The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-09-06
KING OE The IURE.
Hamlin's Robert j. Lowers the Pacing Rec
ord Ernun 2 .QA n .Q2 La

Eamlin's Robert j. Lowers the Pacing Rec
ord From e:O4 to 2:O3 "a.
TT WAYNE, Ind, Sept. l. Robert j.,
G. j. Hamlin's wonderful PAGER,
achieved imperial honors here Friday,
dethroning Mascot and smashing his
2:04 record. He was sent against his
record of 2:0iA at the Ft. Wayne Driv-
ing club park and finished the mile in
2:O3A, the greatest record in the his
tory of light harness racing, and one
that crowns him king of the turf.
Such phenomenal speed was never be-
fore seen on a track and the great
horse that did it is the theme of every
tongue.
AT 4:30 the PAGER was brought out for
the start with Ed Geers up. He had
previously been well worked out by
Geers, and when he came to the post
was fit for the effort of his life. Starter
Frank Walker called to the stand as
special time judges Messrs. S. A.
Browne, Kalamazoo, Mich; A. l..
Thomas, Taylorsville, ILL.,, and w. R.
Steel, Nashville, Tenn. After going to
the quarter in trial spurt, Geers took
Robert j. up to the stretch, where a
swift running mate in harness was
ready to pace him.
All was ready, and Geers started
down to the post. He came at tre-
mendous clip, and nodded for the word
Starter Walker shouted Go" and like
a fash Robert J. shot away at pace
that troubled his mate to pattern. His
movement was perfect and he was GO
ing at a world-beating gait.
The quarter was reached in O:3OA,
and the great horse was moving like a
machine. Not skip or break did he
make as he sped along the back stretch
to the half, passing it in 1:O116, clip
that made grizzled veterans of the turf
hold their breath as they gazed upon
the marvellous performance and won
dered at the horse that was do
ing it. Around the turn he came
with his mighty stride, keeping
well away from his mate and
never losing an inch of his pace. The
three-quarters was turned in 1884
and Robert j. came into the home
stretch. Every neck in the great
crowd was craned to get look at the
swiftly moving PAGER, and breathless
silence prevailed. Everybody seemed
to realize instinctively that Robert j.
was doing something that no horse had
ever accomplished, and each seemed to
feel that word or sound might cir
cumvent the achievement.
The peerless racer came to the post
at pace that was simply astounding.
There was not fault in his motion.
His feet swung and beat with the
rhythm of a machine, and he spurned
the turf from under him with speed
and strength that surpassed any other
effort of the mile. Up nearer the wire
he came, Geers urging him and the
noble horse responding Loyalty to the
demand upon his power. The wire
was reached and Robert j. had given
the world a new record and achieved
an honor no other horse had ever won.
He had made mile in better than 2:O4
and Nancy Hanks, Flying Jib and Mas.
cot were deprived of their laurels.
The time was announced, and fol
the first time in all the world 2:O3S1
was hung up. There was no mistake
A hundred watches had caught the
time. A mighty cheer went up and the
crowd was mad with enthusiasm, the
ladies outdoing the men in their exult'
ant OnStra fionS