The herald., 1897-08-29
The Horse Would Shrek
. With GIee
THE LIGHT HARNESS MILE
BROUGHT DOWN BELOW TWO
MINUTES
Asked by Horsemen All Over
the World
Associated Press Special Wire.

ASSOCIATED Press special Wire.
READvILLE, Mass, Aug. 2s.-Tht
Chicago pacing stallion, Star Pointer
owned by James A. Murphy, today
wiped out the two minute mark ant
ended the controversy which has beer
going on for years as to the speed quail
ties Of the light harness horse. Accom-
panied by runner, the big bay Tennes-
see-bred stallion wiped out the mark and
had three-fourths of 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 a try
at the mark made by John R. Gentry
last October, and had failed by a second
and 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 breaking. Not a breath of air
was stirring, when, at o'clock Thors
came out with running horse to make
trial for a worlds record. The first
two scores were not satisfactory to
Reinsman McCleary and. he worked the
horse way down below the turn. The
second score was even worse than the
first. for while moving at scarcely a
two-minute clip he went to a break right
under the wire. This made the friends
OF the horse more than a trif1e nervous.
The horse was acting as if a little sore
and as though not UP to the task. But
the third time down there was no hesi-
fancy. McCleary nodded for the word
and off the PAGER went. The first quar-
ter was Of an even two-minute gait. 30
seconds, and then as McCleary called
on his PAGER to move the second quarter
there was great cheer. for he was
beating two minutes, and, got to the
half in 59A, with the second quarter in
29%. The third quarter was the fastest
OF the mile, the distance being covered in |
29A seconds, 1:57 gait
Around the turn Pointer seemed to
waver the smallest fraction of a second |
but McCleary had him right almost be- |
fore one could see it, and he straightened |
out into the stretch, 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 word of encoura cement to his |
horse. AT the drawgate Star Pointer |
was reefed little, and coming stronger |
from the distance the great pacing stall
lion appeared to freshen in the last few
strides, gathering fresh strength and
courage as he neared the wire, and fin
ished like a lion in the record breaking |
time of 1:59N.
A mighty shout went up. Men yelled |
as though possessed. In the grand stand |
the owner Of the horse had his hand |
wrung until it ached. Over the fences
jumped men who knew horse and driver |
or who were carried away with the en-
thusiasm of the moment. Hardly had |
McCleary brought the horse to a stand
still before they had him on their should
ers 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 Not |
watch In the stand but what 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. c. W. Marks, |
also Of Chicago, the owner of the great |
est rival of Pointer, looked at his watch
earnestly and then remarked: 'If any
thing, the mile was faster rather than
slower. 1t was a 1859 performance"
Since 1894, when the game little race
horse Robert j. paced a mile in 2:001s, the
horse world has been looking for the
two-minute mark to be reached. In 1896
it looked as though the gelding John r.
Gentry would get it, but the season went
by and last year even some Of the more
ardent in their belief were inclined in
the middle OF the season to think that it
would be many years in coming, as the
candidates did not look promising. But
in September Star Pointer forced John
r. Gentry to a race record of 2:001a at
Glen Falls and then both horses We're
counted likely candidates. Billy An
drews, with Gentry, got chance at the
mark at Rigby track at Portland, in
October, but on Pointers day rain in
terferred. Gentry came very near 1t and
took the crown which today was wrested
from him
Today was the first time that Pointer
was really sent for the mark. His own
er has been content to scoop in race
honors, but after having defeated Joe
Patchen twice out of three times and
John R. Gentry every time he got
chance at him and as no other candi-
dates were in sight the owner decided to
take time honors. Summary:
To beat worlds pacing record, 2:001A-
Star Pointer, bay colt by Brown Hal,
dam Sweepstakes (McCleary), won.
Time by quarters, O:3O, 0:59al 1:29 1854.
A MATCH MADE
BOSTON, August 2S.-Star Pointer
and Joe Patchen, the PAGERS, were
matched today for mile race at Mystic
park on September II for purse of $4,000,
the winner to take all.