The Portland daily press., 1894-07-26

Everything Points to Continued Crowds
This Week-The Track is in the Best of
Condition and is the Better for the Wet
tin g-Scenes at the Track.
Four races were on the card for decis-
ion at Rigby Park yesterday, the open
ing day of the Meeting, but only two
were finished and another started before
darkness put an end to the sport. Sell
dom is it Ethat two such evenly matched
fields of horses are seen as were in the
q "a trot and the 2.16 pace, both of
them calling for six heats to find the
winners.
Promptly at 1.30 p.m., Starter Pom
pilly sounded the gong that called the
horses for the first heat in the 2.24 trot.
Almontine and Sidney McGregor were
about equal favorites for this call, and
long and bitter was the struggle. Lit
tie Ethan proving to be the factor that
finally decided the issue between them.
Eight starters came out, the Canadian
horse Fred Mack, drawing the pole.
Colonel Galvin's black mare Eunice got
the lead before reaching the first turn,
holding it nearly to the half, when Sid
ney Mci9regor came up and passed her.
Brazilian got quite move on and head
ed McGregor at the Jhree-qnarters, it
being close thing between them to the
wire, McGregor winning by half head.
Time 2.1a 1-2.
Calvin, with Eunice, again got the
lead before the furlong pole, only to
fall back near the half. Gladys was Sec
ond at the half, but broke and fell far
in the rear, Sidney McGregor coming
very fast. and leading all the way home
in 2.22. Alomntine finished second.
Young Grady was not thought by the
judges to have been doing his best with
Almontine, and was called into the
stand and cautioned before the start for
the third heat.
Eunice repeated her game of pace
making to the half, where Sidney Nc
Gregor and AImonine both headed her.
Coming through athe stretch, Sheridan
uncovered sleeper in Little Ethan, who
had taken last position in the two previ-
GUS heats, and headed McGregor when
almost under the wire, winning in
2.2O1-4. 1t seemed as thoughsthe race was
all.over. but the shouting when Almontine
broke and gave up the battlte with Nc
Gregor. Little Ehtan's unexpected wind
being another example of the beautiful
uncertain ties of horse trotting. Gladys
failed to beat the the flag in this heat.
Grady, ST., took the place of Grady,
Jr, behind Almontine in the fourth
heat, and started to drive for the heat
from the word. The daughter of King
AImont got in front at the half and staid
there to the wire, making the trip in
2.20, Little Ethan second and Sidney
McGregor third.
1t was Sidney McGregor and Almon-
tine again in the fifth heat nearly TO the
last quarter, where the son of Robert Nc
Gregor broke. Mooney, who was driving
in place of Conley, gathered his horse
quick, but too late, for Almontlne kept
the lead and placed second heat to her
credit in 2.20. McGregor broke again
the stretch, and went back to third,
Three horses were left i'll for the sixth
heart, the rest of the field having been
ruled out, drawn or distanced. 1t was
soon evident tnat Sidney McGregor's
heart was broken, he making a tired
break before getting to the first turn.
Almontine and Little Ethan had it to
themselves the rest of the way. Grady's
nag opened up quite hole, going to
the half, where a skip enabled game Lit
tie Ethan to close with her, although he
could not pass her. Almontine made
her jump in the home stretch, but was
hack in her stride almost instantly. win
ming a great race in 221, hard pushed
by Little Ethan. Sidney McGregor ad-
ded to the roll of his bac ker by getting
distanced, thereby losing all claims to
any portion of the purse. Brazilian was
awarded third money, and Eunice
fourth.
In the first heat of the 2.16 pace, Roam
Wilkes led nearly all the way to the
turn for home, although Merry Legs
showed first at the quarter and Jack at
the half. The pace was too hot for Mer-
ry Legs, and Jack made very ragged
break just after going half the journey
smoothly. Clabourne was the unlocked
for factor, coming SO fast in the last
hundred yards that Roam Wilkes quit
and allowed the chestnut stallion from
New York to beat him home in 2.141-4.
Merry Legs was distanced. :
Mooney started out with Roam Wilkes
in the second heat as though he was
going to distance the whole field, get
ing to the half in LOS, with noJhing
within half dozen lengthsss of him.
He eased up on the last half but won
easily in ais, the rest of the field fight
ing for second place. Jack came with a
great turn of speed but broke and was
given fourth place, Ben d. getting the
place and Clay borne third. The same
tactics were pursued by Mooney in the
third heat, he going up to the half at
top speed, with the rest of the field
strung to some way behind. He either
oyer-estimated the speed ano gameness
of his horse or, underrated that of his
rivals, for ben D. and Claybourne came
IL