Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-01-04
NO FAST HEATS.
More Sleighing Than Real Sport
on the Avenue.
Course Seldom in Better Condition for
Speedy Work, But 1t Was Too Cold
a Day for People.

ternoon. Neither were there a large
number of sleighs upon the course. This
fact need not of necessity cause an alb
sence of sport, for a too-crowded course
seriously handicaps those hors semen who
are anxious to brush. The sport was
absent because the fast heats of the af-
ternoon We're few and far between and
We're participated by the few rather
than by the many. A number of WoC-
cesters fastest f1iers-those who have
taken low marks in hard-fought races
upon the track--were ON the course.
They were not, however, driven for
speed; if so, one or two trials sufficed
as their work for the initial day.
And yet all this is not really surpris-
ing. Year after year has demonstrated
that the first few days of good Sleigh
ing never furnish so much interest to
Worcester's roadites as when the sea-
son of sleighs and fur robes is some
what further advanced. Horsemen have
been waiting more than a month for an
opportunity to do some speeding on the
snow, and to settle the much mooted
questions Of local supremacy. But it al
ways requires four or five days of good
sleighing to get them all out and cause
the ward to assume its wonted appear
ance Of winter activity. AS a rule,
horsemen who own prospective kings or
queens of the avenue, prefer to take no
chances with their favorites, but to get
them into snow-speeding condition by
slow work, with now and then a faster
mile, before giving them many crack
ing drives from Highland street to the
barn.
1t did seem a pity, however, that there
was not more racing and more people
upon the course, for the avenue is sell
dom in better shape for fast work than
it was Monday afternoon. The snow
path was well nigh perfect 1t was just
a trifie mealy, to be sure; not enough,
however, to make the footing either
heavy or dangerous or to cause the
slsighs to pun hard. Should the sun
beat down upon the avenue this morn
ing, it will give the snow little chance
to settle. Then, by afternoon, the foot
ing will be as good as if it was made to
order.
The only drawback to an afternoon of
perfect enjoyment to those who went
over to drive, was the weather The
mercury lowered about The 10 degree
mark, and the biting, bitter wind swept
around the foot of Newton hill with a
tremendous velocity, and blew full in
the face Of the riders. 1t did not take
long for one to get chilled through to the
bones. Then a warm fire had more at
fractions than one more trip over the
course. So it was that the people did
not stay long, and the broken line up
and down the two sides of the course
was constantly changing.
A few of those who have not been ia
vored with enough Of this worlds goods
to own trotter or PAGER Of their own,
always put in the afternoon when
sleighing is in order, watching the
brushing either from the prominence at
DIR. Frosts barn or at the corner of Elm
street. They are the first to come and
the last to go. The cold, too, appears
to affect them the least; but Monday
afternoon caused even these enthusiast
tic lovers of the horse to stir about in
their places, to stamp their feet and
swing their arms and remark upon the
cold afternoon. Monday had its full
quota OF this class; and while not
watching the stray brushes, they dis
cussed the prospects.
The horsemen have been looking for
ward to an Unusually interesting sea-
son upon the avenue, this winter.
Events of Monday would tend to show
that their expectations will be realized
in fun measure. Some of those horses
I0e
snow-breeders in past years, will sure
ly be relegated to places in the rear.
Others may hold their own; those who
have been considered the top-notchers
of the local speed contingent may find
few on parade this winter with whom
they cannot successfully hold their own
in speed argument.
The past year has seen some changes
in the snow brigade. Some have gone,
others have taken their places. And it
is some of these new ones who are like
ly to make it decidedly interesting for
the old ones. The horse that will be
able to lead all others down the ave-
nue.; the horses that will be the king
pins at their respective gaits, the trot
ana the pace, cannot be told as yet 1t
will require several days of fast, fierce
racing to fully establish that question.
There are, however, sure to be some
changes in last years list.
The truth of this was partially seen
Monday afternoon, when r. c. Taylor's
gray mare, Abbie ", which for two
years local horsemen have tried hard to
beat, had to bow to superior speed. Sine
was beaten twice right handily. The
queen was dethroned by another horse
in the Taylor stables, although it be-
longs to r. r. and not to r. c. 1t was
none other than the sweet gated little
trotting mare, Valence, which her pres
ent owner purchased from the Hamlins
at auction sale in New York city last
month.
r. F. Taylor bought Valence with one
object in view. 1t was to be able to
cross the imaginary line at Dr. Frost's
barn in front of his father, r. g. Tay-
lor, that he nodded his head at the fig
ure at which she was knocked down to
him in Madison Square Garden Mon
day afternoon proved that his judgment
in selecting Valence, at least so far as
beating Abbie Y, is concerned was not
misplaced. Twice the two came down
ahead at the finish.
r. F. Taylor is eorrespondingly
elated, while his father takes the whole
thing philosophically; and, if he discov-
ers that he can't beat Valence with Abb
bic V. or Nellie A., he will probably go
out and get something that can come
nearer doing the trick. AT least that
is what he says. Valence's reputation
was made on the track when. as q
member Of the Hamlin string and
driven by Ed. Geers, she stepped in
2:12& and won number of good
races. As a snow horse, she was prac-
tically untried, but her performances
Monday show that she is going to be
all right as a member of the snow brig
ade. She trotted as level as a die, and
never once lifted her nose.
Another new conner, and apparently
one Of the best, made her initial ap-
pearanee on the avenue Monday after
noon. She had never been on the
course before, and has been a can.
celled factor in all of the horsemen's call
culations Up to date. But the way she
stepped down the line Monday led them
all to believe that she was going to
be good; in fact, that she was good.
It was the bay mare Flora Spencer, a
udscmely -gaited six-year-old. She
sgas Gfi zen by her owner, John Watson.