A GREAT HORSE 



Walker caught them in line, and shouted "Go." Geers 

 tried rushing tactics with The Abbot, and the audience 

 settled back, expecting a fast mile. On the turn The 

 Abbot went to a break, and a suppressed murmur of 

 disappointment swept over the big crowd. Cresceus 

 opened a big lead and had no trouble to win in 2 :ioj. 

 It was mere jog for the champion, and he had easy 

 work throughout the mile. 



The second heat went to The Abbot in 2 :o8J. Geers 

 kept his horse in the rear until the half-mile pole was 

 reached, then with a rush went up to Cresceus, and the 

 pair had a brush that wildly excited the onlookers. 

 The entire audience stood on their seats cheering the 

 victory of The Abbot, while a number of "rail birds" 

 tumbled down on the track in their excitement. 



The friends of Mr. Scannell rushed over to his box, 

 and for a few minutes he was busy shaking hands. 

 The hopes of the admirers of The Abbot were dashed 

 to the ground in the third heat, and the cheers were 

 replaced by a murmur of dismay. The Abbot broke 

 shortly after they left the wire, and the heat was a 

 mere walkover for Cresceus. Never did The Abbot 

 get within striking distance, and the champion finished 

 in a jog in 2:09^. If the comment of the crowd car- 

 ried any weight The Abbot was lucky in not being shut 

 out. The fourth heat was another "waiting heat" for 

 The Abbot, as Geers was content, to trail Cresceus to 

 the home-stretch. At the three-quarter pole The Ab- 

 bot caught Cresceus and began to draw away from 



144 



