Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-01-07
MORE sPEEDiN
The Boulevard Was a Lively
Place Thursday Afternoon.
Second Rate Animals Mostly Let out-The
Fast Trotters Did Not show What
They Can DO.

PROBABLY be poorer before it Is better
In fact, if the rain which set in early
Thursday evening, with the present
warm weather, continues any length Of
time, it will not be very long before the
| avenue ceases to afford good sleighing
There were plenty of brushes dowI
the course all through the afternoon
Yet of them all, not one was really sig.
| nificant The speeding was mostly al
done by the second raters-animals thai
possess fair amount of speed and
may be excellent road animals, but
which are not for a moment to be con
sidered among the list of Worcester
speediest horses. Some of those who
were speeded along with all the care Of
turf champion would find it difficult
to land first money in a colt class at a
country fair.
For some reason, difficult to explain
unless it is from fear--and the horsemen
will not admit that they possess that
undesirable quality-there wasno racing
among the dozen or so of very fast
snow horses of which Worces.
ter can boast Many of the
| good ones were ON the course, but
the majority were driven over unboot.
| ed, and 50 were not speeded. The Few
fast ones that were extended were not
on the course at the same tilne and SC
did not come together for any decisive
contests. 1t was a dlsapp olntment tc
the road drivers, but they are still liv-
| ing in hopes of better things and more
real sport, ere long.
: Nellie A. (2:13), Valence (2:12S) and
Marjorie (2:1714) were three of the fast
mares out Thursday afternoon. They
| We're all extended, but unfortunately
failed to meet. Nellie A. was driven over
quite early in the afternoon by Mr.. r.
ITlOT ma c
sent down few times, but there was
nothing against her worthy of the name
race horse. r c. Taylor had been off
| the course for about half an hour, when
r. F. Taylor appeared behind his new
purchase, the dark chestnut Valence,
212%. Two or three, who evidently did
not know the horse, picked Mr. Taylor
up, and tried to show him the way
down the line They had, however, a
difficult task, for Violence could easily
outstep anything there, and she was
never urged, Mr.. Tayor, for the most
part, driving with one hand, and look
| ing back to see where the others were,
| For the first time this season, John
| Kervica1 came out sitting behind his
race mare Marjorie, 2:17A. She had on
the few boots she requires for fast
work, and Kervick sent her through the
| stretch few times Marjorie, who, by
acted nor looked better. Although she
seemed full of life and vim, she never
once offered to lift her nose. But Ker-
wick, like the Taylors, found nothing in
his class, and had to content himself
with doing a few pas seuls.
1t is no secret, however, that Worces-
ter's foremost professional reinsman
drove over with one object in view. II
was to meet either Valence or Abbie
V. or both, and then and there discover
whether or not either one of the Tay-
lor horses could outstep the bay mare.
Marjorie is gated just right for the
snow, and she is sure Of being able to
give any horse on the avenue the stiffest
sort of an argument. 1t may be little
rash to make predictions; nevertheless
there are many who believe that today
Marjorie is gated just right for the
Worcester. Certainly her performances
Thursday afternoon would show that
none but the best have any right to
tackle her.
The only fast brushes of the after
noon were between A. B. Brunels bay
mare Floride B. and John w. Knibbs'
Benton colt, Silver Benton. Floride
was hitched to a racing rig, which
gave her something of an advantage
over Silver Benton, who was dragging
Mr.. Knibbs in an oQd-fashioned and
rather heavy sleigh. F'loride B., who is
by Oxide out of a Redwood mare and
was raised by J. Warren Ellsworth,
within sight of the avenue, has mark
of 2:2914, taken early last season; while
Silver Benton appears equally fast and
has had considerably more snow work
than his rival.
The first time the pair came down it
was as pretty race as one would ask
to witness. The pair swung to a good
start and crossed Highland street well
together. Around the curve at the foot
Of Newton Hil1 the bay mare forged
ahead, and at Elm street was nearly a
length in the lead. Then Knibbs began
to urge the Benton. Gradually ne
picked up the distance, and at the fin
ish was ahead by a neck The second
time Benton broke soon after the pair
had started, and was not able to make
up the distance, although she gave Mr..
BrunePs handsome mare good race.
Richard j. Healey was on the. avenue
with the old campaigner, Arthur Wilkes
(2:17A). Three or four years ago or
shortly after passing into Mr.. Healey's
possession the gelding was looked upon
as one Of the very best of Worcesters
snow brigade. There were few on the
avenue that could touch him. The
gelding is considerably older than he
was then, still he apparently has re-
tanned great deal Of the speed that
enabled him to fight out so many hard
free-for-allS over the New England
tracks five, six and seven years ago.
He still retains a place among Worces-
ter's upper ten.
Frank e. Powers rode over the course
few times with his new purchase
Florentine (2:21A). She is q big ami
NAL, weighing probably HOO pounds,
and very powerfully built Mr.. Powers
stepped her out only in spots, but she
showed fast enough to make it seem as
though she might have a little say in
the distribution of snow path honors
for SO.
Lawyer A. NJ. Taft drove his chestnut
gelding, Goldbug. Like so many others,
he was content to watch the few races,
although once or twice me did let the
chestnut step along quite sharply. For
horse that was originally purchased
for a meagre $65, and which has since
taken mark of 2:24A, Goldbug makes
an elegant appearance upon the road.
1t was over the local track, in the
fourth heat of his first race, that Gold
bug took his present mark. Goldbug is
by King Wilson out of a Golddust
mare.
Another good-looking chestnut on the
avenue portion of the afternoon was
Walter Ripley's mare, Blanche r. She
was started up a few times, and prom
ises to be q good snow horse
S. F. Gates drove the Redwood mare
Jennie (2:18A). 1t was five years ago
that Jennie took her mark, with John
Kervick, at Mystic Park, and since that
time she has been used for road mare
exclusively. Jennie was sent up to her
clip a few times. Another of the ami.
mails with a mark taken some time ago
was F. p. Douglass chestnut gelding,
Reporter (2:29A. and since driven on the
road. Ed Doyle's chestnut mare Julia
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