The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-08-16
DISTANCES THE ABBOTT IN
SECOND HEAT.
MAKES A new RECORD
First Heat The Fastest Ever
Made in a Race Won By
Length.

/ New York, Aug. 15.-The trottin,
interests in the Empire City have no
received such a boom in a quarter O
a century as was developed today a
the Brighton Beach track, when unde
the auspices of the New York Trot
ting association, the champion stallion
and champion gelding, Cresceus, an,
The Abbot came together for purs,
of $4,000. The Abbot, with his rec
ord Of 2:03A Of last season, and Cres
ceus with his mark of 2:O2N made a
Columbus, were to settle the question
which of the two is to go down in his
| tory as the fastest trotting horse nov
living.
There was a larger crowd presen1
than was ever before seen on New
York trotting track. The grand stand
was simply packed and this despite
the fact that reserved seats with ad
mission cost 81 while boxes holding
| four persons were all disposed of fol
$50 each in addition. to the regular
admission.
While the seating capacity is but
$500, it was undoubtedly fact that
close to 5000 persons were jammed
into the structure. Every available
space between the stand and the track
was packed to it's utmost capacity
and the paddock, in field, and cheaper
admission field contained a legion of
people. 1t was estimated that fully
$4,000 people were present.
The weather was simply perfect, for
the great trial and the track was like
velvet though probably a second slow.
Several times during the afternoon
both horses put in some preliminary
work and every time they passed the
crowd, there was great enthusiasm.
1t was about 80 o'clock when the
drivers, Ketcham and Geers, appeared
before the grand stand and obtained
their positions for start by the flip
of coin.
Luck was with the driver of Cres-
ceus, as he secured the pole, decided
advantage when two horses so nearly
equal in point Of record is concerned.
When, little later, the horses came
from the paddock they were wildly
cheered and they looked fit for the
work set for them. Fortunately, too,
the wind had died down to a dead
calm, so there was no obstacle in that.
Each was driven UP and down the
stretch for warming up and when
they reached the start Cresceus was
slightly in the lead and they We're call
ed back. The next time down, how
ever, they were nose and nose and
then Cresceus rushed to the front and
had a lead of a length which he held
to the quarter, making that mark in
:aOs4. This lead The Abbot had slight
ly reduced at the half which was reach
ed in 1:01A and he was a very close
second at the three quarter pole in
1924.
The vast crowd knew that worlds |
record was about to be made and the
grand stand arose to it's feet while |
the multitude, which was in the space |
between the stand and the track cheer
ed wildly. Coming down the stretch
It was a battle royal, with The Abbot
very close up but Cresceus with his
bulldog grip kept aon with nostrils
listended and just managed to beat
his opponent by half length in 2:03A
he worlds trotting record in race.
To say that the animal created tu-
nultuous applause only family con-
veys the meaning of the expression.
little over half an hour had expired
When the two grand horses came out
or their second trial and started un-
Ter the same conditions that they did
n the first heat. They were sent
way beautifully, but The Abbot had
lot travelled hundred yards before he
made a disastrous break and before1
le could recover his gait Cresceus was
ar in the front. The Abbot made a
,reat effort to overtake his opponent
tut the son of Robert McGregor was
tut for victory and kept on, passingl
he quarter in :31A seconds; the half
n 1:O21s, the three quarters in 1885,
Ind came rushing home the last quar-