The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-09-25
PEERLESS JOHN R. GENTRY
PAGES 4 MILEIN TITO MINUTES AND
 ONE-HALF 4 SECOND.

Greatest Feat in Turf History-Had
 Weather Conditions Been Favorable He
 Would Have Covered the Course in Two
 Minutes-Paced by Runner-Andrews
 Held the Reins Behind the Noble Horse
 He Swept Round the Track With the
 Speed of the Wind and With Never
 Falter in His Great Strides-It Was at
 Rigby Park
 Portland, Me, Sept. 24.-It was threatening all the morning, but the skies partly cleared in the afternoon so that the racing at Rigby came off according to program. There was a fair attendance considering the wealth CT and the races were up to the mark. It was an eventful day for Rigby, be- cause the worlds pacing record was broken by John R. Gentry, this magni- ficent horse pacing the fastest mile ever made in harness and placing the worlds record at half 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 An drews drove him on the track for the effort to break his record the air was chilly and light northwesterly breeze blew up the home stretch. It was to be great effort, for Andrews was re- solved to send his home for all he was worth. His record was 2:011a, which was made September at Glens Falls, N Y, in the second heat of a race with Star Pointer.
 Andrews had given Gentry two warming up miles, and it was nearly sunset when he was ready to start for the evcntful mile. Andrews rode his sulky easily, with an air of confidence, but among the spectators there were few who believed that the record would be lowered so near to the two minute mark. A runner appeared with Gentry to pace him. After scoring twice An drews came down to the wire to begin the fastest mile ever accomplished by horse in harness. The crowd cheered as he approacher the starting point.
 "Go!" shouted Starter Culbertson, and hundreds of watches caught the pacer at the start. The runners nose was within two feet of Gentry's nose as they made the first turn. In the stretch Gentry was going gracefully and steadily getting over the ground in great shape and the runner had to work hard to keep up. The first quar- La. Ltrf fha a c D11Hp in :29A seconds.
 People began to wonder when the half mile was finished in :59R seconds and to look for two-minute pace. At this point the runners driver was us- ing the whip and making great efort and succeeding in keeping at the wheel of Gentry's sulky! The third quarter was ireeled off in BOA, making the time at the three quarter post 1:3OA. This was great going. and now came the last quarter and home. As the | horses turned into the home stretch and caught the wind in their teeth the crowd began to shout and hurrah and Andrews shouted encouragingly to his horse. The runners driver also urged his horse and used the whip SDdT1lSlY. All tlllo ui eaSN eiiS f'SoO~N A supreme effort When Starter Cul- bertson announced the time or the great mile the crowd broke through the fence and surrounded the famous pacer anxious to touch him or even his sulky.
 If the wind had been more favorable to-day Gentry would have lowered the record to two minutes
 Probably Frank Agan and Star Pointer will go against time to-day. Lucy Carr won the three-year-oid stake. Bingen in the 2:19 trot had hard work to beat Quality and Copeland, but | finally did it handsomely. The 2:l5 | pace was won in straight heats, and
 the four-year-old race was not finished The summaries:
 Three-Year- Old Trot-Purse $2,O00. | uov Carr h m by Empire