A GREAT HORSE 



not driven at all, and finished in a common jog-. He 

 had trotted home from the half in i 103, and the third 

 quarter, in which he stepped around Britton, was 

 done in :3iJ, a 2:06 clip. Had Cresceus been obliged 

 to fight out the heat to the wire the mile would have 

 been close to 2 105, as he is a horse that slows up when 

 his opponent is beaten, and this was apparent to the 

 audience, the finish being utterly tame, Britton having 

 been out of the fight half way up the stretch. A great 

 cheer went up for Cresceus when he jogged back to 

 the paddock gate, and during the cooling-out process 

 he was the center of the admiring crowd. Most of 

 them knew the great stallion's history but few had 

 seen him, there having- been no trotting meeting in 

 Chicago for years. 



When Starting Judge Taylor announced the time, 

 he added that it was the fastest mile ever trotted in 

 Chicago, to let the people know that they were getting 

 something out of the ordinary. Cresceus was not at 

 all distressed by the mile, although the day was a 

 muggy one and not suitable for stallions, which go 

 best on a clear, hot day. When the stallions were 

 called for the second heat Cresceus went away from 

 the wire at a moderate pace. This would not do Brit- 

 ton, however, and he set a terrific clip, taking the pole 

 away from Cresceus and leading to the quarter in 

 31 seconds flat. Down the back-stretch he had a 

 little the best of it and passed the half in i 103! like 

 a winner. But on the upper turn Cresceus made one 



80 



