The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-01

Fred Smith, Startcr--Fields Were
Large and of Good Quality--2.5O
Trot, 2.2O Pace, 2.35 Pace and
HaIf-MiIe Running Event Were De-
cided-- Card for Today.
For the first time in many years
Scranton horsemen are able to see
first class trotting and pacing races in
their own city. Under the manage
ment of Wilbur N. Rice and with a
professional, disinterested and compet-
ent starter four events were decided
yesterday, events that brought to the
post the best horsefesh and the cream
of drivers and owners of this region.
The attendance, while not large, was
very satisfactory for first day and
was larger than has been experienced
on the circuit tracks down the state.
Horsemen and spectators had the sat
isfaction, too, of seeing the awards
paid from the judges stand as fast as
each race was decided.
The weather, barring a light wind
early in the afternoon. was ideal for
racing. The track was spongy and in
good condition and was made fast by
the light rain of Tuesday night. About
700 persons, which included a large
number of women, saw the races.
There was music by the Lawrence
band during the afternoon.
Fred Smith. of Buffalo, the starter,
is a professional official of no little
repute and is in great demand to pre-
side at races throughout the East. His
work yesterday had a snap and honesty
about it that courtcd great favor with
the crowd and it made some of the
starting of past years suffer greatly
by the comparison. He is an old
newspaper man. Until few years
ago he was sporting editor of the Buff
falo Commercial and is now turf writ
er for the Buffalo Courier and Record.
The judges We're John Lanning, jr., Of
Wilkes Barre, and j. w. Houser, M. D.,
of Taylor.
Considering that the track is "a feet
over the half, or, 6S feet over the full
mile, the time made was unusually
good. The time might be computed at
about two Seconds faster than a 2.20
gait.
The winners were Topsie r, owned
by j. L. Wagner, of Hazleton, in the
$50 trot; Teresa b, owned by G. o.
Smith, of Orange, n. j., in the 2.20
pace; Emma G., owned by j. L. Wag-
ner, in the 235 pace, and Radnor, own
ed by George Greene, of Valley Forge,
in the running race.
2.5O TROT.
There were three scratches in the $50
trot, Daisy, br. m. (F. f. Wade), Julia
r., br. m. IF. w. Cook, and Alice
Winton br. m. John Cook, being with
drawn. This left five starters, however,
and there was a pretty race in the first
heat, in which Saracinesca, Little Rose
and Cal gave a good exhibition. Jo-
sephine was among the first four
throughout but she did much running
and though she finished third was
placed fourth. Topsie r was a length
ahead of Little Rose at the wire in the
first half.
Saracinesca, who was first in the first
heat, began bleeding at the nose, coming
third into the stretch in the second heat
and was pulled up. The judges allowed
her to be drawn instead of distanced.
TOpsie r walked away with the
third heat in 230. The four made the
distance in the order in which they
finished, Topsie r, Little Rose, Jo-
sephine and Cal. The first quarter
showed S6%. the half LA, the third
quarter 1.511S. The last heat was a
repetition of the third. The order at
the finish was the same, about length
and half separating each horse. The
summary:
25O trot, purse $500.
lOpSle H., OF. III. ....'...'..s..'''., L L L
j, l., Wagner HaZletOn,
Little Rose, br m ................2 2 2 2
F. W. Cook, Scranton.
Josephine, en-. m ...........,...... 8 3
Z. r. Buckley, WilkesBarre
Cal, d. &. '.....'..............'....'
DR.. Athertop. Pittston.
SaracineSca, ch. m. ........, ....... DIR
e. Smith, Wilkes-Barre.
Time. 231A, 2.3l1a, 2.3O, 2,32l9.
2.2O PACING.
Although there We're nine scratches
| in the 2.20 pacing event there was a
good field of eight starters, and they
| furnished a good race. Horsemen said
| it was as good a bunch of eight as ever
left the post in Scranton. They were
sent away on the third score. Maud L
and Trixee Lee broke badly on the first
quarter, and both were hopelessly out
| Ol II. leTtSd ID, bOlly op6HCeT anu
Wilsura kept a steady gait from the
flag. The former was never worse than
first or second and made the first half
in 109. They finished as named. Trixee
Lee, next to last on the first quarter of
the second half, was whipped, and
though she finished last was distanced
for running. The first quarter was
made in 33ls.
| Some very fast time was made in the
| second heat in which the 1-2-3 order
was the same as in the first heat. Te-
resa b was never headed. The first
quarter was made in "a. the half in
1.0SH, the third quarter in 1.43 and the
distance in 2.19A. 1t looked as though
Dolly c had quit at the three-quarters
pole and she did give way to Wilsura
who held second by length to the head
of the stretch where Dolly G came
] strong and paced for the wire almost
| neck and neck after Teresa, length
away, Dolly c and Wilsura were whip.
ping, the former getting the place by
scarcely more than a neck.
The third heat decided the race, Ter
esa b and Dolly Spencer getting first
and second money and Jo 10 third.
Wilsura might have been placed third