The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-18
GREAT HARNESS RACES
THIS SEASON WILL PROBABLY
 BE A RECORD BREAKER.
Career of the Allmont Mare, Ala bama-Cresceus Will Not Take Part, But Will Give Exhibi-
 tions-Pacing Event.

The harness races for the season or M h, give syeTy indication ,h iiOtsa nsns tas from tho time that the Grand Circuit opens until the close of the season at Lexington and Memphis there will be a continuous round of interesting events
 To MontgomerianS the most interesting phase of the harness season will be in watching the career of the beautiful All Iront mare, Alabama. The mare was for
 ery se So bsr S Se1s Msor smtn old Ally, placing her in the hands or Manager Newell of the Gentlemen s Driving Club ct Riverside. The admirable work of MT. Newell was such that last year he sold her as a 4-year-old to Mir Plant of Macon. owner and campaigner of the largest stable in the south. MT. Plant has had her Tn training for the past year and will campaign her on the workouts that she has shown at Riverside 1t is an even break that she will pace miles down in the neighborhood of 2:D7 or even much lower before the season IS
 Another interesting thing that will be watched closely by Montgomery horse men will be the match races this sum mer between The Abbott and Lord Der. by. The Abbott and Boralma and Lord Derby and Boralma. The people of MontSomery and this section of Alaba- pa have unlimited faith in the capacity of Ed Geers to handle horses and as he will drive The Abbott in all his races this season, while Spear will handle Lord Derby, it looks like the son of Chimes and Nettie King will have the best of 1t. Ed Geers was developing Lord Derby into one of the fastest trotters-except Cres- ceus--that ever looked through & bridle, but how Spear will continue the work this season remains to be seen. MT; Ketchum's grand trotter, Cresceus, will not take part in any of the matches, the McGregor stallion filling in the sea son with exhibitions. one of which no will give in Mont somery on the Riverside track next September.
 Speaking of the big trotting matches this summer a Chicago paper says;
 Two of these were matched to race at days ago for s1o,ooo They are The Abbot t2:o3 1-G and Lord Derby t2:ct i-2), an1 1t looks as if the seaside meeting" had relocated its Cresceus-Abbot coup Of year ago and secured what ought to be the real star event of the season.
 race between The Abbot and Lord Derby is. in advance, of absorbing in terest dwarfing even the two previously ma and Lord Derby and Boral:na. It is generally felt that Boralna will have little chance to defeat The Abbot. mere ly as a question of class While Tn tne'r show ed himself boraima master very clearly. But the Derby-Ahtot case Is very different Of course. it IS true tnat The Abbot seems, on his record; to rave
 
 But 1t is to be demonstrated whether The Abbot is still as good as ms recoru while the c,ldest critics. nlnicst to man. are looking for niG drop in Lord perby's record this year-one that Will bring him very near, if not distinctly, ih- to the champion gelding's own class
 Until this season there has never been s possibility of the meeting of these two mighty trotters as they were both bred al Village Farm and trained and raceu in it's stable Some people will count 1t against Lord Derby that he Is no longer In the hands of Geers. but that is apt to rrove an error of judgment. His new trainer. George Spear, is unduestionahly one of the best men now in the sulkN. He first became prominent dozen years ago, and not in the most dcslraole way via. the famous Temple Rar affair at Cleveland in 1891. However. his cuipa- bility therein was very slight. and ne has never since been concerned Tn any thing in the slightest degree question able. It is also immensely to his credit that, starting with such handicap ne has risen steadaiy-and deserVedly-to the very top of the ladder. His reputa- +irn Is today truly enviahie and has been won by hard work and consistent successes. ,,
 Naturally his handling of Lord Derby will be q severe test of his capsc"y. ~ is | difficult task for any man to succeed another Ike Geers. the Icknowleueed master trainer of America. But the tai ent all look for Spear to do more than we'll with the Derby horse. In one re-