The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-25
HISTORY OF A PAGER
Life of John R. Gentry Pub
Iished in Book Form.
HIS MARVELLOUS RECORD
Beat Star Pointer Twice.
Lowers Pacific Coast Record
HIS MARVELLOUS RECORD

The lovers Of fine horsehesh, and the
admirers of John R. Gentry in particular,
will DOUBTLESS be interested in the con-
tents of a little book 81st received from
Goshen. N. Y. giving brief history of
sedgw1ck countys famous horse and
list CT his marvellous performances on
the track.
I John f. Gentry was bred by Colonel
Toler, being foaled at Wichita in 1883.
He was registered as a trotter, but 81
ways raced as a PAGER. In 1896 he sold
at auction for $4,000 The writer Of his
history says:
HE is not only a race horse, but also
show horse, having won the blue rib
bon, in 1898, at Madison Square. He is
also pole horse, having with Robert j.
the worlds record for teams-2:0S. He
is also a road horse, Of perfect manners,
having been driven by a young lady. He
is also ha1f-mile track horse, having d
record OF 2:051a, at Malone, in 1897; a rec
ord Of 2:O5s4, at Youngstown, in 1899; and
at Oklahoma City last September, he de-
feated the greatest of all half-mile track
champions, Joe Patchen, in 2:O7.
He has proved to be- by his record Of
2:OO1k, the fastest descendant of George
Wilkes; also the fastest descendant OF
Hambletonian; also the fastest descend
ant of Imported Messenger, who was at
Goshen in 1900. John r. Gentry therefore
represents the acme Of extreme speed OF
the light harness horse of America, as
developed during a whole century-from
1900 to 1900. He represents style, and SYM
metry also, for he is the handsomest
horse Of his size in the world.
But handsome is as handsome does.
What this versatile performer has ac-
complished on mile tracks and half mile
tracks, all over the country, from Maine
TO California, his whole career on the turf
is published, so that any one who is in
terested may read Of his renown
1.-The statistics show that Gentry has
often won and sometimes has been beat
en-. But what horses have beaten him?
He has been beaten by Star Pointer Joe
Patchen, Robert J., and Frank Agan-
these four, and no more. Four times in
his career and only four. has he raced
of the four Gentry has higher place
in the summary-twice he has absolutely
beaten Star Pointer. And out of eight
recent contests, with the hardest horse
in the world to defeat-namely, Joe Pat
chen-Gentry lost four races-tfree out
Of the final four. Gentry paced the first
very fast mile of 1899 at Detroit in 2:O224;
the last very fast mile Of 1899 at Los An
geles in 2:0314-last quarter in 2S15 sec
onds.
-Four times in succession has John R
Gentry lowered the Pacific coast record
which he now holds. In his career OF
seven years on the turf, where he has
turned up winner of 100 heats-twenty of
them in 2:04 or better-it is the opinion of
expert judges that John r. Gentry Gn the
hands of W. J. Andrews) never possessed
a faster brush than he showed in the
whirlwind finish of his final triumph over
Joe Patchen and Anaconda as he wound
up the racing season of 1899, in blaze of
glory, under the sunny skies of Califor-
MIA"
The compiler of the horses record goes
on and gives a list of the eighty races
in which John R. Gentry has won, begin
the fastest time made was 2:4115. and the
purse was only $500 From that time on
the time was steadily lowered while the
purses were steadily increased until the
time got down to around two minutes
and the purses up to 5000 In 1899 the
best time. 2:O215 was made on Gentry's
home track in this city.
During his life as a PAGER, Gentry has
raced at the following places:
-Higginsville, Mo; Holton, Kan;
St Joseph. Mo-, Wichita, Mexico, Mo,
twice.
1S93-Not on turf.
1S9-Detroit Buffalo, n. Y; Terre
Haute, Ind, twice: Chicago, Ill: Fort
Wayne. Ind; Chillicothe, Ohio; Lexing-
ton, KY; Nashville. Tenn; Philadelphia,
Penn.
1S95-Lacross. Wis; Freeport, III; New
York, Philadelphia, Louisville twice, Mil
waukee. Dubuque Sioux City, Lexington
twice. Reidsville. y. c.; Richmond. Va.
1S96-Red Oak. Chicago. Elkhart. Column
bus. Boston twice. New York GlenFalls,
Portland, Me; Terre Haute Philadelphia
1S97-Hartford twice. Manchester. Y. H;
Montreal. Quebec: Detroit, Chicago. Bos-
ton, Dover y. H; Rutland, Vt; Pough-
keepsie, y. Y; Gloversville. y. Y; North
Adams, Mass; Syracuse, y. Y; Barre,
Vt; Worcester. Mass; Providence, R. l.;
Lowell, Mass; Philadelphia, Penn: Ian
caster Penn; Malone, y. Y: Glens Fails,
y. Y, twice: Hagerstown, y. Y; Louis
Vile, X; Nashville, Tenn.
1SsS.-Goshen, y. Y; Boston. Springfield.
Ill; St. Louis. Mo; Manson Square, y.
Y. at National Horse Show.
1S99-Detroit, Youngstown, Ohio; Ro-
chester, n. Y; Goshen, y. Y; New York,
Sioux City. Ia; Oklahoma City, Wichita,
Los Angeles. twice.