The San Francisco call., 1897-08-29
GREATEST
OF EQUINE
4RLUMPHS
TWO-Minute Mark Is at
Last Beaten by a
PAGER.
NEVER A SKIP NOR
BREAK.
Only Once Does the Mighty
Son of Brown Hal Appear
to Falter.
FAULTLESSLY DRIVEN BY
MCCLEARY.
Man and Horse Receive an Ovation
When They Pass Under the
Wire.
Only Once Does the Mighty
Son of Brown Hal Appear
to Falter.
FAULTLESSLY DRIVEN BY
MCCLEARY.
Man and Horse Receive an Ovation
When They Pass Under the
Wire.

READVILLE, Mass, Aug. 2S.-The
Chicago pacing stallion, Star Pointer,
owned by James a. Murphy, to-day wiped
out the two-minute mark and ended the
controversy which has been going on for
years as TO the speed qualities of the light
harness horse. Accompanied by runner,
the big bay Tennessee bred stallion beat
Two minutes and had three-quarters of a
second to spare when he went under the
wire. This wonderful performance was
witnessed by about 5000 persons. 1t was
the more wonderful for on Friday Joe
Patchen, with Geers behind him, had
made shoot at the mark made by John
R. Gentry last October and had failed by
a second and a half Because of this, it
was not thought that his greatest rival in
the race line would get down below the
even-time mark.
The day was perfect for record break
ing. Not breath of air was stirring when,
at 4 o'clock, the horse came out with a
running horse to make a trial for a
worlds record. The first two scores were
not satisfactory to Reinsman McCleary,
and he worked the horse away down be-
low the turn. The second score was even
worse than the first, for while moving at
scarcely a two-minute clip Star Pointer
went to a break right under the wire.
This made the friends of the horse more
than trife nervous. The PAGER was act
ing as if a little sore and as though not up
10 the task.
But the third time down there was no
hesitancy. McCleary nodded for the word
and off the PAGER went. The first quarter
was at an even two-minute gait-in 80
seconds-and then, as McCleary called on
his PAGER to move the second quarter,
there was a great cheer, for he was beat
ing two minutes all to pieces and got to
the half in :59A, with the second quarter
in :29A. The third quarter was the fast
est OF the mile. The distance was covered
in 29L seconds, 57 gait.
Around the turn Pointer seemed to
wa7er the smallest fraction of second,
but NJ McCleary had him right almost before
one could see it and he Strengthened into
the reich, the runner moving up closer.
Both PAGER and runner were asked to step
along.
Mccarthy laid the whip on the runner,
but McCleary only spoke q word of en-
couragement to his horse. At the draw
gate Star Pointer was reefed little, and
coming stronger from the distance the
great pacing stallion appeared to freshen
in the last few strides, gathering streng tn
and courage as ne neared the wire, and he
finished like q lion in the record-breaklng
time of :59Z.
A mighty shout went up. Men yelled
as though possessed. In the grand stand
the owner of the horse had his hani
wrung until it ached. Over the fences
jumped men who knew horse and driver,
or who we're carried away with the enthu-
siasm OF the moment.
Hardly had McCleary got the morse to q
standstilI before they had him on their
shoulders, and he was borne down the
stretch to the judges stand and there, as
the band played "Hail to the Chief" he
was introduced to the throng. A tip OF
the hat and then renewed applause for the
horse, owner and trainer rang out.
A fairer mile was never timed. There
was not a watch in the stand but that
agreed with the time announced, while on
the other side of the stretch the watches
in the grand stand caught it equally fast
or better-not one slower. G. w. Marks,
also of Chicago, the owner of the greatest
rival of Pointer. looked at his watch earn
estly and then remarked:
III anything, the mile was faster rath er
than slower. 1t was a 1 :59 performance.
Since 1894 when the game little race
horse Robert paced a time mile in
2:0lK, the horse world has been looking
for the two minute mark to be reached.
In 1895 it looked as though the gelding,
John r. Gentry, would get to it. but the
season went by, and last year, even, some
OF the more ardent in their BELIEF were in
clined in the middle of the season to think
that it would be many years in coming, as
the candidates then did not look promis-
ing. But in Septem Der Star Pointer
forced John R. Gentry to race record of
2:011 at Glens Falls, and then both horses
were counted likely candidates.
Billy Andrews, with Gentry, got a
chance at the mark at the Rigby track at
Portland in October, but on Pointers day
rain interfered. Gentry came very near
it, and took the crown which to-day was
wrested from him.
To-day was the first time that Pointer
was really sent for the mark. His owner
has been content to scoop in race honors
but afer having defeated Joe Patchen
twice out of three times and John X.
Gentry every time he got a chance at him,
and as no other candidates were in sight,
the owner decided to take time honors
Summary:
To beat the worlds pacing record (2:OO1I),
Star Pointer, b. c., bv Brown Hal dam Sveen.