The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-16
FERN WAS
The WINNER
Won a Victory over Smith
O'Brien Yesterday.
HER RECORD is LOWERED
Clipped Of Couple Of Seconds
Smith C'Brien Does Weil-The
Race of Senator Little
Against Time.
HER RECORD is LOWERED

Under weather conditions highly favor
able crowd Of several hundred persons
gathered at the Deep Run Hunt Club
race track yesterday afternoon to wit
ness tho match race between the PAGERS
Fern, owned by Luther Libby, and Smith
O'Brien. the property of j. G. Cheatwood.
The event had been originally fixed for
Saturday, tho 9th instant. but continued
rains caused a postponement from day
to day until yesterday, when by agree
ment, 1t was decided to call tho race.
although tho track was trine heavy
and lacking that firmness so necessary
for PAGERS to go very fast over; then,
too. quite high wind prevailed, which.
however, luled as the afternoon wore on.
Fern is bay mare by Petoskey, dam
Mamie. by Ajax. while Smith O'Brien
is brown geding, by Aparkn. dam Ada
NJ, by Corsair. On the paternal side
both trace to the immortal progenitor
of light harness race horses, George
Wilkes, the mare being by son OF his
and the gelding by grandson.
= William L. Bass, the Acca Farm
trainer. who prepared Fern for the race,
drove her, and William Newsom, for
inerly OF Detroit, Mich. teamed Smith
O'Brion.
In tho toss for positions the gelding
drew the pole, and on the second score
the pair were sent off on their journey.
Neither made n mistake during tho
heat, but the issue was never In doubt.
tho mare leading easily from start to
finish and pacing tho mile In 2:19A. a
reduction OF two seconds in her record
Of 2:2lH, obtained at Baltimore in 1900.
This was her first start since the close
of that season, as in 1901 she was bred
to E.oroy, 2:17h. the son OF Simmons.
now owned In Europe, and tho result a
nice bay f1lly. now a ycarl:ng Is the
property of w. II. Nelson, OF Manchester,
who formerly owned Fern.
The second heat was practically but
n repetition OF the preceding one. as
Fern led all the way and Smith O'Brien
trailed. neither horse making mistake
during tho entire journey and tho mare
finishing easily in 2:1Ss;, further re-
duction In her record and half second
faster than Smith O'Brien's mark Of
2:19A, which he made in 1899.
The third heat was as the preceding
ones, an easy affair for Fern, as she
kept in front all the way. but the clip
was not SO fast and 2:221s was the time
announced for tho mile.
Fern performed in hobbies, but the big
gelding wore no straps and was the
moro impressive in appearance. albeit
the owheaded, easy-golng daughter OF
Petoskey was the favorite and 10 to z
Sttsa3 "dSScIGu Oll IlcEa winning, win an
increase of odds in her favor as the race
progressed.
With hobbies on Smith OBrien. who
has much greater burst OF speed than
Fern, the heats would doubtless have
been faster, but that the Pctoskey mare
would have been returned tho winner
just tho same was tho general opinion.
This race may be the outcome OF an
other match between these horses II a
date suitable to both owners can be
agreed upon as the Smith OBrien peo-
pie are not satisfied with tho result, and
think under different conditions results
would be reversed.
Following Just after this match the
brown geldng Senator Little by Wilton,
2:19A, dam Ximena Wilkes. by Wilkes
Boy, 2:24A, was sent against time. to
beat $3.50. with William Bass as driver.
This was the result Of a wager that the
small son OF Wilton was unable to ne
gotiate mile in better than 2:30. Under
the rule three trials was the allowance.
On the first attempt the Senator was
somewhat unsteady. and mile In 2:3fA
was tho result Of his effort against the
scythe- bearer but he trotted the second
heat in 2:271s and was not at all out at
that, finishing with enough speed in re-
serve to convince those in position to
criticise that he could have gone In 2:25
or probably shade better even.