The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-06-03
THE BROOKLYN Handicap.
HOWARD MANN WAS AN EASY
WINNER OF FIRST MONEY
OF THE BIG PURSE.
Lake Shore, SECOND; V0LLEY, THIRD
The Race Was Run on a Very Muddy
Track in the Time of 200 3-4.
Fifteen Thousand People
Saw the Race.

New York, May 31.-It was light
weight this time in the mud, and how the
crowd cheered when Howard Mann gal
Hoped home, almost alone in the Brooklyn
handicap at Gravesend this afternoon.
The crowd was like that on the day the
long-shot Diablo walked off with the
stake, for there was scarcely an inch of
space in the grand stand or upon the
lawn that was not occupied when the
race was being run, and hundreds of peo-
pie had swarmcd across the trackk, ankle
deep in mud, to get a good position in the
field. There was little hope Of large as
sembly in the early morning hours, for
a heavy fog hung over the land and driz-
zling rain was falling at intervals. 1t
was the usual luck of the Brooklyn Jocky
club, as it has rarely had good day and
track for its big race Toward noon,
however, the rain ceased, the sun began
to dissipate the fog, and by the time peo-
pie were beginning to think of starting
for the race track it was a beautiful
spring day. Then the trains began to
arrive at the track, and by 2 o'clock there
was a pretty fair evidence of a large
crowd. All through the first and second
races the people swarmed into the
grounds, and by the time the bugle sound
ed for the horses to go to the post there
were fully $4,000 people present.
All the entries looked absolutely fit, and
able to run for their lives, and Hand
spring seemed the king of all of them as
he pranced at the head of the string. He
was undoubtedly the favorite. There
was some surprise at the appearance of
Howard Mann. but he had been sent in
stead of The Winner, as he was n good
mud horse. They were at the post but
a few minutes and made but one false
break. At 4:30 the starter caught them
in line, the barrier was raised, the red
flag swished through the air and eleven
thoroughbreds were off on their journey,
at the end of which $4,000 was hung up
for the leaders.
"Skeets" Martin, always quick, was
first away, and for an instant Howard
Mann showed in front. The Swain, how
ever, soon took the lead away from him,
and half a length in front, set good pace
down the stretch for the first time. In
the first few jumps Sims brought Hand
spring up to third place, and there, u
length behind The Swain, he stayed, with
heads only separating him from Belmar,
Loki and Sir Walter.
The first quarter was completed in %
seconds, with The Swain still in front by
half length, Howard Mann in second
place by length, Handspring, third; Bel
mar, fourth; Loki, fifth, and the others
close up.
Then came a hasty turn near the pad
dock. and the boys steadied their mounts
for the effort to hold their places in spite
of the crowding and pushing. The turn
was navigated in safety without and ma
terial change in the order, with the ex-
ception of V0lley, who did not seem able
70 mfr nly hin,cnlf AnunIn,;,,cr -,
the deep mud. The turn around was run
in IL IL seconds, good time for the
going.
AS they Strengthened out for the long
run up the back stretch, Sims concluded
that it was time to get little nearer to
the flying leaders, and began to urge
Handspring bit. The net result was to
bring him up within short head of
Howard Mann, but still The Swain was
in the lead with no signs of distress.
The half mile pole was passed in that or
der in 80 IA, excellent time considering
the mud, and with the exception of Vol
ley, the general appearance of things was
1t took 10 seconds to go the next. fur
long, and in that short space there were
many changes. Volley woke cOnsidera-
bly, and left Ben Elder and Jefferson to
lOUh ulttI tlc IcuT Tu1hS, Willie LIKE
Shore and King Arthur began to move up
az well, the leaders still running as they
had been almost since the start.
AS they neared the three-quarter pole
it could be seen that Sims was doing a
good deal of urging on Handspring, I'M
der the influence of which the big son of
Hanover was cutting down the gap which
him from the leaders, and it
looked as If he might make them all run.
They passed the three-Quarter mark in
lis IL, having put rapid furlong be-
hind them, and with little change In p0-
sitiOn, although the distances were lit
tie different.
Then came a crack in the atmosphere,
and before The Swain or Handspring
knew what had happened, Howard Mann
was ten lengths in front of the field.
Loki, too, had come up with rush, and
with Delmar in fourth
place, but already beginning to feel his
weight and the rapid pace of the leaders.
Sir Walter was in fifth place, and the
others trailing.
Then came the run around the upper
turn, where VOlley ate up space in an
manner. With every jump
The Swain was losing. The time for the
seven furlongs was 1:29, remarkably
fast, and Howard Mann even then
looked unbeatable Loki was Il couple
of lengths behind and Handspring
seemed to have lot of run to spare for
the final dash through the stretch. Vol
ley was still coming fast and cutting his
rivals down one by one as he flew. along,
and Scherer was giving Lake Shore q
bit of gaff. They were at the head OF
the stretch, with mile behind them, In
the fast time of 1:42 IA, and Howard
Mann had not faltered.