Peter Pan is Champion: James R. Keenes Three-Year-Old Wins the Brighton Handicap, Daily Racing Form, 1907-07-14

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PETER PAN IS CHAMPION. JAMES R. KEENES THREE-YEAR-OLD WINS THE BRIGHTON HANDICAP. Gamely Carries His Burden Under Notters Skillful Handling McCarter Is Second and Montgomery Third. Now York, .luly 13. Peter Pan set Hie seal upon Ills fame when lie scored an uphill anil convincing victory at one mile and a quarter over thirteen brilliant opponents in the rich Brighton Handicap this afternoon. The achievement of James 15. Keenes gigantic son of Commando and Cinderella was one of the grandest and most meritorious ever recorded. Peter Pan was ridden with rare skill and judgment ly the diminutive lightweight jockey, Notter, and by unanimous consent all the glories of the race were awarded this colt and his pilot. In the paddock after the snapshotters had photographed the horse and jockey, Mr. Keene said slowly and thoughtfully: "I dont think that any horse that ever preceded Peter Pan lias a better right to a place in the valhalla of the turf than lie, and I do not think that anybody will have reason to doubt his gameness after todays performance." The famous octogenarian sportsman was patting his wonderful horse on the head when speaking and he turned to jockey Notter with the remark, "You rode a good race." To this Notter quickly replied: "Yes, sir, but I had a good horse." The great crowd of hero worshipers that surrounded the notable trio, horse, owner and jockey, strained eagerly to hear what was said and from many of those that caught the remarks, came a spontaneous outburst of applause. It was truly a reiharkablo scene. There were fourteen starters for the race. Rea-con Light was withdrawn because of lameness and It is said liis disability spoiled a projected killing on a big scale. Beacon Light and McCarter, todays runner up, are trained by Tom Welsh. In their final trials for the. big race it is claimed that Head-leys four-year-old easily defeated his younger rival, held him safe at all stages, in fact, and on Mc-Carters showing and close second to the winner, after making all the running, liis people consider themselves very unlucky, indeed. Todays fixture is the richest of all the great mile and a quarter handicaps decided over the metropolitan courses during the first half of the racing season and it Invariably attracts the cream of the three-year-olds. This year horses of tills age far overshadowed heir older opponents in importance and in Peter Pan, .McCarter and Montgomery practically monopolized the belting honors of the race. It also turned out to le the most spectacular race of the year. The public backed Peter Pan even at the absurdly short price of S to .1. It would have none of the others. The rank and file of racegoers had sublime faith in the great three-year-old and they swamped the ring with these wagers. The story of the race can be briefly told. The issue after the first half mile was strictly confined to the three horses placed at the end. McCarter, with Miller up, as was to be expected, beat the others away and made the running. Tor the first mile Miller kept looking back at the others, lie did this so often and liis horse seemed to be running so powerfully under him that ultimate- victory for McCarter was freely predicted even lcfore half the going had been negotiated. Montgomery, in the meantime, was always in near and close pursuit, but Miller nuparcntly was not exercised over the horses close proximity, but was looking for some one more formidable. This was Peter Pan, of course, which, during the early running, was so far back that he was Invisible to the leader. The favorite got away slowly, hemmed in on both tides and did not loom up until beginning the turn into the backstretcli. He made up ground slowly, but surely, the third quarter; more rapidly on the turn, and finally, after having passed Montgomery, challenged McCarter in the last quarter with an expiring and heroic burst of speed, getting up to win right at the end in the most wonderful exhibition of gameness ever witnessed anywhere. Peter Pan was a big handful for a little lad like Notter, who exhibited the coolness of a, veteran. An element of luck attended the pair, however, for there was just as little interference as could ever be expected in a race of this kind. The best horse won and it was an unqualified success. It was u good days racing otherwise. Commodore Fontaine won a well contested race when he took the Punchestown Steeplechase from Delcanta. Palm was u distant third. Old Grandpa, the only other starter, fell. The history of the Punchestown Steeplechase is as follows: Year. Winner. A. Wt. Jockey. Val. Time. 1808 Equerry r 137 Mattocks . .$ 755.1:17! 1800 Dr. Catlett....". 1.1! Finnegan .. 915 5:05i 1000 Charagracc ....1 1.10 Harry 1,12.15:11s 1001 Periou 0 147 Heider 1,205 5:33 1002 Miss Mitchell. C 1.10 Mara 1,425 5:0.? 1003 Lavaior 7 154 Mara 2.1S0 5:05 1004 Larator 8 104 Henry 2,210 5:21 1005Jim Newman. 7 .144 Hay , 2,100 4:28 1000 Phantom ......1 142 Hay 2,120 4:25 1007 Com. Fntalne.4 140 Stone 1,735 4:34 Reduced to short course. Suffrage carried 127 pounds to an easy victory in the sprint and August Helmont won the third race with a: coming crackerjack in Fair Play. Miller rode him dud many thousands of dollars were taken out oftue ring over his victory. What appeared like the biggest certainty of the day in Saylor was upset in the fifth, Heidmoore winning at 15 to 1 with the heavily backed Durnell horse a close second. Another 15 to 1 chance in Rcene W. scored in the lust. Public choices accounted for half of the card, yet on the whole, the layers had a shade the best of it. Owing to the frequent wetting the track had received of late, the expected fast time in the different races did not materialize. The weather was an important element of enjoyment. There were bright, sunshiny skies, cooling breezes from .the nearby ocean, and no humidity. It was well that such ideal atmospheric conditions prevailed, otherwise life would have been unendurable to the vast multitude that packed the Urighton enclosure on this memorable occasion. Kverybody at Brighton, Manhattan, and Coney Island celebrates handicap day, and, encouraged by the particularly promising weather indications there were nearly 50,000 visitors from the city and surrounding country who journeyed out to this good old democratic oval and took occasion to celebrate with the seaside inhabitants.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1907071401/drf1907071401_1_2
Local Identifier: drf1907071401_1_2
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800