New Britain herald., 1916-09-08
ST. FRISCO TAKES
 CHARTER OAK STAKE
After Losing Two Heats, Geers
 Wins Three and Race
(By John J. Neenan).

WlLu 0C. HTlSCO, l:Uo "A a son or San Francisco, 2:07A.
 It was over the famous old Char ter Oak track, August 12, 1880, that St. Julian placed the worlds record trotting record at 2:11 A and back in the old days of 1876 that great cam paigner Smuggler took the trotting championship for stallions with 2:15 A and held it until 1888. The Charter Oak is the pioneer Derby of the trot- ting turf, and it has long been said that speed and gameness of the highest order are required to enable a horse to win this stake.
 In the Charter Oak stake of yes- terday, six horses turned for the word, but only two finished in the final heat, the gold was assorted from the dross, the beautiful and great race mare Mable Trask, 2:03 A, from the Cox string was defeated by the game trotting stallion St. Frisco, 2:O3A, carrying the all black colors of the Geers stable.
 It required six heats to uncover the winner. Geers kept the Frisco horse out in front all the way in the first heat, Cox trailing with the mare un.- til the home stretch was reached then Mabel Trask quickened her pace un- til the music of her feet was as steady as the roll of drum, she was at the wire in an eye1ash finish, win ming from St. Frisco in 2:o7A
 In the second heat it looked at the distance stand, as though Mabel Trask was going to win, but Geers put the question to the stallion, and he responded gamely, the finish bringing the audience of 25,OOO to their feet, for it was a dead heat be- tween two great trotting stars, the time being 2:07 A.
 In the third heat Mabel Trask took up the challenge coming home and beating the stallion to the wire, in a nostril finish in 2:O71a. Mabel must have trotted the last half of this mile in 100 for Geers was timed the last half in 1:01A and she was two lengths back at the half
 Geers won great admiration in the fourth heat for St. Frisco beat the mare in a heartrending finish in 2:O6A
 The fifth heat was won by St. Fris- co in 2:O6A It was the fastest heat of the race and so close that the judges were the only ones that could separate them.
 Only heat winners appeared for the sixth heat. At the word Geers raced to the front and retained that posi- tion with Cox in behind him at the pole until the far distance stand was reached. It was a whirl-wind finish and it looked as if Geers got Cox to make his drive before he should Tn other words Cox thought St. Frisco was all in but the Geers stallion dem onstrated in the Charter Oak of 1916. that he is never beaten until the wire is reached. He captured this, the de- ciding heat in 2:07A and trotted the last half of this mile out in front in 1:O2h.
 1t was the most sensational race that ever took place at Charter Oak. Geers won the Charter Oak stake with Nightingale in the fall of 1891, twenty-five years ago. The best time was 2:17A.
 In 1903 he won the Charter Oak with that whirl-wind trotter Billy Buck the best time being 2:O7A. He won with The Harvester in 1909. The best time was 2:O6A In 1916 he pulled down the same stake with St. Frisco, the best time being 2:06 1a
 Cheers greeted both Cox and Geers when ever they appeared on the track.
 In the two-year-old trot for a purse of s2,0O0, Emma Mcgowan won Tn two straight heats in 2:12A and 2:14A Fred Hyde of Hartford got the place with Labe Riddle
 Tommy Murphy won the 2:14 trot for a purse of s1,O0O with Pittsburgh, losing the third heat on a break to Ireganette King. The time-2:1OA, 2:09A 2:09A, 2:1OA.
 The summaries:
 Two-year-old trot, 2 in S. purse, $2,OOO.
 Emma Mcgowan, br f., by J.
 Malcolm Forbes (Murray) ...1 Labe Riddle, b. C. (Hyde) ....2 2 Bertha Mcclure, br. f. (Acker-
 man) ..'........ ..3 Silver Harvest, b. s. (Proctor) dis Harvest Gale, br. f. (Cox) =. dis Worthy Volo, oh. c. (McDonald) dis Buck Watts, b. c. (Parker) ..... dis
 Time-2:12A, 2:14A.
 The Charter Oak, POS trot, purse, $5,0O0
 St. Frisco, b, S., by San
 Francisco (Geers) ....2 3 1 Mabel Trask, ch. m.
 (Cox) ...............1 2 Laramie Lad, b. g. (Mc-
 Donaid) ...........3 TO Alma Forbes, b. m. (Ack-
 erman) .............4 TO Vance, b. g. (Murphy) 5 5 TO Ina Jay, br. m. (Er-
 nest) ............6 6 6 dr
 Time - 2:O7A, 2:C7A, 2:071z, 2:06A, 2:06k, 2:o7A.
 2:14 trot, in 5, purse $1.OOO Pittsburgh ch. g., by General
 Athol (Murphy) ......1 1 Tregantle King, blk S. (Tal-
 man) 3 Coastless Mabel br m. (Cox) 4 ? 4 Baby Doll, br. m. (Rodney) .. 3 6 Zomrect, blk. h. (McDonald) 5 3 TO