Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-06
Belmont's Fleet Colt Defeats Imp in
Record Breaking Time.
LATEST BASE BALL GOSSIP
Potomac Boat Clubs Successful
Races Saturday.
GENERAL SPORTING NEWS

The largest crowd that ever gathered on
the Brighton Beach race track witnessed
and cheered the victory Of Perry Belmont's
great colt Ethelbert In the Brighton cup
race Saturday afternoon and cheered again
the performance when the time was hung
out, establishing new worlds record for a
cup course-two miles and a quarter There
was applause, too. for the second horse.
the public's favorite. Imp, the black mare
from Ohio. who, though beaten, was not dis
graced. she having made the pace for two
miles. and then finished but length behind
the winner, herself running faster and
better race than any horse in the world
ever did, bar only Ethelbert.
The condition of the track fast at all
times this season, was APPLY described by
an old-time Brighton Beach trainer as fine
as split silk and horsemen accepted it as
foregone conclusion after the first race was
run that the winner Of the cup would make
a new record. II there was any. horse in the
race to set a pace To Imp fell the task of
pacemaking, and no horse in training could
have performed 1t better Rating out in
front with an even. reaching stride, and
nodding, nodding. nodding from the mo-
ment that she took the track. the old
mare went on with machine-}ike regularity,
galloping with an ease that made her ap-
pear to be going at but a moderate pace.
The watches held on the race told another
story, however for Imp carried a pace that
would have killed an ordinary horse. She
was still rafting a the end. and the official
time then showed what Imp had been doing.
Ethelbert won in $40 Is. a second and
four-f1fths faster time than the worlds pre-
vious record. 351. made by Buckwa in De-
cember, 1898. Buckwa carried but 104
pounds. while Ethelbert carried 1926 and
Imp had up 121 pounds. The fractional
time tells best how the old black mare from
Ohio raced. The first quarter was run in
O.25 2-5. the half In $50 10. the three-quar-
ters In 115 1-5 the first mile in 1.41 So the
mile and a quarter in POI. mile and half
in 2.32 SO. mile and three-quarters in 2.57
As and two miles in 1923. These fractions
ran faster than the worlds records for two
shorter distances, one mile and three-Quar-
tiers and two miles.
Ethe.oert was always favorite. at a price
ranging from to 90 to to 5, with the
western colt, Sidney Lucas. second choice
at an average price of to l. Against Imp
the odds rose until 10 to l was laid against
her, but popular as the old mare is with
holiday racegoers, she was but lightly sup
ported. Herbert was always the outsider.
There was but little delay in getting the
field away. Imp bounding forward as the
starters flag descended and leading off
with half length the advantage, Ethelbert
second, and Sidney Lucas last. From the
moment that Imp was in notion she settled
INTO her long, sweeping stride. and with
Jenkins. who rode her. sitting still with a
steady pull on her went on in front, run
ing so close to the rail that she seemed to
scrape against 1t. For two miles there was
no change IN the position OF the horses
though the distances between them shifted
often. Passing the stand the first time Imp
led by two lengths. Going into the back
stretch she increased this to four lengths
while Ethelbert then led Herbert by two
lengths. In the run to the far turn Imp
Increased her advantage to five lengths
which the others behind reduced to three
lengths when she passed the stand the sec
ond time. On the last mile Imp made one
more effort to slip away. and on the turn
into the back stretch again led by five
lengths. but then Ethelbert began to close,
slowly but perceptibly, and in the middle of
the back stretch, though still under a strong
pull 1t was evident that Ethelbert could go
TO the mare when Spencer. who rode him.
willed it. Imp was still leading by two
lengths at the last turn. when Ethelbert
made his move after her andawent to rae
ing.
Jenkins called on Imp for a last effort
but the black mare could do no more than
she was doing. and Ethelbert was up with
her. and then past her like a flash as they
Strengthened out for the run home. From
the moment he showed In front the race was
Ethelberts. Gallopng at his ease through
the stretch. he won. pulling back to INN
at the end by a length, which he could have
made a half dozen If his rider had so de-
sired Jenkins realized that Imp was beaten
the moment Ethelbert ranged alongside him
and he declined to punish the gallant black
though he rode her out with his hands
She was second, eight lengths in front Of
Sidney Lucas, who after trailing last to the
end or a mile and three-quarters then passed
Herbert and finished third