First Travers Success for Keene: Not until Yesterday Had Vice-Chairman of Jockey Club Won Old Established, Daily Racing Form, 1909-08-11

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FIRST TRAVERS SUCCESS FOR KEENE. Not Until Yesterday Had Vice-Chairman of Jockey Club Won Old Established Stake. Saratoga. N. Y., August 10. For the first time since its initiation in 1S04, the Travers Stake was today won ly a colt carrying James It, Keenes colors. Hilarious carried 129 pounds, successfully conceding eight pounds to Fayette and twenty-one to Practical, and Won from the latter by a margin that Judge Pettingill described as a scant head. Fayette was beaten a tritie more than a head by Practical. Tlie winner finished close to the judges stand. Fayette in the middle of the track: and Practical near the inside rail.. Powers handling of Fayette made it possible "for Practical TO "be a close contender. After having squeezed Scoville, on Hilarious, into close quarters along tlie backstretch he passed him and took a lead of an open length be-iuiiing the turn. Half-way around the turn Fayette increased his advantage an additional length. Near-ing the homestretch Hilarious closed the daylight. On straightening out the two heavyweights were apped. with Practical a seemingly unimportant factor. Hut Powers carried Scoville far out from the rail and obtained a clear lead in the stretch and this eventually relegated Fayette to third place. Clinging to the rail. Practical was at Fayettes saddle girths before Powers realized that his lead was menaced from tlie inside. Then lie began to ride vigorously. At the same time Scoville rallied Hilarious. The latter responded with a telling rush that brought him on even terms with Fayette 150 yards from the goal. Thence to the end tlie contest was a strenuous drive between the trio tlvat aroused intense excitement. Under punishment Hilarious bore to the outside and, as a result, barely managed to win. Nobody except the judges could place the horses, and feverish suspense prevailed until the numbers were posted. Jimmy Howe induced Scoville to go into the stand and complain to the Stewards of the treatment he had received from Powers. Tlie latter was reprimanded and admonished that if lie wished to keep out of serious trouble he must change his tactics. Fayette looked and ran better than at any other time this year. Hilarious, despite his weight, was hustled away from the gate. Fayette went after him aud forced a fast pace on a comparatively slow track. Powers tried to make the weight on Hilarious tell, but the pace finally told on his own mount. Sam Hihlreth frankly admitted that his horse weakened in tlie final struggle. That Hilarious is the best of the three-year-olds, aside from Maskette and Fitz Herbert, is now generally conceded. Grasmere today ran as he had worked. The layers took no liberties with him and the public backed him from even money down to 7 to 10 when the bugle sounded. Pat Dunne, who timed the colt, says that be reeled off one-eighth in 11 seconds and then tlie contest was over. Some persons were inclined to belittle his performance because lie got away well and had nothing to bother him. Nevertheless his race was highly meritorious. He was able to outbreak his company and none was speedy enough to bother or keep near him. He won cantering, hut was kept going until he had completed three-quarters in 1:151. It need not lie surprising if lie wins the Futurity. His first start was a shocking disappointment to Rowe. After todays race Howe was all smiles. Rome Respess started a son of Dick Welles, named Fountain Square, in the race. He created a good impression by his preliminary, but did not do correspondingly well after leaving the gate. Wintergreen came out of his race Monday in good shape, and probably will be a factor in the three year-old events to come. He will not work. The best Respess could get him to do recently was seven furlongs in 1:29. Mrs. L. A. Livingston lias sold Bang to tlie Alpine Stable, a new racing interest, for which Id HelTner will train. Rye was so badly cut down In the second race that he may have to be destroyed. He certainly will not race again. Baron Dieskau. the colt that had to he pulled to Herkimer last Thursday, is evidently a letter mud runner tlian he is on dry footing. He was beaten for the place today by his stable companion. St. Regis. The latter outrun him through the stretch and in passing him near the last furlong post shut h.Im off. Taken back and pointed to the inside Baron Dieskau was able to wrest third place from Ixvengston. whicli ran respectably. Yama acted villainously in the last race. Mean going to the post, he ran out on the turn and came to the stand bucking continuously in efforts to dislodge his rider. May Florence bucked spitefully in the parade and at the post, but came home with a rush that landed her a winner.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1909081101/drf1909081101_1_7
Local Identifier: drf1909081101_1_7
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800