, 1912-01-03
THE ST. CROIX C

Greeting friends who, with happy faces,
Went there, like myself, to enjoy the races.
I work my passage SO frequently with my
noble steed, feeling more dead than alive
when I reach my destination, that I could
hardly realize the fact THAT I was at the
grounds when Jackson held up his fine ami
NAL for me to alight. We picked up and
dropped everything behind us on our way.
/ felt exhilarated and rot played out. It
was a beautiful morning; it turned out Il per-
feet day, an ideal one for outdoor sports.
The races were all well contested; so well
were the contestants matched that, as far as
[ KIN w, there was no particular favourit1
except perhaps slightly, the educated horse
''Star'>.
Personally I was of the opinion that ''Mer-
~ Widow" would have been victorious. for no
other reason than that based on luck. I
never considered the merits OF the animals
Tor a moment us L am not a betting man, but
knowing what [ do of widows, both from
reading and from personal observation,T sal
to myself: "Widows generally get there; they
In wv the ropes, and surely u "nerry widow"
ought to be able to accomplish her aim-to
win. l lost sight of the fact, however, that
"Star" being such an extraordinary animal,
had no doubt read "The Pickwick Papers"
and remembered old Weller's advice to his
HOu OhtIlut " b6WuIG Vi NlOO0TS SO ne
not OILY kept away from her, but even from
the beautiful Goddess DIANA, though sic
pressed him closely to her sometimes, and he
also ignored Royalty, represented in Her
Majesty the Queen of Spades.
UngaIlant Star thou were so near, and
yet so far.
The st. Croic Purse.
[ think more interest was centered in this
race than in any other.
Fearing that 'Diana" might not keep her
course, she was ridden with blinds. At the
word ego "Star" took the lead, Queen Of
Spade" followed closely upon his heels,
CHERRY Widow" being near by, while 'Dia-
III" was considerably behind. But she stead-
lily gained upon them, and when they were
about half way, so holly was this heat being
contested, that they we're punched for a mo-
ment, then they separated showing "Diaua''
ahead, but her position was soon changed;
'Star" begun TO twinkle ahead, and although
she felt loath to be behind she couldn't catch
him up again, so he led her in followed by
"Queen Of Spades" and Cherry Widow.
In the next heat it was almost u duplicate
of the LIST, SO the race went to "Star'.
The Planters Purse.
The st. Thomas pony ":Big Wig shot out
like II bullet from a Mauser rife, leaving
Blue Gown" and "Sweetheurt'' to keep
company. But they were not satisfied with
such treatment. They wanted his company
for a little while at least, and with
this end ill view they event for him, over
took the little fellow, AMI as n punish
1nent treated him in like manner by
dropping hin-'Sweetheart' coming in
first, "blue Gown" second, while the 'Big
Wig" had shrunk to a sinai! one. III
the second heat lie p~ractised the same thing,
and he was punished in like manner, so
Willie's Sweetheart" made him happy by
getting in ahead.
1He Manning's Bay Stake.
The first was a crack heat between "Blue
Gown" "DicAie" and "Artful,'' the former
winning by a short distance the Sc cond
heat was just as interesting; this time Cart
fui" winning, but as the former had now
run four heats, and the chances were that
she could not win the next heat-it being
little short of cruelty to put her round again
it was decided to withdraw her and Goa.
cede the race to "Artful."
Though "Blue Gown" has not come out
q winner, nevertheless she ran magniGcently.
and we will yet hear from her as a winner
some day.
TIo Damox8