CHAPTER 

 XV 



JOHN DICKERSON 



CRESCEUS DETHRONES DIRECTUM 



CRESCEUS had met and defeated all of the 

 greatest horses in his class, and his three great 

 miles at Columbus had earned him the world's 

 race record for trotting stallions. He was the un- 

 beaten champion of the year, and all good judges con- 

 ceded that he would certainly wrest the stallion crown 

 from the great Directum before the season ended. He 

 trotted an exhibition mile at Syracuse, N. Y., on Au- 

 gust 29, to beat Directum's record of 2 105 J, but failed. 

 He, however, trotted a fine mile over a track that was 

 not in the best of condition in 2 :o6J, the fractional 

 time of the mile being 131!, I :O2| , 1:344, 2 :o6J. 

 Then on September 5, over the historic Charter Oak 

 Park track at Hartford, Conn., he performed the won- 



82 



