The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-18

spect he Is cmlnently ntteu to uo so. Lord, Derby Is a very gh-strung horse. His one failing has been his liability to make the most disastrous breaks. Spear is patient man. who schools and ca. i ucates lis horses thoroughly, ana II noted for the good manners of his pu- pils. I am told that he is already busy trying to teach Lord Derby the tricks necessary to render him pliaole ana reliable racing tool, and that the man and horse seem to get along famously together.
 The Brighton Beach match is for Ho 900, and is not, properly speaking, true
 match. The association has put up the
 money and the two geldings will trot S7O00 and the loser 5000. We are also ! assured in one way of a more sausfac- tory contest than that between Cresceus and The Abbot last season. This cost virtually ended when The Abbot made his historic break few seconds after the word was given in the second neat One of the conditions of the coming race is that the distance shall be wsiveu. which makes it certain that the victor must win three heats unless the loser IS disabled from finishing. There was no such condition last year, and George Ketchum drove Cresceus out in the sec ond heat and Jagged his adversary. IL was legitimate, but 1t hurt the race ter ribly from the spectators standpoint There was a record-breaking crowd at the Beach that day. and Secretary Mc- Gully doubtless looks forward to another one. and is endeavoring to give them their moneys worth, as he has also stipulated that both horses must be Tn
 prime condition on the day of the match.
 The first big pacing event of the com ing sea5on will be the Chamber of Com
 merce Stake at the inaugural meeting of
 the Grand Circuit in Detroit next July.
 The event has become classic on the
 harness turf, ranking with the M. and
 IA fI1A
 ing, the Futurity or Pennsylvania at
 Lexington. the Charter Oak at Hartford and the Massachusetts at Boston. It IS
 true a much more valuable stake from a
 money standpoint is given at Providence a $lU,0O0 affair for pacers of the 2:1o class.
 but Tn that instance the speed Of the starters is pretty we'll known. as all of
 them have gone around 2:lO In public the
 previous season. The Chamber of Com
 merce is regarded as the one event all
 most certain to bring out a dozen or so of the best green pacers in the land. and
 the winner seldom fails to take high rank among the sidewheelers of the year.
 There never was held Ike that which
 has been named for this race for the cur rent season. TO begin with. Ed Geefs will he on hand with the black stallion.
 Direct Hal. This horse. now years old
 was bred to order" so to speak, as he pacer of the great. Tennessee family her record being 2:12, with the little black
 stallion Direct, that. in spite of his midg- et-like proportions. pulled highwheel which made him an early cripple would undoubtedly have had mark close to two minutes to the pneun2a4uc-tire vehi-
 cle of the present day instead of the 205 l-2 that is to his credit,
 Direct went to Tennessee and beat Hsl Pointer. 2:o4 1-2. the champion of the Hal family in those days. and Geers. who
 drove the Pointer horse" recognized the greatness of the black stallion that had formerly been a trotter and acquired record better than 2:2o at that way of going when years of age. Therefore when Bessie Hall was bred to Direct. Geers became a partner in the enterprise and the colt came under his personal care as soon as it was old enough to
 wear harness. There was 10 hurrying done. but as 3-year-old the colt showed speed enough 10 warrant the Hamlins. for whom Geers ,, was training 10 pay
 Last fall, after preparation that was fin no way severe. Geers drove Direct Hal a mile at Lexington in 2:o9 B.. Ten days lAter. over the fast track at Memphis. pany with Carl Wilkes. that was rated good for POS and that had just been bought at long price by Eastern par ties Tn this trial there was no part ot the road in which Direct Hal was frly extended. and vet he finished the mile in 2:os 1-2. with the other horse two lengths behind and leg weary beyond ex- nression. Two lays after this trial Geers
 brought out Direct Hal and said he would step him a fast half. He josged up to the half mile post in company with runner. tho time to that point being I.15 Then the steam was turned on. and the way that black pacer flew down the back stretch. around the upper turn and straiehtened away for the wire was
 caution The watches showed ;So for the first nuarter and in the honnestretch there was no illumination of the speed Direct Hal going past the jndse's stand strong and true in inst minute from the time he left the half mile pole.
 The other horses named in the Cham b4r of Commerce are Joe Pstchen's Bow that comes from Louisiana: Trilby. a daughter of Direct. from Calitornia FL