The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-07
MARVELLOUS PACING.
The Great Match Race Between
Robert J. and Patchen.
TWO WORLDS RECORDS BROKEN.
The Second Heat the Fastest Mile Ever
Covered In Harness, Robert j. Making
Record of e.0a la, with Patohen
Only a Quarter Second behind.


Covered In Harness, Robert j. Making
q Record of BOZ Ia. with Patchen
Only a Quarter Second behind.
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 7. - The fng of
honor floats over the track OF the Indian
apolls Driving club and the sun of Terre
Haute and Fort Wayne has been eclipsed.
Robert j., the great son OF Hartford,
reigns supreme as king of the turf, and
the pennant waves above his stall at the
state fair grounds.
The match race for n purse OF 1000
between Robert J. and Joe Patchen was
expected to bring forth some phenom-
enal speed. but not one of the lO,O 900 peo-
pie gathered Mt the track was prepared
for the terrible smashing of records that
began with the word go" thundered
from the stand by Starter Walker at $3.50
o'clock.
The heats of the previous races were
passed over in haste, and the crowd had
become somewhat impatient when Starter
Walker announced that the mntc', -ace
would be the next feature of the progra 4.
A mighty cheer went up as Gears aid
Curry drove quietly down in front of the
amphitheatre and logged to the turn. The
crowd became breathe less as they returned
together and pulled ont for little warm
ing up and down the stretch
Five minutes later they halted Il mo-
nient before the stand, the last touches
were administered TO both horses, every
strap and buckle was closely inspected
and the two swept down he track for tho
word. Scarcely had the two horses tilrn,n,
for the start when the brown and bla, !:
gave great leaps forward aud shot down
to the stand Al Il terrific pace, Both
drivers held back, and PatChcn was rem
dersd unsteady by the lines. Walker saw
the situation aud called thon back,
The second start was "A success. Around
the turn the two rivals shot, and ut the
quarter 3li4 was announced. Notan inch
OF divergence as u their relative positions
c1uld be seen.
At the half "l.02 = WAS called ont, and
the crowd checred, still the two nor-rt
e. renained together, Curry hanging stub
bDrnly at GERS wheel GcurS spoke to
the little brown, aud there was an imulu-
date response lie forged ahead q nose
a. the two swept into the turu, AID there
was a slight check noticeable as the last
curve was being cat down. Both drivers
gathered the relns for the stretch, and
''i,34 at the three-qunrtcrs" was yelled
from the s,Hnd, Then began the mad
race home. Curry spoke to the handsome
black, and Paichen responded 10y strHin-
ing every muscle The great horse came
ny to even terms, aud with di-t+ndri
neck and flaming nohtrls thuudrrcd
along at the little browns side. by a
supreme effort Robert j. held the lead
bat won only by II nose. 1t was II grand
fiaish to the grand race, and ;he- vrowd d
yelled itself huarSe \ moment later
when 80" was hung w, thtro WAS Il
great wave of eNtravagani delight.
Forty-tlve minutes later the track wt'
again cleared, and the two hort.~ "anp
out for the second heat. Again tn tw,
hnrses fncCd each other for the word, ID
again the word was given. Robert j. went
right to the front, moving like n piece Oi
mechanism. Al the quarter he led the
fellow by two lengths. Joe i'aichcn cl"SrG
up the gap going down the blrk stretch
and was hanging to the little bays whre
o. the half, which was reached in 1.0l .
Petchtn moved out a little more and wa
we'll alongside OF Robert at the three
quarters, which was r"ncned in l.Sp} .
Curry was urging the big fellow an,
Geers, with faith in little Robert, lei hiu
out, and he muyed away from the hlaui
al the distance stand, aud with II InisHtl
burst of speed, passed guder the wire tw,
opsu lengths in front Of his determine,
competitor in 2;O219. PatGheu wa, Inarkr,
at2i0344
The crowd could not contain its pen
up enthusiasm longer than IL see tlr nos
pi King Robert pushed untirr tile wire
One long cheer burst forth and Coutnutt
until starter Walker announced the time
Secretary Graves propo eli three cheer
for Mr. Hamlin, the owner OF robert j
which were given with a Will. Drive
Geers was also similarly eOmplinlentcd
o. were Curry, the driver, and TIyier, tn
owner Of Patchen. World, records hu
boon shattered The fastest heat eyer g,i!
IN harness had been witnessed, and tn
cr,wd went Wild.
1t was close to $50 O'Clock when III
ehird heat was called. 1t was grra
start, but Patcheu was moving vt n gni
shat sent Robert into the air This wa
going to the quarter aud the break was
btd one Gcers brought him TO his fee
very quickly. however. PAtchen pnsse
the quarter in 3o'4 secs, three opc
ieugths ahead bur Robert slowly crr;
np on his big antagonist. and by the tin,
abs three-quarters was renched had n
covered tvs lengths of his lost "rouuC
Al the distance stand he had overhaule
and was on even terms with Joe, aud h
fiushed the third heat in ?.nth3 hA
length to tho good. Patcheu wa, inurke
At 2.05. The average of the three heat
was 20S25,