The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-08-16
THE HARRINGTON PUBLISHING co.
CRESCEUS KING OF THE TURF
EASILY DEFEATS THE ABBOTT AT
 ~BRIGTON BEACH RACES.

ERECTION BEACH RACES.
 Wins by a Length in First Heat and
 Makes Worlds Record-Tho Abbott Is
 Dista n ced in the Second Hent-Enor-
 nous Throng In Attendance.
 New York, Aug. 15.-The trotting in- terests of the Empire City have not re- ceived such boom in quarter of century as was developed to-day at the Brighton Beach track when, under the auspices of the New York Trotting as- sociation, the champion stallion and the champion geding, Cresceus and The Abbott, came together for Q purse Of SIP, ,OO0. The Abbott, with his record of 2:03A of last season, and Cresceus, with his mark of 2:O2A made at Columbus, were to decide the question of which was the one to go down in history as the fastest trotting horse.
 There was larger crowd present than ever seen on a New York track under the old conditions, and this has been only exceeded few times since the existence of the old track by the seashore. The grandstand was simply packed, and this despite the fact that reserved seats with admission cost $4 while boxes holding four persons were all disposed of at $30 each in addition to the regular admission. While the seating capacity is but $500, it was undoubtedly the fact that close on to E. 900 persons were damned into the struc- ture
 Every available space was packed to its utmost capacity, as was the lawn at the west and the paddock, inf1eld and
 cheaper admission field contained le-
 zion of people. It was estimated that fully fifteen thousand people were pres ent.
 The weather was simply perfect for the great trial and the track was like velvet, though probably second slow.
 Several times during the afternoon both
 horses put in some preliminary work,
 and each time they passed the crowo there was enthusiasm galore.
 It was about 3:3O o'clock when the
 drivers, Ketcham and Geers, appeared
 before the grandstand and obtained their positions for start The wind died down to dead calm, so there was no obstacle in that line.
 Each was driven up and down the
 stretch for a warming and when they reached the starter Cresceus was slight ly in the lead and they were called
 back. The next time down, however, they were nose and nose and skipping along like birds Then like shot from a gun Cresceus rushed to the front and
 had a lead of length, which he held to the quarter in :30%. This lead The Abbott had slightly reduced at the half in 1:o1A and he was a very close sec ond at the three quarter pole in 1:32A.
 The vast crowd realized that a worlds record was about to be made and the
 grandstand arose to Its feet, while the multitude which was in the space pe- tween the stand and the track cheered
 wildly. Coming down the stretch 1t was a battle royal, with The Abbott very close up, but Cresceus, With his bulldog grip, kept on with nostr1is ex- tended and just managed to beat his opponent by half length in 2:03A, the worlds trotting record in a race. TO say that the announcement created tu- multuous applause only faintly conveys the meaning of the expression.
 In the second trial they were sent away beautifully, but The Abbott had not travelled hundred yards before he made a disastrous break and before he could recover his gait Cresceus was in front The Abbott once settled,y made grand effort to overtake his opponent, but the son of Robert McGregor was out for victory and kept on, passing the quarter in 31% seconds, the half in i :O21b. the three-quarters in 1885 and came rushing home the last quarter in 31A seconds doing the mile in 2:06A, with The Abbott back of the flag.
 As the race was best three in five Ketcham consented that Cresceus go another heat This he did shortly be- fore 5 o'clock, accompanied by rum ner for the first half, where he was joined by another runner, and he did the mile in 2:05, the quarter in :301s, the half in 1:O11a and the three quarters in 1:34.
 To the credit of The Abbott 1t should be said that not only was this his first race of the season but that 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 $100 to $3O on Cresceus. The first regular event on the card was the 2:20 trot, which had field of eight starters Neva Simmons was backed at s100, while the field sold for S125 The favorite won the first heat by two lengths and the second by neck Helen Grace being her competi- tor in both. In the third heat the bay gelding All Right Joined in the fray and led around to the three quarter pole, where he was joined by Neva Sim mons and a rattling finish ensued. All Right winning by short head The fourth heat was exactly similar, but in
 the fifth both competitors were very tired and Neva Simmons won by nar- row margin.
 The 2:1o pace brought out small but fast field and the speculation was very heavy, with Carmine the favorite and Sphinx $. the second choice. Carmine aattered his packers in the first heat, winning by a head, but Sphinx S., driv- on out. beat him handily in the next three heats
 Tle california horse Toggles was the favorite in the 2:10 trot at S100, Sister Alice s75 and the field at the same fig ure King Chimes was his only promi-