The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-08-28
Racers Known as the "Guide-
less Wonders
A NOVEL TURF FEATURE
How the Horres Are Trained to
Travel Fast Without Either Har-
ness or Driyers-A Special Exhibi-
ton That Is GainfB q Great Popu-
iarity on the Turf.


Wonders" This Information about the
sport is given by the New York Sun:
From time immemoriaI every we'll
regulated county fair has had its agricuI-
tural horse trots. and IN conjunction with
the same a grand special OF one sort or
another to entertain the visitors between
heats. Many years ago 1t was the GUS
tom to engage some turf celebrity for an
exhibition OF speed. or. as the promoters
usually described it. an attempt to lower
the worlds record 1t mattered not that
the track might be a sandy half-mile
ring with fiat turns and wavy stretches.
the mark aimed at was seldom less than
the fastest time on record. Goldsmith
Maid, Lucy, Hopeful, Rarus and other
oId-tine trotting stars earned many dol
lars at this business. and in later days
the pacing kings. Star Pointer. Mascot.
Robert J., john r. Gentry and Joe Patch
en- were their successors. But the pat
rons OF the fairs have learned after many
years that worlds records are not often
lowered on half-mile tracks, and the ex-
hibItion horses have played few engage
ments this season.
THE trotting dog had his day OF popu-
larity as a grand special attraction at
the fairs few years ago. even breaking
into the grand circuit on one or two oc-
casions. Willie Ketcham, the Canadian
lad who owned the pioneer performer. is
said TO have piled up bank account OF
several thousand dollars by driving his
red Irish setter Doc on the trotting
tracks, hooked to a miniature sulky. But
Doc was poisoned after a year or two.
and not any Of his imitators ever sue
ceeded to his popularity. DIR. Carver or
demonstrating fame brought out the
next winning freak in the Oregon horses
that he had trained TO mount a platform
and plunge headforemost into water
tank thirty feet below This feature was
a bowling success at the Western fairs
last wear but before the season ended a
man came along with q bunch OF diving
elk and took the shine OF these plungers.
"a brand-new and more nearly legi-
Innate vaudeville performer came out
of the West a couple Of years ago under
the Cyeverly conceived and somewhat
startling title of the 'Guideless Wonder
The latter was PAGER trained 10 make
the circuit of the track at speed without
a driver. Rugged out with an overdraw
check and q set of hopples 10 keep him
at his gait. the horse was led upon the
track, turned loose above the wire. and
sent away alone at the suggestive sig
nal Of sharp crack from the black
snake whip in the hands OF his trainer.
An assistant stationed at the first turn
likewise blazed away with a report ike
a pistol shot just as the flying PAGER
passed him, and this stinulant to speed
kept the animal going as hard as he
knew how until he reached the turn
for home. There another volley from
the blacksnakes inspired him to fresh
effort, and he came tearing down the
homestretch amid shouts OF encourage
ment from the crowd. Few turf cham
pions ever received such ovations as
greeted the Guideless Wonder on some
of the Western tracks when his novel
performance was seen for the first time
Last year the Washington Park Club
of Chicago secured the four pacing
kings. Star Pointer. John R. Gentry,
Joe Patchen and Robert J., and gave
one-day's meeting at Washington Park.
Star Pointer and Joe Patchen paced
great race. while Gentry went to beat
the high-wheel sulky record and Rob-
ert ]. tried 10 lower his mark of 2;0l -
Nearly 20.Oeo persons paid admission to
the track and they gave the pacing kings
a royal welcome But when Marion
Mills, beautiful bay mare came on the
track without harness or driver and pac-
ed mile alone in about 2:10 she fairly
set the big crowd wild. Men shouted
themselves hoarse and women stood on
chairs in the excitement OF the moment
to wave their handkerchiefs as the
knowing animal, after passing the wire,
stopped. turned and logged back to
where her trainer stood She was clear
ly the popular favorite that day al
though the fastest four PAGERS in the
world were her rivals. A few days be-
fore her appearance at Washington Park
Marion Mills had paced a mile at De-
troit in 2:A 81 which is the best time
on record for the Guideless Wonder.
Do you know how the Guideless Won
ders originated?' said Western horse
man. We'll, l can tell you. There was
a man in a little country town out In
Iowa who owned q rattIe-headed PAGER
few years ago. This PAGER was fast,
but he could never win a race on account
of his poor acting. so the owner gave Il
up and turned him out on the infieId OF
his half-mile track. When other horses
were being trained and driven on the
track, the PAGER In the infield would some
times square away on the path he had
worn next the rail, and would try to beat
the horse In harness down the straight
side of the course. One day It occurred
to the owner to take him out on the
track and see II he would do the trick
there So they rugged him out in hopples
and put an overdraw check on him and
tried the experiment II succeeded beyond
their expectations. for the PAGER got ex-
cited and went 2 miles as hard as he
could before they stopped him. A few
days afterward they tried Il again BY
this time everybody in the village had
heard about the horse that would race
without a driver. and half the population
turned out to see the second trial OF
course, they were scattered out around
the track more or less, and they helped
to make him so by shouting as he passed
them. Within week that PAGER was
the talk of the town and the country
for miles around The secretary of the
county fair heard about him, and paid
the owner $50 to take his horse to the
show and exhibit him in the fan of that
year. 1t got into the papers, and the
man who owned the horse received several
thousand dollars for exhibiting him the
next year
'Horsemen say that some Of the ner
vous. excitable horses that are worth
less for racing in harness make the best
''Guidless Wonders because they are
more easily kept a-going. All OF them
wear hopples. it is said. and all that have
gone fast are PAGERS Within a few weeks
after the original driverless PAGER put In
an appearance another one bObbed up to
bid for patronage. and before the end OF
the year the rivalry was just about as
spirited among Marion Mills, Happy
Jack Earthquake Pilot. Pacing Johnny.
and the rest of the Guidless Wonders as
il was among the legitimate performers
Star Pointer. John R. Gentry, Joe Patch
en-, and Robert ]. Efforts were made by
several track managers to bring two or