New-York tribune., 1896-05-24
STAR TROTTERS OF 1896
WILL THE RECORD BE BEATEN IN THE
COMING CAMPAIGN?
REr-zFrrA AND oNOQUA RIVAL AsP1RANTs FOR
CHAMPION HoNORs-AzOTE's PROSPECTS En-
DANGERED BY An AILING LEG-RoBERT
J. IN FINE FORM. AND ED
GEERs HOPES TO DRIVE
80 HIM IN Two
MINUTES.

GEFRS HOPES TO DRIVE
~ HIM IN TWO -..
MINUTES.
%ow that the harness racing season s al hahd anu
trotting around the stove has given place 10 t,'e
real snort OF trotng around the track some Of the
prospective features of the coming campaign may
be outlined The season OF 1875, which PROMISED
much in the matter Of record-making' t"Iheu ou'
rather disappofntingy in this respect not single
important best-on-record of previous years having
been bettercd OF course there is chance that the
failures and mishaps of last year will be repeated
in 1896 but at this distance the season just beginning
bids fair to be a brilliant one surprising any year
since 1889 in sensational speed II not in the extent
and all-around excellence of its sport
The main interest connected with the doings OF
the horses is perhaps centred around the select
coterie OF trotters tha, seem to have chance TO
from AliX 2:OSs. the champion honors she mas
held since 1s91 Good Americans follow with interest
the reduction OF the trotting record whether they
keep the run OF other harness racing affairs or not
and every stride OF the National horse in ms race lor
the two-minute goal is closely watched by The mer-
chant the manufacturer and even the up-to-
date clergyman as well az by the troting enthusiast
The enduring fame which goes with the title king
OF the trotting turf furnishes constant incentive
to try for the highest honors and II Is not oileh
that a season passes by without a more or less
formidable assault the record, whatever IL may
be. In the list or record pOSSoIltC' 4O'
1896 there are four five trotters that horsemen
generally look upon dangerous aspirants for the
crown of Queen AliX, while at least hundred others
have their over-sanguine owners and trainers VINO
fondly believe that barring accidents" they Will
surely beat two minutes before snow flies
THEY BELIEVE IN BErzETTA.
First in the estimation and the hopes of Eastern
horsemen the plain but impressive little chestnut
mare Beuzetta 2:O62.. owned by Mrs w. T.. d.
q
sure but the straight-necked. hcadstrong daughter
of Onward did things last season in her four
year-old form which no trotter Of the same age
had done before her and which led lot OF horse
men TO look upon her as the coming queen OF the
turf At Buffalo she met the sensational Oregon
horse Klamath and made him look as If he had
missed his calling in life by trying 10 be a trotter
the speedy little ny in this scoring the fastest
fourth heat on record Her foot was bruised and
che was lame when she started against Azote IN
the 5000 free-for-all at Fleetwood a few weeks
later in the season but she forced the big Call
fornian to trot in 2O5l2 win, and this after she
had cast a front shoe IN the first quarter OF the
mile Handicapped as she was. Beuzetta, separa-
rately timed, finished her second mile AT FIeetwood
in 2Osl. which is faster than Nancy Hanks Alice
or Directum ever turned the old track IN MOTIFS
ania 1t was feared by some horseTnen that she
would never recover from tEe terrific strain OF TINS
race; but Orrin Hckok, the trainer into whose
hands the mare passed Immediately afterward'
wisely stopped her fast work for the season ana II
is now said tha, winter In California has oroush.
her back into perfect condition again. Hckok VIII
soon ship his horses from Oakland to Columbus or
Cleveland. where he is put the finishing touches
or their preparation for the campaign.
Philadelphia has formidable rival 10 Beuzetta
In the race for champion honors, now that FRANK
Ellis, owns Onoqua. 29OSl.. the fast veteran hVe-
year-old who was recently sold for $1,000 In the
single race in which the TWO young mares met last
tba four ar-O'l
Heats were divided. and II MAS said that OnoQua
displayed even greater speed than the chestnut
daughter OF onward. Both fiilies improved good
deal after this race, however. so that 1t gives
poor line at best on their present merits
PROSPECTS OF TWO OLD DRIVERS.
With Beuzetta in the hands OF Orrin H.ckok and
Onooua in the stable OF John f. Turner, these two
old-tirne reinsmen Akeiy to play more prom
inent part on the trottng turf this year than
either has done since the old days when Hickok
had the king Of the turf in S.. Julien and Turner
was in the front rank with Trinket, Hannis ana
Edwin Thorne. HckOks comparative idilure WIN
Azote and his disastrous campaign with Directum
In 1894 caused great many horsemen 10 look upon
the Talleyrand OF the turf trainer who had
seen his bes, days, but the willy Cd CaIforniah
proved by his work with the wonderful young PAGER
Miss Rita last year that his hand had not yet lost
It's cunning Turner 100, mas been under coud
for time, having failed 10 Drlng OUT Hr9t-
cut winners in Rosa.ind Wilkes, a broodmare
al John ii Shults's Parkvlle Farm, and F. +.
Olcotts Happy Bee. So weak was Turner's stable
in 1875 that ior the first time since the Grand Cir
cult organized the Philadelphia reinsman iaAea
Azoie, AK and Fantasy are counted among tie
possible record breakers Of 1896 but eacn OF me me
TRIO is under suspicion for one cause or aiother ana
circuit followers DO no; class them with the two
and 0noqua. Alix's front ankles and feet both,
cred her all last so that she could not stand
20 her record breaking form Of 1894, and there IS
little ground for belief that she VIII be In better
time she is said to be- moving soHhdy in hef work
al Freeport. H. Azote, the mammoth Californla
roe Salisbury hands last year, but went wrong
before he got fair chance TO lower the record Of
'Alix is in much the fix the queen OF the
turf Few horsemen doubt his ability TO beat 2:o3a.
Win Azote as with Aix there .s the rub. Both
The F'reeport rensnan who drove John r. Gentry
Fantasy has been hailed the prospective queen
Of the turf ever since she appeared as threecyeaT
old In 1898 and set the record FOR troters ot that
age at 2Os But the tai daughter oi 1"e5 gneS nss Ss
promise OF her first campaign. and rignt or wrong
enaly fast troer lacking the capacity TO carry her
wonderful turn Of speed Her owner G. j. Hamiin,
beat all existing records. and this is likely to be
the chief aim OF the mares campaign In 1896
zetas old old trainer Augustus Mace to handle
William Penn. 2O7s.. the cratic son OF santa Cia1s
chance for champion honor=. having shown two
nhe He s ea Is sweG 1 ssn whose speed
nobody has yet been abe to conIo at ai! times Dut
TO Judge from MaCeys with BeuZetta, a
mare of similar temperament, the right man has
low been selected 10 manage William Penn.
AS FOR THE PAGERS.
With the growing popularity Of pacing and PAGERS,
the doings Of the star sdewheelers have attracted
almost much attention in recent years as the
performances OF the fastest trOtters. The three
cornered contest between Robert j.. 20i2; John X.
Gentry 2O3s.. and Joe Patchen. 2:N for the cham
pionship of pacerdom quite the feature Of the
last campaign in point Of popular interest and at
this distance the signs point 10 greater prominence
than ever for the iateral-gated harness horses in
1886. Robert j. is countod upon TO demonstrate the
fea bility of wo-mnute speed in harness and IL Is
probable that his owner c. j. Hamln Will re-