New-York tribune., 1901-08-15
TROTTTNG KINGS TO MEET.
CRESCEUS AND THE ABBOT TO START
AT BRIGHTON TO-DAY.

AT BRIGHTON TO-DAY.
With fair weather to-day the greatest harness
race in the history Of the trotting horse should
be seen at the fast Brighton Beach track
Cresceus. 2:02H. and The Abbot 2:O3H the
fastest two trotters the world has ever seen,
will meet for the first time in a special race for
a purse Of SO 600, and win trot mile heats, best
three in five. Both horses are reported to be in
fine fettle for the great contest on which the
championship depends. and there is no doubt
whatever in the minds of the best informed
turfmen that both horses will he driven to win
from first last Cresceus is to go into the
stud next year and the prestige of having
beaten The Abbot would be worth many thou
sands Of dollars 70 him on the other hand. the
reputation Of the new king of trotters would
suffer greatly should he lose the race. As for
The Abbot John ]. Scannen c ] Hamlin, Ed
Ceers and everybody connected with the horse
would give anything short Of their right hands
70 check the conquering march OF Cresceus, who
lately robbed The Abbot of the worlds record
against time That the race will be for blood
IS regarded as foregone conclusion
Theoretically Cresceus should beat The Abbot
about four lengths in each heat. assuming that
the speed OF each horse is fairly represented by
his record But horseracng is proverbially un-
certain The Abbots marvellous burst Of speed
ir q brush may enable him 10 accomplish by
strategy in driving what he could not do by
forcing the nghtinG The pecunarities Of the
two trotters lead 70 the belief that Cresceus will
set the pace as fast as possible from wire to
wire IN the hone that The Abbot will he left in
the rear and strung out to the limit Of his speed
IN irving 70 keep within striking distance Of his
rival Geers will almost certainly drive Ihe
Abbot as he drove Lord Derby on the opening
day Of the Brighton meeting, trailing a length or
two behind the leader 20 the head Of the home
stretch and there cutting loose in hurricane
drive to the Wire II Cresceus does not set the
pace fast enough 10 pump The Abbot before
reaching the homestretch his chance 10 win VIII
not be deemed even one.
The Abbot is believed 70 he the greatest
brush" horse ever foaled. He has trotted
quarter In O.29-a 1.56 clip--and horsemen do
not generally credit Cresceus with ability 10
couaI him I'm this respect. The stallion is d
plodder in his way. He can carry his best rate
Of speed further than The Abbot can, according
TO popular belief among horsemen. But he re
qures driving all the time and Mr.. ketcham
may not be able to keep him going at top speed
with no competitor close at hand to spur him on
In all his record breaking trials he has had a
running horse on either side Of him 70 rouse his
fighting spirit He will have TO he his own pace
maker to-day. and right here is where the great
uncertainty
he go out in front and race alone at a clip fast
enough to take the brush out of The Abbot be
fore the homestretch is reached? That is the
question which has divided the trotting frater-
nifty ever since the race was arranged.
The majority believe ne will do it, and
Cresceus will doubtless start favorite. The race
is the third race the programme and the
horses will probably be called for the trst neat
q little before o'clock
The following compilation shows the past per-
formances of each Of these great trotters;
The Abbot has started 80 races; first In 23 sec
ond in , third in l. unPlaced in 4. distanced In ?
Cresceus has started in "a races; first In 20. sec
ond in O. third in 4. fourth in l. unplaced IN none
The Abbnt has started in 1Oi heats; won =; of
which 76 were in 2l5 or better ana u IN ='o or
Creseeus has started in 10 heats; won 5$; of
which 40 were In 2:l5 or better ana a In z;Io or
The Ahbots fastest first heat is 2:G7s; second
ftb heat logs his fastest two heats 2oSi, 2O6ts;
fastest three heats 2?o92t 2;Oti4' ' ~ -.
2.05. third heat 2:06 fourth heat. 200 nth heat.
loss his fastest heats 2:o6i4 2:07&4; fastest
+-i'r,a.tt' ht,t- on. 2.O6 2:06.
'HTSe S RbbS has Started against time six times in
FIVE of which he scored winning PERFORMANCES 9 =,
six of which he scored a winning performanGe
The Ab9ots fastest miles m iS" s Were as % ro1SMs 9
Providence August 80. 2:0is4; Hartford. September
TerTe 1T@ff fffa1te' September 25. 2:O2ii.
Cresceus's fastest miles IN 1901 were as follows;
2;o7 2!56s. Columbus August 2:o7ls 2:O6 POS;
Chicago August II, POSI-. 2:0la: Syracuse, August
%. 2:66%; Hartford, septembers . 2o4a.i Readye.
ber g. 2:o4; Toledo, October 10 Chalf mile track,
2:O9s.: Toledo October 10 90 wagon. 2ISl%; Terre
Haute October 16 2:O5ii; Terre Haute. October 49,
The Abbot has not started in 1901.
Cresceus's fastest miles this year are as follows:
Detroit July II. 2:o6& 205; Cleveland July a.
August g. 2:O6il