The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-22
AMONG THE HORSEMEN
Last Meeting of the Circuit Pro
ductive of Sensations.
How Directum Made His Great Mile
Fantasy's PerfOrmance-A Record
Meeting This Week.

The sensations of the year in harness rae
ing were reserved for the last meeting Of
the Western-Southern circuit, at Nashville,
during the past week. This meeting on the
Cumberland Park track proved as thorough
ly agreeable In surprises as the meetings at
Terre Haute and Lexington were disagree
able in disappointments.
The event of the meeting and the event
or the year was the great mile by the
"black whirlwind" from California, Direct
UNI, smashing three or four records by max
ing the third mile in a race in 2:0514. The
day was not an ideal one, nor was the track
considered to be in firSt-class condition.
This is not only the best stallion record but
the best race record for stations at either
gait best four-year-oid record. etc. His
half brother, Direct PAGER, is just behind
him a quarter of a second. The two miles
in 2:13A and PA put the black stallion in
superb condition for the final heat. The
flag being dropped, the word was given
with Directum In good position.
The first furlong was covered at about
POS clip, and the quarter just at that
gait, 81 seconds. BY this time the flying
trotter had left the pair of chestnut mares
half, reached there In 1:031a. or 311a seconds
for the second quarter. Then a runner.
pace for the balance of the mile and rush.
ing away even from the galloper, Directum
was at the three-quarters in 1:34l2. He had
trotted from the half to this point by no
means the best part of the course, in 30a
seconds, and as he turned home was coming
at rate that was sure to smash the race
record. straight and true the lion-hearted
colt carried the terrific clip he had struck
In the last half to the WIRE and when he
grown excited over the unparalleled feat.
The fourth quarter in 81 seconds completed
the triumph of the black whirlwind and
moment after he finished the official time of
2:O54 appeared on the bulletin board. Quite
number of drivers and other horsemen,
who were on line with the wire, made the
mile in 205, so that there was no favoritism
shown by those who were intrusted with
the timing
Since he began the regular campaign this
season, at New York. Directum has been
pulling down records almost every week.
He mad scored 211H IN a race at three
years and reduced this twice on his first
Aug. y, trotting a fifth heat in 209A.
Three days later he went third heat in
2:0912, at Fleetwood Park, and the follow
ing Monday broke the stallion record by
turning the same track in 2:07. At Chicago
he changed the figures to 2:O61s against
But Directums feat was not the only
sensation of the meeting. The little Chimes
1ily, Fantasy performed one fully as re-
markable by trotting mile in 2:0S%4 knock
ing nearly two seconds off the three-year-
old record, regarded as sensational when
set by Arion at 2:1Ol2. Furthermore. Fan
tasyS mark was made in the second heat
of the race
The PAGERS had their turn at the sensa-
ton business also. On Thursday Robert J.
defeated the champion Flying Jib. pacing
the first two heats in 2O5%. The word
champion is used advisedly in regard to
Flying Jib, though Mascot has also paced
mile in 2:04, but in that vert heat at
Terre Haute in which Mascot won his mark
the Jib paced the faster mile Mascot got
away fully a length ahead, and as they
came under the wire there was not six
inches between their noses.