The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-08
THE EQUINE WONDER
HISTORY OF cREsCEUs, THE
 PREMIER TRoTTER.
The Horse of the Brilliant Record will Be Seen at Riverside
 Park Next Month.

As Cresceus is scheduled for an exhi- hilton during the Elks races al riNS side next month the following VIII oe of interest:
 George H. Ketchari, the breeder anu driver of Cresceus, always ready talksr on any subject which has special III, terest to him, quickly grows Voiuple anu withaI enthusiastic when discourslng up- on the doings of his pride. But ne mas never before given to the punhc tue complete history of the great stallion from the time he was foaled unui he gained the trotting championship Re cently MT. Ketcham was requested to dictate to a stenographer his own story of the horse. He courteously compieo' and his remarkable statement, told m ms own words, is as follows:
 Almost everyone who knows or cares anything of Gods greatest creation III the brute world" said MT. ketcnam' Knows Cresceus and his great accom- plishments on the turf. They do not, now ever, know his history, nor how near ne came to really elimination from the bril- liant records of the trotting turf, His breeding and early history IS a chapter of accidents.
 'I was led to buy Mabel, his dam, through seeing Nithtingale as a 4-year-old step pnile in 2:27, which l then consid- cred a very wonderful performance. Shortly after I purchased Robert Mc- Gresor, and the following year Mabel was bred to him. Cresceus was the re- sulting foal.
 Cresceus's Marrow Escape.
 "As a yearling Cresceus had severe attack of epizootic, and was blistered. In some manner he rubbed off the blister over the half door of his stall and sawed his neck so that his windpipe was ex- posed. He presented such horrible ap- pearance that I ordered him destroyed but as luck, or I should say fate, would have it, Tim" Murnen, my trainer, was too busy or careless, and it was put on until next morning, when he was found to be so much better that the trainer decided to give him chance for life. He soon developed into a strong, husky but far from attractive looking colt.
 we worked him the winter he was 9 years old, and drove him on the snow. beating the best horses in Toledo. He was started in two races as a. 2-year-old. and in the fall showed a very fast mile over the Erie, Mich, track. I again worked him the following winter on the snow, but he did not eseem to improve very much, lacking a brush of speed; but when I entered and started him in two races at Tiffin, O., found in scoring for the first race that he seemed to learn the game very quickly and came to his speed rapidly. From that time on he learned to race and developed fast
 Beaten by The Abbott.
 'As a 5-year-old Cresceus started in seven races, winning at Glens Falls. N. Y, Readville, Mass, New York City. where he won the stallion race from Charley Herr, Bingen, Daredevil, etc., in 2:10 1-4 and 2:04 1-4. and Indianapolis That year he lost to Ellorse, Tommy Britton, Captain Jack and The Abbott.
 'As a 6-year-old he won every race in which he started, including the $20,000 stallion stake. when he defeated Charley Herr, Grafton Boy, Arion, Lord Vincent, Benton NJ and Jupe. He was started against time seven times. At Hartford. Conn, September ,, he lowered the stall lion record of 2:05 IA, then held by Di- rectum, trotting in 2:04 3-4. At Clevelan1 ], O., October 6, starting against his own stallion record, he trotted his mile in 2:04.
 'In his first start at Detroit, Mich, as a 7-yeAr-old he defeated Charley Herr. trotting in POS and 2:05. thus trotting the fastest two heats in a race, and in his second mile reducing the worlds race rec ord of 2:05 1-4, formerly held pointly by Alix and Directum. His famous mile at Cleveland in POP 3-4 followed.
 Following is a brief recapitulation of CreSceuS'S turf performances: