RACEALONG 53 



The last amateur feature in which the Driving 

 Club of New York took a leading part was the Inter- 

 City Team Races between New York, Philadelphia 

 and Baltimore. Fred Gerken won the series for New 

 York. 



While Fleetwood Park was fading in 1895 a 

 number of enthusiasts in Cleveland organized a 

 Gentlemen's Driving Club that was destined to con- 

 tinue for over a quarter of a century. There were also 

 a number of surprises at its early meetings, one of 

 the most remarkable being presented by 0. G. Kent 

 who was then almost seventy years of age. One 

 afternoon he drove to the park with the Young 

 Jim mare Mayflower hitched to a high wheel 

 Brewster wagon and stepped her a mile in 2:17. A 

 lawyer dropped in with a pacer named Tom Shannon 

 and sent him a trip in 2:15. Others followed until 

 the climax was reached by the record breaking miles 

 of Lou Dillon and John A. McKerron. 



The rivalry created resulted in clubs being organ- 

 ized in Pittsburgh, Boston and New York where the 

 Empire City track had been built. This was followed 

 by the organization of the League of Amateur Driv- 

 ing Clubs in which the rivalry became so keen that 

 a number of gentlemen had stables of horses fvir 

 amateur racing which contained more horses than 

 the leading professionals. 



For several seasons C. K. G. Billings maintained 

 a stable at Cleveland. Later he shipped to New York 

 where E. E. Smathers, James Butler and a number 

 of others had large stables to call on. 



