The Portland daily press., 1896-07-29
Thu OPENING DAY.
A Fine Afternoon of Sport and
Racing at Rigby.
PERFECT WEATHER AND EXCEL
LENT TRACK MAKES A SUCCESS.

Fields Were Large in All Events-The 237
Trot, 217 Pace and 2aO Trot Were
Pulled off-Chazy Boy, Royal Victor
and Allen Dare Were Winners-The
Summaries and Today's Events.
Rigby had a great day yesterday. In
the first place the weather was just what
il should be, warm and sunshine, with a
gentle northwest wind blowing across the
track TO making the grand stand as COM
Portable as the verandah of one of the
hotels down the bay. Then the track
was in first class condition, and consider
ing the haeyy rain of Monday night, fast
enough to satisfy even the sometime over
particular ''Jocks" who are bound to find
fault with something. if notwith the track,
then the judges or the weather. While
no remarkably fast time was made, the
best being mark of 2.13A in the 2.17
paos, some excellent sport was furnished
and in only one event was the race won
in three straight heats and even that was
exciting and interesting from start to
finish. In the other two events the
favorites were turned down, to the dis
gust Of the "bookies" who were heard Oft
times to inquire "where are we att after
the manner of some of the bewildered
Democrats Of our OVID state of Maine
But if some of these sports were dis
gusted at the way fayorites were turned
down, there were others who were happy
enough to m AXE up for it and among
them was the hackers of Chazy Boy,
Royal Victor and Allen Dare, who pulled
out the three events of the day.
The crowd was big one for an OPEN
ing day, and there were present many
prominent men of Portland, the most Of
whom were accompanied by ladies, and
the grand stand was very well filed
One of the most enjoyable features of The
day was the music, furnished by !Chand
ler's band, which played all of the latest
and most popular airs, together with
many solos and descriptive pieces be-
tween heats, and during the long waits.
Among those seen in the grand stand
was Hon. Frank Jones of Portsmouth,
who came down to see his fast mare,
Lightmoon. trot in the 2.37 class, but at
the last moment 1t was decided to draw
her out as she was not in the best of con-
dition.
The usual picturesque characters and
scenes were to be witnessed around the
track and there was plenty going on out
side OF the races to keep people busy and
interested. The "pop corn man." the
whihtling negro, the fakirs and the
laughable incidents and accidents of the
afternoon furnished the grand stand
people plenty to see and talk about.
Mr.. Frank Walker, who WIS to have
acted as the starting judge yesterday was
too sick to oficiate, and bis place was
taken by Mr.. G. Z. Drew of Somers-
worth, N. H., who proved TO be an ex
oellent starter, and got tho large fields of
horses away in good shape and without
much del ay. Mr.. Drew was assisted by
Messrs J. G. Jollman OF Medford, Mass,
Fred Bibber and John Lee of Portland
officiated as timers.
The 2.s7 Trot,
This race was won by Chazy Boy to
the surprise of the bookies, after Pan
doras, the favoriue, had won two straight
heats The latter horse seemed to loose
all sand and pluck in the third heat and
proved an easy mark for Chazy Boy.
Pandoras got 5000 nd money, Plaunty
third and wellington fourth, The best
time of the race was 1913, and it was
made in the last heat.
FIRST HEAT.
Seven horses came out for the word
Lightmoon, the fast mare Of Frank Zones
of Portsmouth, and Harvard, the bay
gelding of Patrick Kane of East Deering
being withdrawn at the last moment.
Wellington drew the pole with Belta in
the second position The latter horse
was selling favorite in the pools with
Wellington q second faVorite. The
scoring took up considerable time, and
one or two delays were caused by throw
ing shoes and pads, but after a tedious
wait the field was sent away in good
shape by Starter Drew. At the first turn
Pandoras, driven by the veteran Henry
liter, jumped to the lead from the fifth
position and took the pole away from
Wellington, who WAS pressing him hard
at the wheel. The field quickly strung
out into funeral procession order, al
though they were travelling much faster
than the ordinary funeral procession.
Planxty got up into third position on tho
back stretch, but broke badly and
dropped to the rear again. Pandoras had
now increased his lead by several
lengths, but Williams drove Wellington
hard on the home stretch and came under
the wire a good second with Pandoras
first. Plauxty showed remarkable speed
in the last quarter and finished third
after an exciting tussle with Belta, the
favorite in the pools, which WIS being
driven for this position.
SECOND HEAT.
Pandoras had an easy thing in this
heat She took the lead at the send off
and kept it to the finish. Wellington
| tried conclusions with her for time. but