The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-29
MINUTE MARK BEATEN
STAR POINTER PAGES 4 NIL AT
READVILLE IN 1889 Id.

the Harness Horse stil Tina nswered-Tho
Mig PAGER We'll Driven and Rated by David
Notwithstanding About tho Champion.
Boston. Aug. est has boon shown at last
that 1t 10 possible for q light harness horse TO
pace q mile in better time than two minutes.
Star Pointer, at the Readville track to-day. took
the hampio crown away from the New York
pacing stallion. John X. Gentry, and to
redeem 1t tho pot of the Tewksbury Sta
BILE will have to cut moro than a second and q
quarter Off his record, for II was by Just that
much that Star Pointer lowered tho worlds
record. Tho conceded king Of race horses TO.
day engaged In a tilt against the watch, and
when 1t was ovor the two-minute mark was q
thing Of the past by Just three-fourths Of q sec.
ond.
1t was a royal wlnd.up to tho greatest Grand
Circuit meeting OF tho year. Tho cream OF the
Eastern and Western horses have been racing
against each other all tho week for the first
time this season, and tho lowering OF the worlds
record and the demolition Of the much-covoted
two-minute mark were q fitting climax to the
grand week Of sport. For years horsenen have
wrangled with much feeling over the mootcd
question OF even eQualling tho two.minute
record.
During the past three years 1t has looked sew
eral times as though the horse was ready to Sc
cnre the coveted honor, only TO fall short Of ex-
pectations. Two years ago John II. Gentry was
heralded as the coming king. but In Mcdenry's
hands he fell short, and last season Billy An.
drcws, tho Buffalo reinsman. was thought to
haze an outcast In his stable when lie took up
Gentry. Close to the first OF last September Gen.
try went q mile in q race at Glens Falls in 2:Olia.
and the proposition looked reasonable. The first
week In October the horse camped at the Rigby
track. and ono afternoon Andrews surprised the
world by driving Gentry q mile in n stiff gale
within q half second OF the goal. Star Pointer
was to have had \ shy at the mark the same
week. but rainy weather prevented, and the
hopes of the New Englandcrs died. Pointer
at that time was owned In Boston, and
local pride asserted that the big Ten
nessec-bred PAGER could do tho trick
when the conditions were favorable. Last win.
ter he passed to James A. Murphy Of Chicago
for SIS. 900, being sold at Madison Square Gar.
den. New York. Early in he season Secretary
Fasig commenced to advertise u meeting at
Hartford. and hoodwinked the people by adver-
Using that In the free-for-all pace Gentry or
Pointer would certainly pace in 1852.
Horsemen knew that it was 100 to l
that neither horse could do 1t in their
first race OF the season, SO that to-day the direc-
tors OF the Breeders Association at Readville
had but about 5000 people to see the phenom.
email mile. With SO much buncombe early in tho
season they were content to let the people SEQ
what they could do with no extravaganza prom
ises.
Yesterday Joe Patchen. with the great Geers
up, paced the track In only 2:02, and with this
performance as 4 criterion and with the fact
that Patchen lately defeated Pointer, the great
mass of people. or In fact the wise ones. did not
haSe an iaes 'nat INC s"o -nnn .ss hash was 10
90 shettetea before Inc race .he poo.nhh1s
beatan. and there were very few takers.
Th. Sov wa, nerfect for a record. hrealing Mt.
tempt. The track. in the opinion of the horse.
men, was faster at the July meeting. but it was
In better shape thsn at any time curing inc
week, and tho weather conditions were perfect.
ine neal wa Uppfess,'e, . mn no' a q SfI an, !. W
n.ns nAp "nu IN
their STATS as at 4 o'clock. Star Pointer
For n few Minutes tbinus seemed IN DRAG and
.n.c,ators became tnartu, that N. attsmn,
would not equal the performance Of the day be-
fore The bip 12Oo.pound pacer seemed sti,
and sore as he logged down the track. The first
score, accompanied by q running mate, was not
s~tisiac.or'' II oLAroor "HiAet eaiea them
back. The next trial was worse. for Just at the
90 a.it
sAiL
crowd osT s Sssams a a ar nSs s D,ssSs1 a B ISst ON m' the th uPS
time down. after having scored nearly to the
quarter In both of tho other attempts. the big
horse seemed to thaw out, and Rcinsman Dave
I.CI..- .oss-s o.. -, IT.
ter was an anxious ono. A repetition of tho
break was looked for; but McClary was driving
a.. ,.,.I ,-,,h n 80. a. - haI, -, re
as uSusi Win u mofo hAn snug ho'u OF mo
PAGER.
As the watches snapped on tho quarter a sigh
Of relief went up. With his big easy stride tho
stallion had stepped tho two f~urlonRs in just 80
seconds, q two minute clip. big jim Murphy,
the owner OF the horse. IN q box In tho grand
stand, took courage, and when knap Mccarthy.
behind the runner, shouted to McClary that the
Quarter was In 3oia seconds, the latter asked tho
stallion 10 Increase his clip. 10 wanted to
take chances coming home. A mighty cheer
went up from the grand stand as a half thousand
watches caught the half In b9% seconds. The
three-quarters In l:29 caused another cheer, and
Walker asked for silence. Around the turn the
PAGER stepped q little to the outside. but the
waver was for but a fraction OF a second, and
once into the stretch the horse moved perfectly.
The driver says that at the distance Pointer
AnnaaFnh Tn ha I'm hIR limit hIf NEhanl La liz ~