Arizona republican., 1897-12-29
ROBERT (. DEFEATED
PreSCott'S Horse a Good Second
 But Fiddle was First
FIRST DAY OF PHOENIX RACES
Track and Weather Perfect
 and Big Crowd Out
All the Favcritss Won and a Lot of Good Money Changed Hands on the Final Running Event Much Interest in Tooay'S Program.

lnS tI1dl h0Ittlu8 EN0tiI M dCIl
 Interest in Tooay's Program.
 The first days programme Cf the Phoenix Racing association's midwip- and in some spots keenly exciting The contest of the day was between Robert G., the Prescott horse, and Charles Zellner's bay mare, Fiddle. The latter won as easily !as any race need be won. Time, 37 seconds, for three-e;ghths of mile. Robert G. was half a length behind. A pile of money changed hands on the event and good deal of Prescott money went into Salt River valley pockets
 Charley Burkes, the owner of Rob- ert G., raised a cry of foul when his horse came second under the wire and the judges were an unconceivable length of time in arriving at decis- ion. But everybody there saw the. race quite plainly and knew at once what the final decision must be. Mol lie Daily was the third horse in the race, and she came in as much behind the Prescott horse as the latter was in arrears of the winner. It was a pretty race throughout, and undoubt- as first choice by many, but when he sold for $3.25, the field went $4. Later on when the Prescott men began to display their handfuls of long green Robert G. as first choice, brought $5, but then the field also sold for $5. Moore had all kinds of paper money to put against Fiddle, but would not back him against the field. All cir cumstances considered, his losses amounted to a good deal.
 The luckiest man on the track In al probability was Col. Roundtree, who backed Fiddle to the limit. Pools did not sell as lively as they have been known to sell on the same track, bIS0le side betting, particularly on the last mace, was very large. When the judges finally awarded the race to Fiddle, Burkes exclaimed excitedly that Robert c. was a better runner for s1,00O- Col. Roundtree was at his elbow in moment and called the hand on the spot ''But not on this track" added Burkes in a more thoughtful mood; and then for aught the world knew when it went home Fiddle was the better horse.
 The attendance was excellent, both inside and outside the enclosure. The finest mile track in the world needs a high fence around it-and then a good many more people will pay for what they enjoy. A great many fash iOnable turnOutS were drawn up oD both sides of the quarter stretch, the grand stand was we'll filled, and the field was as nearly crowded as it ought to have been.
 The first Gace was a trotting race for 2-year-olds in which the entries were: Thomas Johnson's black geld ing Kilroy, J. L. Gaat's bay horse Azone, and W. Kiueby's bay horse Roy F. Kilroy was disabled ard did not enter, and the two single mile heats were won by Roy F. Time, 3:33 and 3:2S1a. The betting was light. with the winner as favorite.
 The second race was a free-for- all mile tIDtting heat, the best two in three. The entries were: A. H. Davison's black gelding Frank F., c. W. Stevens black gelding Charley w., F. o. Richmond'c brown horse King Pin, and A. L. Barber's Kitty Murphy. Frank F. was the favorite and for the first heat brought $5 against a $4 field, with not a little betting. The favorite won both the heats, the first in 2:41A and the second in 2:35. He could have made the second heat in 2:30 quite easily had not Jockey Davis pulled him in on the home stretch to give Charley w. better place. Kitty Murphy was only a head behind in the first heat, Charley w. was third and King Pin, who has a trick of breaking, was in the distance. In the second heat the field sold for little or noth- ing against Frank F., so that not much money changed hands.
 A very pleasing event that was not on the programme occurred just be- fore the Prescott horse was beaten. This was an exhibition of pacing by 7-months-old colt, owned and driven by the Rev. William Barclay of Mesa. Although Baptist preacher, MT. Bar clay showed himself a thorough lover of horse flesh, and what was still bet ter, showed the audience as pretty a pacing colt as ever stepped on the turf of the Salt River valley. The colt paced beside it's mother, and won long and loud applause by it's neat performance.
 One of the most exciting events of the afternoon was not on the official programme. It was the first of three heafa hatwne twO ppnr tenpn,s ridino/