The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-06-19

| morse never eunered rrom. ne pre-
sented such a horrible appearance that
| only q trotter. and trottsrs had not even
then. a. late as 1893. fame enough on the
track to make them the recognized kings
Of today. Had he been a runner or PAGER.
1t Ii very likely his death-warrant would
not have been issued.
Tim Muren, the trainer, however, hav-
ing q soft spot in his horse-loving heart
for poor Cresceus, put off the animals ex-
ecution until the next morning, when he
was so much improved that he was al
lowed to live.
After recovering from the attack OF cpl
| Zootic, which was so nearly his finish,
| Cresceus developed into a strong, sturdy,
but far from notwithstanding colt, and,
| although he commenced 10 show signs of
| possessing at least fair stride, Ketchum
did not seriously consider putting him on
the track until his training was pretty
| well under way.
| Trainer and owner worked him the
Winter he was coming two years old,
Muren for some mysterious reason taking
| a special interest in him and urging on his
training.
That Winter was severe one, with
plenty of snow, and Ketchum drove Ores
ceus frequently on the white ground. beat
ing the best horses in Toledo, among them
Charlie Ford, 2min. 12ksec Still, Ketch-
um did not look with any confidence upon
him as a winning trotter.
I He was started in two races rs a two
year-old, and in the Fall showed a very
fast mile over the Erie track. He was
again worked all the following winter on
the snow, but he did not seem to improve
very much. lacking burst OF speed, but
when he was entered and started in two
races at Tifiin, in scoring for the first race
it was discovered that he seemed to learn
the game very quickly and tame to his
speed rapidly. From that time on he
learned to race and developed very fast
Feeling confident after this exhibition
that he had much speed, Kctchum then
started to work him with the sole idea of
so conditioning him as TO carry his clip
for the entire mile, and during that whole
ycar-he was then three year-old-
worked him heats of n mile and half
but never drove him faster than 2min
'0sec. clip with one exception, and that
was when preparing him for his great
race at Columbus. he then was worked
one mile in 2min. 20sec.: but it took his
life to go that pace His owner would.
however, work him until he was tired in
miles from 2min. 40sec. to 2min. 30sec.
letting him step from the seven-eighths
pole around to the next half-mile pole.
In this way he learned to come home,
and it muscled him up for long races.
Shortly after this he was started in the
2min. 20sec. class ut Columbus. Ohio, and
was second in a field of aged horses, Fat
Wilson winning the race in 2min. 1914
sec. Undoubtedly Cresceus could have
gone several seconds better in that race
had ketchum possessed little more con-
fdence in him.
From Columbus he went to Fort
Wayne. Ind, and trotted the memorable
eIght-heat race against The Monk. Eagle.
Flanagan, and 10 others. winning the sixth.
seventh and eighth heats and obtaining
the record for his agc-2min. 11Hsec.
From the way in which he lasted in this
race he. convinced Ketchum- that he was
right in his method of training, viz. giving
him his work in mile and half heats.
After that he trotted successfully at
Syracuse, Boston and New York. winning
in all these places against the flower of
the land.
One thing was learned while training
him as fOur-year-old-that he could not
continue to be worked heats of mile
and half each and get nil the speed out
of him in races that he wished. He
would always save too much reserve speed
to go the extra. half mile. and he would
not come from the three-quarter pole home
Mt winning gait So as a fve-year-old
his trainer stopped working him farther
than c mile, and when he reached the
NiiV NoHiu sup Vt Alter DO
ing this several times he would then trot
the mile as fast as desired
The record-breaker is not a beauty
from many standpoints. In the first
place. he is a sorrel instead of the much
loved black. and although he is. from his
trainers point of view, the most perfect
animal that ever stood on four legs. there
is always n murmur of disappointment
when CresceUs comes on the turf
When first brought cut he lounges
abont the track, yawns in n most lazy
fashion. and the Iaymen have great diff
ticulty in persuading themselves that this
indolentlooking beast is the famous Cres-
ceus. He is a foxy animal. and this APP
parent lazincss is only his clever way of
saving mis- strength and nerve force for
the coming race.
His likes and dislikes are just as pro-
nounced as his speed. For example. he
has the utmost contempt for Mike the
Tramp, the veteran pacemaker, who real
ly deserves much credit for having car
ried Cresceus over many fast mile
So violent is the whimsical trOtter's dis
like for the pacemaker that he wears bin
ders in all his trials against time to pre-
vent him from catching n glimpse of the
equine object of his hatred-Strand Mag
aZine.