The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-16
CRESCEUS WINS
KETCHAMS CHESTNUT STALLION
: DISTANCES THE ABBOT IN SEC
OND HEAT AT BRIGHTON
TIME OF FIRST HEAT, 2:os Id
Is the Fastest Ever Made by a
Trctting Horse In COmpeti-
tiOn-Mighty ThrOng
Was Present.
THE ABBOT NOT IN CONDITION

NEW YORK, Aug. 15.-The trotting in
terests OF the Empire City have not re-
ceived such boom in a quarter of a
century as was developed today at the
Brighton Beach track. when, under the
Is auspices of the New York Trotting asso-
citation, the champion stallion and cham
pion gelding Cresceus and The Abbot
came together for a purse of $4,000. The
Abbot with his record of 2:V3A of last
season, and Cresceus with his mark Of
2:02A made at Columbus, were to decide
the question of which was the one to go
down in history as the fastest trotting
horse now living.
There was a larger crowd present than
ever before on a New York trotting track.
The grand stand was simply packed, and
:, this despite the fact that reserved seats
with admission cost $4, while boxes hold
ing four persons were all disposed of at
$50 each, in addition to the regular admis-
sion. While the seating capacity is but
$500, 1t was undoubtedly fact that close
to 5000 persons were jammed into the
structure. Every available space between
the stand and track was packed to its ut
most capacity, and the paddock infeld
and cheaper admission field contained a
: legion of people. 1t was estimated that
fully 1900 people were present. The
weather was simply perfect for the great
trial, and the track was like velvet
though probably a second slow. Several
put in some preliminary work, and each
time they passed the crowd there was
great enthusiasm.
LUCK WITH CRESCEUS.
1t was about $3.50 o'clock when the driv-
ers, Ketcham and Geers, appeared before
q. the grand stand and obtained their posi-
-tiOnS for a start by the flip of a coin
Luck was with the driver of Cresceus,
as he secured the pole, decided adVan-
tage, when two horses so nearly equal in
point of record are considered. When,
little later, the horses came from the pad
dock they were wildly cheered, and they
looked ht for the work before them. For
tunately, too, the wind had died down to
dead calm, so there was no obstacle in
-. that line.
Each was driven up and down the
stretch for a warming up, and when they
reached the starter, Cresceus was slightly
in the lead, and they We're called back
The next time, however, they were nose
and nose Then Cresceus rushed to the
front and had a lead of a length, which
he held to the quarter making that
mark in :30%. This lead The Abbot had
slightly reduced at the half, which was
reached in 1:0lH, and he was a very
close second at the three-quarter pole, in
l:32A.
NEW WORLDS RECORD.
The vast crowd realized that a world
record was about to be made and the
grand stand arose to it's feet, while the
multitude which was in the space be
tween the stand and the track cheered
wildly. Coming down the stretch it was
a battle royal, with The Abbot very close
up, but Cresceus, with his bulldog grip,
kept on with nOstrils distended, and just
managed to beat his opponent by half
length, in 2:03A, the worlds trotting rec
- ord in a race. To say that the finish
= created tumultuouS applause only family
no min Of f1,a avn II,
little over half an hour had expired
when the two grand borses came out for
their second trial and were started under
the same conditions that existed in the
first heat. They werS sent away beau
hfully, but The Abbot mad not Travelled q
hundred yards before he made a dis
astrous break and before he could re-
cover his gait Cresceus was in 'front.'
The Abbot, once settled, made a grand
effort to overtake his opponent, but the
r son Of Robert McGregor was out for vic
tory and kept on, passing the quarter in
:3lA seconds; the half in 1:021a, the three
quarters in 1:35, and came rushing nome
the last qu er in :3114 seconds, doing
the mile in 2:O6A, with The Abbot back
of the flag. AS the race was best three
in five, Ketcham consented that Cresceus
60 another heat This ne did shortly be-
fore o'clock, accompanied by a runner
a. for the first half, where he was Joined
y by another runner, and he did the mile
in 2:O5, the qaurter in :30l2, the half in
1:Ol12, and the three-quarters in "a
THE ABBOT NOT IN SHAPE.
To the credit Of The Abbot it should be
said that, not only was this his first race
OF the season, but he has also been sick
and his best mile since his recovery was
in the vicinity of 2:09. The betting before
the race was 500 to $50 on Cresceus and
1t was lively, there being many of the
followers of The Abbot, and of his driver.
Geers' VINO were willing to take the short
end
Each trotter pulled twenty-nine-pound
sulky. The stallion wore a side check.
two minute harness. without breeching
A. or breast collar, and was protected to
the knees and hooks with white felt
boots. The Abbott carried the old style
harness, an overdraw check, and was
rugged with knee and quarter boots for
ward and with toe boots behind
Cresceus moved perceptiblyf in his
first work, his action lacking the smooth
free, easy swing that is characteristic of
the champion trotter. Later he warmed
out of It to a great extent, and stepped
with his usual grace. Every horseman
on the grounds admired The Abbot's
condition and action as Geers let him go
at half speed in the warming up, and
l. good judges pinned their faith to Geers'
horse on the strength of his appearance
before the race.
THE ABBOT TIRED
After the result of the first heat the
betting was ended 1t was a foregone
conclusion that Cresceus would win. and
nc one appeared anxious to back the son
OF Chimes. After The Abbots break In
the second heat he seemed tired. He
. could not get into his stride AS the
horses trotted down the back stretch. the
horsemen in the grand stand began to
shout "Ketcham is driving to distance
The Abbot" That was just what he was
doing. When the brown horse came.
pounding down the course in good style,
although not so fast as in the first heat
The Abbot was four lengths behind the
distance flag. Everybody regretted such
an ending Of a match which was to have
been the best three in five heats, which,
It was believed, would have been won in
al probability by Cresceus even if The
Abbot had not made that disastrous
break
There isn't anything to say" said Ed
Geers after the race was over. "It7s some
thing likely to happen to any horse in
any race. The Aboot could not get his
feet Strengthened out, and so he could
not win
Mr.. Ketcham was all smiles after he
had finished.
II would have won" said he, "in any
ant L.