The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-18
NOT A VERY GREAT RACE
PEOPLE WAITED TILL SHUTDOWN TO
SEE PATCHEN-POINTERE EVENT.
Only Two Heats Paced, One i'm 2;O4 "a
and the Other in 2;O3-
Finish To-day.

BILE that very few, if any, ever had so many
misfortunes in the way of management.
1t was not possible to place the blame for
things going wrong upon the shoulders of
any one man or department, but numerous
circumstances seemed to contribute to the
dissatisfaction of the enormous crowd that
had been drawn together chiefly to see
the match pace between Star Pointer and
Joe Patchen. 1t was $50 clock when the
great PAGERS came together upon the track
and it was so near dark when the first
heat was finished that people left in
droves and the second heat was paced after
dark. The race was left to be finished to-
day. Pointer took the first heat in 2:0ia4
and Patchen took the second in 2:O3. the
first heat he has taken from the cham
pion since the Columbus meeting in July
The extreme lateness of this race was the
chief cause of disappointment to the crowd
This lateness was due to miscalculation all
around. Men who have managed the races
with the precision of clock work when the
crowds were small and the fields of horses
large, yesterday lost their equilibrium when
the crowds were enormous and the fields
of horses small In the first place, the track
looked like a veritable mudhole early in
the morning and they feared it would not
be in presentable shape but by assduous
work. aided by bright sunshine and a dry
wind, Superintendent Hiram Rowland sue
ceeded in getting it in such shape that
while it not up to it's standard il was
fairly good. Then race people believe that
nothing is of any Importance but races.
and when the citizens committee occupied
the track until O'Clock with the display
of equipages and equestranism, they were
out of sorts. Then a lot of prominent
citizens visited in the judges stand, caus-
ing more confusion and the scoring was
frequent and the delays long. They thought
they had time to make the
match the third race on the
card, but found they had to infringe
the rules by bringing it on while there were
two races pending. Then in the first heat
Patchen acted worse than he ever has in
his life and broke twice at the start, pac-
ing very poor mile. In the second heat
he made one of the best fights he has ever
made and it was a "hoss race" from start
to finish. but thousands had left the
grounds and it was so dark that the other
thousands remaining could see but little of
the heat.
Messrs. Murphy and Marks, the million
aire owners of Star Pointer and Joe Patch
en-, were on the grounds and before the
race, as has been their custom they fipped
coin to see which horse should have the
should have it in the first heat and the
loser in the second. Murphy won the toss
Now snap the coin again to see who gets
There won't be any third heat" said
Murphy, and he felt safe in saying for
his horse had won every heat in nearly two
Wen, suppose there should insisted
Marks; snap it again, just for the fun of
MURPHY WAS FOOLED.
MurDhV filmed tbo coi;a again or7 1oo4
but it did not bother him much, for he
did not regard third heat as among the
possibilities. Thus it happens that when
the third heat is paced to-day Patchen win
nave the pole. Marks thought he had one
point Of advantage and knew he had an
other point that was an unknown quantity.
This last was the fact that John Dickerson
was to drive Patchen for the first time in
race his regular driver, Geers, being busy
with the Hamlin stable in the East Marks
did not know much about Dickerson. bnf
his reputation was high and
he was highly recommended. The
second point which he thought to be of
duVanIage, was the ruination of Patch
en- nrst neat, causing him to break
twice at the wire and frequently fall into
6ilsi uncertain rolling gait that was danger
suggested by Geers. The great PAGER was
shod with q grooved shoe beveled toward
the inner edge, heavier than he was accus-
TONED to carry and with an extra amount
Of padding and leather beneath. After the
rrst heat this set Of foot gear was done
away with and the horse did a better mile
tnan he has done in six weeks.
Dave McClary was up behind Star
Polnter and the wonderful PAGER was in the
best of trim. Both horses were worked out
occasionally in the intervals between heats
or the other races and Joe Patchen was
as ne always IS the favorite with the
crowd He is beautiful black horse. with
a lazy gait when not in a race and has a
hapt OF giving an intelligent look at the
grand stand q hat
the crowd. Pointer is a clean cut BAY
without an ounce of extra flesh and yet so
plentifully supplied with muscle that he
does not look thin 1t was these occasional
gllmpseS of the star performers that made
wise have been with the minor races. The
managers of the racers had made the mis-
take OF thinking that the races would move
OH with the same precision that they did
on Tuesday and Wednesday, when bic
fields of horses were moved with ease The
Thursday card had been moved IN to ves
terday and the first race, the 2:14 pace,
came on with thirteen starters. Instead Of
getting away promptly they scored and
green trotters with eight or nine bad ac
tors and It took them fifteen minutes to get
started. The second heat of the pace was
brought on and after mucn scoring they
got away and the race was finished going
to, Brown Pilot in two heats. Under any
other circumstances the judges would un-
doubtedly have thrown out this heat for
Nora L. was so palpably pulled at the wire
to let Pilot win that child could have de-
ened at the lateness of the hour and let 1t
go at that The announcement was made
that as soon as one heat of the free-fOr-aH
pace was over, the match race would be on
They thought this was surely safe for
there were but five starters in the free-for-
all, and yet to the surprise of every
body, these five horses scored and
scored again before getting a fair
start and even then Bessie BonehiIl had a
length the best of it.
When the two great horses came upon the
track from the gate east of the stand they
were literally cheered by the waiting null
titude as they logged up and down the
stretch two or three times. Patchen seemed
a bit excited and nervous, and trained
horsemen noted in his stride a rolling gait
that they did not like Upon the first effort
for a go he came down TO the wire so I'M
steadily that Pointer was q length ahead
and they were called back. The general
caused by the vast crowd, which broke all
bounds, flushed out upon the track and
spread out to such extent that the race
was paced through almost solid lines Of
people clear around the track but il was
subsequently shown that ii was his new
footgear that was causing the trouble
Upon the second attempt the horses came
just before they reached the wire when
Patchen went in the air, and a murmur of
surprise ran through the multitude
third time they came under the wire and
a second after they did so the famous son
of Patchen Wilkes again went off his feet
Owner Marks was apparently wild, but
there nothing to do but try it over
again.
LOAFED IN FIRST HEAT.
Upon the fourth effort they got away
fairly we'll, though Pointer had half