Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-09-25
IT IS NOW 200 ~!
John R. Gentry Makes a
New Worlds Record.
PAGES Fastest Mile Ever Made by a
Horse in Harness.
Time Made in Face Of Wind. on Cold Day.
at Rigby.

Portland, Sept. 24.-It was threaten
ing all the morning but the skies partly
cleared in the afternoon, so that the
racing at Rigby came off according TO
programme. There was fair attend
ance considering the weather. and the
| races We're up to the mark. 1t was an
eventful day for Rigby because the
worlds pacing record was broken by
John r. Gentry. this magnificent horse
pacing the fastest mile ever made in
harness, and placing the worlds record
at only half a second over two minutes
or 2.001a.
Gentry was roundly applauded when
he appeared on the track for his great
trial of speed. He had been out on the
track several times before and had
been the center of all eyes When w.
5. Andrews drove him on the track 70,
the effort to break his record. the ali
was chilly and light, northwesterly
breeze blew up the home stretch. Ii
was TO be a great effort, for Andrews
was resolved to send his horse for all
ne was worth. His record before
starting was 2.0lik, which made Sept
s, 1886 at Glens Falls, New York, in tn,
second heat of the race with Stal
Pointer
Andrews had given Gentry two warm
ing up miles and it was nearly sunset
when he was ready to start for tn.
eventful mile. Andrews rode his sulk,
easily, with an air of confidence, bur
the "a
few who believed that the record woule
lowered so near to the 2-minute mark
a runner appeared with Gentry to pac,
him.
After scoring twice Andrews came
down to the wire to begin the tastes
mile ever accomplished by a horse il
harness. The crowd cheered as he ap-
preached the starting point
Co shouted Starter Culbertson an6
hundreds of watches caught the paceI
at the start
The runners nose was within tive
feet of Gentry's nose as they made tn.
first turn on the stretch. Gentry wa.
going gracefully and steadily, gettint
over the ground in great shape, and tn,
runner had to work hard to keep up
The first quarter was given by the
judges as made in 29A seconds. TIL,
people began TO wonder when the half.
mile was finished in 59ia seconds ant
to look for a 2-minute pace
At this point the runners driver wa:
using the whip and making great effor'
and succeeding in keeping at the whee
of Gentry's sluky. The third quarter
was reeled off in 302i, making the tim,
at the three-quarter post 1.30A. This
was great going and now came the last
quarter and the home stretch
AS the horses turned into the HON,
stretch and caught the wind in the,
teeth. the crowd began to shout ano
hurrah and Andrews shouted encourag-
ingly to his horse. The runners driver
also urged his horse and used the viii,
sparingly.
All this nerved the PAGER to suprem,
effort and it can be seen how noble al
effort he made, for, with the wind il
his teeth. he made the last quartz
quicker than the third quarter, doing it
in 30l4. and thus covering his mile il
two minutes and one half second.
This was whole second less than his
former record, which had never beer
surpassed by any horse and only
equalled by Robert j, 20lls in 1895, a
Tere Haute.
When Starter ClubertSon announced
the time of the great mile the Grove
broke through the fence and surrounded
the famous PAGER anxious to toucl
him or even his sulky.
The first pacing record of note wa.
made in 1892, by Mascot. 204 Nancy |
Hanks equalled him in trotting. the |
same year Mascot's record stood un- l
til 1884, being equalled however by Fly |
ing Jib and Orline. In 1895, Robert j..
kept lowering the record until finally il |
reached the mark that held until today. |
If the wind had been trifle more fav-
orable, today. Gentry would have
lowered the record to minutes
During the afternoon Fantasy went
to break her record of POS, but made
the mile in 2.072i. Robert J. also Went
to beat his record of 2.011a, but made
the mile in 203h. Probably tomorrow
Frank Agan and Star Pointer will go
against time.
Lucy Carr won the 3-years- old stake
without great effort. Bingen. in the
,.19 trot, had hard work to beat Quality
and Copeland, but finally did it hand.
;omely
The 2.15 pace was won in straight
heats and the 4-years- old race was not
inisbed. Summarizes:
Trot-Purse $20O0-Com-
pleted.
,ucy Carr h. E nv E,mnire