Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-07-28
The Chicago Meeting.

i. (
There have been trotting meetings and
trotting meetings. There was a trotting
and pacing meeting at Chicago last week,
and it was trotting and pacing meeting.
Chicago never does anything by halves.
Large purses were hung up, $4,000 alone
being for a trot between Rarus, the big bay,
and the little gray gelding, Hopeful. There
was very general doubt as to which of
these horses was really the fastest, though
Rarus had the fastest record. Hopeful beat
Rarus last fall in wagon contest over the
same track. The owner of Rarus was dis
satisfied with that race and the owner of
Hopeful oorrespondingly jubilant. The
owner of Rarus was determined that defeat
should be wiped out on the first occasion,
and the owner of Hopeful that it should be
duplicated if. possible. That
feeling meant a race for blood.
The consequence was an attendance
the day of the race estimated at from $4,000
to $4,000. The crowd went home disap-
pointed, and the owner of Hopeful dis
gusted. His horse acted badly and Rarus is
still king. Hopeful broke badly at the start,
necessitating half dozen false starts. but
when he was sent away, according to the
Times, che rushed off like the wind and spun
neatly ahead of Rarus, who had the pole.
He did this for two heats and managed to
keep the lead to the half mile post, but here
he weakened. In the first heat at this point
the rate of speed at which Rarus was push
ir1rr io6 off II
ing Linn to fall hopelossly behind; and in the
second he was, after passing the half mile
post, squarely outfooted. In the third heat
he even failed to make his grand squirt at the
start. He made a dash for first place, but
failing to secure it as soon as he seemed to
think he ought, he fell behind, until he bare
~ saved his distance. For Rarus the race
was, indeed, mere 'swalkover,' and moth
ing like his best time was called out of him.
Had this noble horse been pushed to his full
speed, it is believed among horse men that
no would have lowered his record. John
Splan, his driver, says that he speeded him
on Wednesday morning, when the track was
not nearly so fast as it was on yesterday, and
he then made quarter in 81 a, at which rate
the mile would have been made in 2:O5.
Said Mr.. Splan, "He went faster than he
ever went before; and, I'll say more, he went
faster than any other horse ever went before -
OF course, no such gait as mile in 2:O5 was
at all probable or even possible, but that he
could have spun along in 2:12 or 2:13, if he
had been pushed to it, is most reasonable
conclusion.
EXHIBITION RACES.
Commenting on this result the Times in
dulges in some comments upon exhibition
races, which can hardly be given too general
circulation. It says: ssIhe exhibition of
Rarus and Hopeful IN the track, on yester-
day, led in no true sense to race-and yet
that is what the people went out to see, and
paid their meney to see. AS neither horse
came up to the requirements of the race,
there is report that the association will
withhold the purses. Without admitting
that this is the right thing to do, certain it is
that something should be done to warrant
better exhibitions. than that of yesterday, to
say nothing of the possibility of realizing a
square-toed race. It is the great horses that
draw the crowds and enable horsemen and
associations to realize on their investments;
but unless great horses do something better,
as a rule, than quite ordinary horses are
doing every day, "great crowds will take a
hint and stay at home"
BLOOD CURDL1NG ACCIDENTS.
But while the exhibition races of Rarus
and Hopeful was a disappointment, the other
events on the programme were all frst-class
and deserving the liberal support they re-
ceived. There were incidents and surprises,
almost without number, some of them dis
graceful, some horrible and some pleasant.
They are too many to mention in detail, but
few deserve more than mere passing no
tice. Two of these incidents, or rather &C
ccidents, occurred to Frank Van Ness, Fri
day, IN both of which he narrowly escaped,
if not
INSTANT DEATH,
severe bodily injuries. The Times of Satur-
day describing these accidents, says:
"Both of the trotting races were marked
by accidents, which had narrow escape
from being very serious if not fatal. Both,
curiously enough, happened to the same
driver, Frank Van Ness, and that within the
course of half an hour.
In the 2:22 class Van Ness, who is best
known as the regular driver of Bonesetter,
wes handling the ribbons over SCOTS Chief.
In the third and final heat, on the back
stretch, he was bringing up the rear.
Viewing the scene from the reportorial