Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-10
COURSE WAS POOR.
Horses Sunk TO Their Fetlocks in
Slush on the Ward.
A Few Fast Brushes, But More Cheap
Racing-Abbie v Wins Again, This Tims
Defeating Whist, 2.Is 80, Three
Heats-A Big Crowd Out.

~SHNN NANoS nRO4l LIE L6GlS Ol last week s
blizzard, and still continue, much to the
disappointment of every horseman, are
raising sad havoc with the snowpath or
the avenue.
The roadbed is covered with a coating
of snow and ice that is probably six OF
seven inches deep, but the warm sun
and the warm atmosphere is cutting w
the surface badly and making the
sleighing about as poor as though the
runners cut through on to the bare
ground.
Wednesday afternoon the coating OF
soft snow, slush and water was nearly
ankle deep. 1t splashed in all directions
covering not only those who were rid
ing behind speed, but pleasure drivers
on either side of the speed course with
a mess of dirty water and little punches
of yellow snow, which felt anything but
| pleasant.
To add to the otherwise poor footing
there were here and there big cradle
holes that had filed with water. When
horse struck one of these he would
sink down into the slush up to his fet-
locks, always throwing him off his stride
and sometimes making 1t appear as
though the sleigh behind him was in
imminent danger of pitching over. No
course that is uneven as is the Boule-
| ward at present is even passably safe
for speeding purposes. But for all that
a number of road drivers took good
sized chances and went bumpty-bump
over them in their desire to finish
| ahead of some less formidable competi-
tor.
Then, too, there is a stretch Of snow
fully ten feet wide along the whole east
side of the avenue that has not yet been
Travelled upon at all. This, Of course,
forces the sleighs into the centre just
that much and makes the space that
can be devoted to speeding only about
two-thirds Of its usual width. One or
two road machines could pillow away
this unbrol1en stretch in few hours
and bring the avenue back again to it's
normal dimensions. The snow extends
out the greatest distance Just at the
finish, which might have indirectly
caused several accidents, had it not
been for the valiant service performed
during the afternoon by Officers Legas-
sy and Horgan. Officer Legassey was
mounted, and with his brother officer
prevented any serious congestion of
sieighs just at the place where it should
be the most open.
Wnlle the footing was poorer than on
any preceding afternoon of the last
week, the number of sleighs on the ave-
nue. was far larger than any day since
the last storm. Horsemen appear to re-
alize that If they desire sport this win
ter they will have to obtain it under
decidedly poor road conditions In sea-
sons when the city has been favored
with more snow and longer continued
sleighing, those who own good horses
would not have thought for q moment
of speeding with such footing But this
year 1T is case of now or never to
all indications, and everybody is making
the most of a bad thing and getting as
much fun as they can out of it. The
sleighing, however, on the avenue is not
so far gone that it could not be made
f1rst-class if the weather would change
from warm to cold and the thawing
snowbed of today freeze up stiff. Then
the footing would be capital and road
drivers could not have any excuses to
offer
A great many brushes were put in
during the afternoon. but the majority
of them were between horses that never
have and probably never could win
money, even at the horse races at a
county fair. Some of the tried and
true campaigners and snow-horses were
also out, but of this class those to be
driven up to their speed could be count
ed upon the fingers of one hand. The
others just logged up and down along
the side lines, while their owners wished
for better going, or wondered how any
man with good animal should be will
ing to let him do much brushing in the
slush.
If there is even the slightest prospect
Tor race, whatever may be the sort of
footing, r. C. Taylor is surero be in the
thick of the battle or rather the thick
of the flying slush, for that is what 1t
was Wednesday afternoon, His old gray
mare, Abbie ", 2:16%, was ON the ave-
nue. and put in about half dozen good
stiff heats, And as usual Abbie V. van
pushed the few that brushed up against
her. The going, to be sure, was in her
favor, but it is almost a two to one shot
| that Abbie Y. is going to retain her title
to the queen of the ward again this sea-
son regardless of Valence and several
| others that were looked upon as likely
to do the trick. IF the gray daughter
OF Aberdeen is beaten it will be only
when the footing is of the best "Old
Sloppy Weather" was the name she was
dubbed while in Gen. Turner's cam
paigning string four or five years ago,
and it is apparently most apt, consider
ing the manner in which she takes to
the sloppy footing.
Abbie VS. best brushes were with
Walter Warren's Whist. The Motion
gelding, that took a record of 2:18s4 five
years ago, has not been harnessed many
times this winter, and is mot in good
shape for fast work, being both fat and
soft. In consequence the gelding, not
too stoutly bred at best, found the trip
from the top Of the hill to Dr. Frost S
barn bit too long. Whist made fairly
good sailing of it until Elm street was
passed, and then encountered difficult
les Warren rod him 10 "a
noon more with a view to getting him
IN shape for work later, than with any
| hopes of beating Mr.. Taylor.
On their first trip down, those who
were in the vicinity of the imaginary
line at the finish saw one of the best
contests of the season. The gray had the
course nearer the barn, where the foot
ing was the better, while Whist was in
the middle of the course. Both Taylor
and Warren drove every step Of the way
from Elm street down, and the tradi-
tional blanket would have covered the
pair. 1t looked to many as though the
two flashed across the barn line on even
terms, but others thought Mr. Taylor's
horse was a nose ahead.
This cracking heat showed its effect
upon Whist for in the heats that fol-
lowed, the gelding, while he could stay
with the mare for a while, got weary
before the finish. The second time they
came down the gray mare did what she
rarely does-she made a break as she
plowed through a cradle hole just south
of Highland street. Warren picked his
way along up the avenue and at the
foot of Newton hill and around the
curve as they swung into sight Of Pleas
ant street and the finish, Whist was
ahead But Abbie ". does not know
what it is to be beaten. She made up the
rNT--