Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-21
Racing ty Lantern Light.
By c. c. PETTUS.

Not any turf event of the season thus
far has witnessed such display OF genu-
inc nublic enthusiasm as the thrilling neck
end-neck finish between the game three
vear-olds Peter Pan, McCarter and Mont
romery, in the $4,000 Brighton handicap.
For never before in the history or these
great all-agcd stakes, the Brooklyn
Suburban and Brighton, have a trio OF
three-year-olds fought out the battle at the
end, with all the older horses behind them
1t was struggle to arouse the blood OF
an anchOrite, one to cause even the most
confirmed hermit to renounce his life OF
exile and once more to feel that the world
excitements are alluring-especially at a
struggle of this kind. between Dlue-pIoooeo
race horses of the highest class
When the late George Engeman, father
of William Engeman. the principal owner
of the Brighton race course properly,
started nearly thirty years ago 70 ouliu u. d
race track on the sandbanks at Coney IS
land his friends to man looked on the
enterprise as visionary in the extreme, ana
tried to dissuade him from carrying out the
project.
bought a number of acres of these sand
dunes by the sea, and, foreseeing the posi-
bilities OF the locality, as a seaside resort
for the general public, within easy access
OF two millions Of people of New YORK,
Brooklyn and Jersey City he went aheao
with his race course.
The Brighton Beach track was buiit, ana
a racing association founded by himself
Simeon Hoagland, Col. r. W. simmons,
Mai C. c. Wheeler, ]. j. Burke, James
McC;owan. c. A. Hoff, and others. as IT'S
moving spirits, men of experience ana
popular in the world of sport
From the outset the enterprise proved
success although the sea on several occa-
sions inundated the track GROUNDS ana
caused a temporary cessation OF the ideiiI B
TO repair damages. But hnally these IA
roads OF old ocean were checked Tor gooo'
and not In many years has the track sur
fered in this respect
These early days at the Brighton track
a quarter of a century ago were nun Oh VI
cissitudes The American Jockey Clup, tne
Coney Island Jockey Club. the Saratoga AS
ISOLATION and the Monmouth Park Assocld-
tion. the only ones in the metropolitan rae
Ing field were not especially 1rlehdi9 10 the
Engeman track by the sea
But the new course not only heid us own
hut in the second year of Its history raced
lO8 days TO and including December 1.
a great boon to the poorer owners, some VI
whom, now in Easy street., owe theli
start 10 Brighton's stakes and purses, al
a time when their horses were not good
enough TO win at the more pretentous
tracks.
one Of these early pioneers Of the sea-
side course James Mccormick, who has
done so well this season with G!oriier and
Tangle said at Brighton recently:
book could be written about the incidents
OF Brighton's early days. The public al
ways got plenty of action ana me man
agement was deservedly popular. One at
ternoon in November, 1884, heat race. In
which had horse, was split. 1t was
dark when the final heat was called up
and this deciding heat was run by lantern
light-one lantern at each furlong pole
In the latter part of the fall season OF
1884 the Brighton management set aside a
day for reporters beneht-a testimonial