The Portland daily press., 1898-08-08
RIGBY RACES.
A New Race Record Made Saturday.

A New Race Record Made Saturday.
hoan Wilkes Keats California Wonder
Nicols Becomes Fastest New England
hred Horse in Count,y-Portland Man
Buys Fast PAGER.
Saturday, the concluding day of the
nigoy race meeting. was marked by sem
satlonal performances. Some of the best
racing seen in America this season was
witnessed by the 1900 people within the
park inolosure.
seven heats that averaged better than
20s IA were run off in.the two events of
the afternoon. RoanEWilkes, ealways.a IA
vorite in Maine, who last year lowered
Rigby's race record to 2. 05 Ia, got under
those figures twice in succession, estab-
fishing new track race record of 2.O4 ga.
Nico, a Boston gelding, beat out the
favorite in the ala trot, and in doing 1t
circled the track in 2 % 1.2, the fastest
time made by any four-year-old trotter
this year. His name goes down on the
books as the fastest New England bred
four-year on record.
The betting was the liveliest of the sea-
son. The two best races In the pro-
gramme had been saved for the conclud-
ing day and the leading sports from Bos-
ton and other horse trotting centres were
there, expecting to win big roll; of
greenbacks. Some of these gentlemen
returned with fattened pooketbooks, but
those who stuck to the favorites in the
pool box didn't save enough from the
wreck to buy limited passage home. In
both races favorites took gigantic tum-
lie.
THE SENSATIONAL TROTTING.
+ 1t was big field of horses that started
in the 2.14 trot, the purse of $3.50 having
enticed into the list many of the best
known campaigners in the country.
The men who run the show under the
grand stand had picked Dione to win.
Dione is bay mare from California,
with a mark of 200 Ia. The next best
thing in their blackboard rating was
Nico, sleek little four-year-old gelding,
who came here fresh from victory at
Dover, where he got mark of 2. IL IA.
He is owned by J. Malcolm Fobes, we'll.
known Boston horseman, and was raised
on his farm at Ponkapog, Mass. go
In spite of the predictions that the Cali
fornian could beat out the field, there
were quite number of shrewd guessers
who staked their regulations on this Bos-
son horse. They were among the num-
Der whose cup of happiness was overflow
ing when the day s sport ended.
Nico started in for business. He was
fortunate in the drawing for positions,
getting second place, and before the first
turn was made in the opening heat, he
had succeeded Nicola at the pole. Dione,
who bore the unlucky number 13, and
got the same number in the drawing,
worked his way up through the big field
of trotters and when the half-mile
post was reached in 1.O4 1-2, had passed
them all but Nico, and was SO near him
that only small ray of daylight sepa-
rated them. Driver Payne had been
close up with Paddy D., but the clip WAS
too fast for him and he went to pieces
ON the back stretch. 1t looked like a kill
ing drive home, but Henry liter, Nico's
driver, had the gelding well in hand and
went under the wire half length to the
good. His new mark of 2.09 10 went
with the winning of that heat.
The next time out the scoring was
tedious, made doubly so by one horse
throwing shoe and another smashing
his sulky. The wait had depressing
effect on some of the field. When they
finally got the word, Nico went off his
feet within 20 yards of the wire and did
not recover his gait till half the field
had passed him. The chase was hope
less one. and litter laid the gelding off in
for the next mile. Dione
took the heat in 2.1O IA, Stamboulette,
another Californian, finishing strong
second.
. . Nico worked up into the front tier in
the third heat, and at the half was on
even terms with the favorite. The race
home was fine exhibition of head work
on the part of the two leading drivers,
but Mr.. litter was up behind the better
horse, and he landed the heat in 400 3D.
One more mile settled the race, Nico
winning handily, going under the wire
at a hold-up.
Jupe, the New Bedford stallion whose
great work at Rigby two years ago
made him the fastest o-year-old trot-
ter in the country, was disappointment.
He finished third in one heat, but was
in the rear rank in all the others. The
only Maine horse in the field was Dexter
K, who got low down place in the
summary.
HOW ROAM WILKES WON.
The 205 pace was more than surprise
to the men who handled the tickets, and
to scores of others who had expected to
see the California wonder win. Search.
light, the favorite, has a mark of 2.04 3.4,
made on Western track this year. He
comes from California, being owned by