The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-02
FIGHTING RACES AT GRAY.
Good Sport for Lovers of Trotting at the
Town Show.
Especial to the Press.l

lDpecldl W bllc ICoo'J
GRAY, September Fine weather
brought big crowd to the Gray Fair
yesterday The park was alive with peo-
pie at an early hour in the forenoon.
Trains, barges and carriages brought
them in great numbers.
The matched pairs were shown upon
the track and the first premium
was awarded to Mr.. S. L. Clough of Cum
berland for his matched pair of grays;
the second to E. T. Frank of Gray for a
pair of chestnuts.
In the rivalry for the special premium
offered by George T. Bickford of Hotel
Park for the most stylish teams driven
by ladies, Mrs. M. C. Morrill, was
awarded first and Mrs George E. Mer-
rill second honors.
At IL o'clock the cavalcade of prize an
imals, headed by the band marched
around the track.
The Ladies' Contest.
Great interest was manifested in the
ladies' contest for dexterity in harness
ing, driving, embarrassing and hanging
up the harness. The drive was once
around the track, horses to trot.
The first to make the trial was Mrs.
Charles Bracket of New Gloucester;
time, 4.351. The second was Mrs. NJ G.
Morrill, of Gray; time 3.29. The third
was Mrs. Douglass of Windham; time,
1924. The fourth was Mrs. Stockman
of Cape Elizabeth; time A. 1911
Z Mrs. MorfilEs time is the best ever
| made at our fair Two of the ladies
were in friendly rivalry at the Cumber
land Fair last week, when Mrs. Douglass
accomplished the work in $50 and Mrs.
Morrill, in BAL. Since then she has i'm
proved decidedly in the Harvesting skill
and yesterday defeated her successful
competitor of last week by the narrow
margin of half second, but that was
great gain from BAL to 1929, and she is to
be congratulated.
The Unfinished Race.
The 2.36 race for the purse of $3.50
started on Wednesday was a fighting one
and it took seven heats to decide it.
Black Dan took the first two heats, MAX
ing 1924 as his best time. Then Catelle
captured the third and fourth and Gran
ieta the fifth and sixth. Darkness
stopped the race Wednesday and it was
trotted off at 8 o clock.
The first heat was hot one, Catelle
going the half mile in LIS, but had the
misfortune to cut himself later on in the
heat and Granieta won the deciding heat
of this hot race. Granieta is by Rookie
fellow and he by Electioneer. She is on
ly four years old and very speedy as she
ought to be with such an illustrious
grandfather. Best time 2.324.
THE AFTERNOON RACES.
One of the largest crowds ever seen
upon the grounds was present in the af-
ternoon to witness the races. There
were between seven and eight thousand
people present The judges in the stand
were Messrs. Harmon of New
Gloucester, Porter of West Cumberland
and Whittier of Old Orchard.
Free for All.
The first race called was the free-for-
all for the Association purse of $500.
Four well-known trotters appeared to
contest and drew positions: Winthrop
Pilot /, Black Nathan 2, Ben V. 3 and
Jack Spratt 4.
Spratt's old-time driver, Haines, was
up behind him and the well-known horse
man, Scribner, was steering Black Ma
than. Ramsdell was driving. his own
horse, Winthrop Pilot, and Chute was
holding the ribbons over Ben V.
For the first heat Black Nathan broke
just after the word, and Pilot followed
suit on the turn. Jack Spratt with one
of his splendid burts of speed shot to the
front. They went to the quarter pole n
361 seconds and the half in LIS, Win
throp Pilot pressing Spratt hard and
keeping right on his wheel. 1t was hot
finish between Spratt and Pilot, and Jack
went under the wire less than a. neck
ahead of Pilot. The positions won were
Jack Spratt l, Winthrop Pilot 2, Ben Y.
3 and Black Nathan 4. Time 2.31a.
In the second heat, Jack Spratt was
boiling, and broke just as the word go
was given, and Winthrop Pilot went to
the front. Jack was quickly squared,
and soon went to the front. Pilot broke
and Black Nathan passed him on the
back stretch and continued to push On.
and down the home stretch, caught the
leader, Spratt and they went past the
grand stand eck-and-neck on the first
half. 1t was good race between these
two for the balance of the heat, and a
very exciting finish resulted. Jack
Spratt won by only neck, Black Nathan
second, Ben V. and Winthrop Pilot
Time, 2.31.
The third heat was another one fully
as interesting to the spectators. Jack
Spratt led, but Black Nathan was pursu-
ing him SO closely that they again went
past the grand stand nearly yoked, with
Spratt only neck in front. just then