner was aware that he could not
| be expected to come up to the form he had
shown earlier in the season. Then Nutwood
had been exercised at Santa Cruz, and the re-
ports were that he never shown so well with
the same amount of training, and this was
the cause of the evenness in the betting
The timers made the last quarter in 33
seconds, the last half of the heat in Los. The
betting was now Sl00 on Santa Claus to 500
on Nutwood. The driver of the latter was
changed, and the substitute sent him along
when the word was given at terrible pace.
| 1t was too fast, however, and Nutwood
| br oke not more than fifty yards from the
starting point-a terrible break, in which
his driver had to yaw him about, the sulky
coming very near to going over in one of
his frantic bounds. In the meantime Santa
Cruz was opening long gap, though
going well within himself, and at the half
mile, in 1:l13, he was forty feet in the lead.
As they came down the stretch Nutwood
broke again, and when within a hundred
yards of home, the driver of Santa Claus be-
gan to pull him up, when he went all to
pieces, stumbling along and catching his
quarter boots at every bound. Nutwood was
also bobbing round and round" and it was
certainly one of the most ludicrous finishes
ever seen in trotting heat. Santa Claus
was pulled up, striking his trot length be-
fore he came to the wire, and in a walk with
in ten feet after he passed it. the time 2:24.
In the third heat there is little to relate
The driver of Santa Claus, benefting by the
lesson of the previous heat, allowed him to
go along from the start to the finish. The
quarter was made in SO seconds, the half in
1:O9l and the mile in 2:1S, which could have
been reduced had the driver of Santa Claus
desired.
SUMMARY $3.50 heats of mile best three in
five, in harness.