A GREAT HORSE 



past. He was higher in flesh than was the record 

 breaker of the previous autumn ; his rosewood bay coat 

 bloomed, his eye flashed and he moved with the utmost 

 freedom and buoyancy. Cresceus seemed a better look- 

 ing horse than the year before. Some of his flesh had 

 gone in the past five weeks' hard work and his ribs 

 showed a trifle, but he was just as determined and 

 eager for the fray as ever. Both horses were aired 

 several times before the race was called, but neither 

 stepped faster than 2 128, with quarters much below a 

 2 :2o gait. 



Cresceus was rigged for the race in a two-minute 

 harness, with blind bridle and side-check, and wore 

 white felt knee, shin and quarter boots, forward and 

 combination shin, ankle and speedy cut boots, with 

 hock extension behind. Ketcham weighed in at 172 

 and rode in a black Faber sulky weighing thirty 

 pounds, the same one used by Cresceus at Detroit, 

 Cleveland and Columbus. 



The Abbot wore ordinary harness, with breast collar 

 and breeching, open bridle, knee and heel boots forward, 

 and light cuff boots on his hind ankles. He drew a 

 brand new bluish-white twenty-five pound Faber 

 sulky, and Mr. Geers weighed in at 176 pounds. 



Messrs. Ketcham and Geers elected to abide by the 

 toss of a coin for the choice of positions. Secretary 

 McCully flipped a coin in front of the stand, and 

 Ketcham won the pole. 



It was just 3 40 o'clock when they turned to score 



130 



