The sun., 1903-08-20
dan PATCH PAGES IN t;69.
GOES THE FASTEST MILE EVER
MADE IN HARNESS.

NhAw Ru1peUH UT ScCOmu Wt WVEhu 3
Record Before Crowd of 10000 at
Brighton Beach-Day UnfayOrabic
innovation I'm Way OF Assist ance.
Ten thousand excited spectators shouted
themselves hoarse at Brighton Beach yes
terday when the champion PAGER Dan
Patch wiped out all existing harness rec
ords for one mile and put the figure 1850
at the head OF the list. There waa no wait-
| Of watches had caught the mile taste than
the time that was announced when the
uproar had subsidized 40 that the voice OF
the official could be heard.
When the crowd began to pass in through
the gates a cold wind swept the grounds,
and rain fell in big, scattering drops. A
more unfavorable day for a record-break-
ing performance could scarcely have fallen
to the lot OF a champion. Later In the
day the wind abated and the air grew
warmer, but it was far from day when
horse would be seen at his best II was
for this reason that the announcement
was made when the great horse was brought
out that under existing weather condi-
tions the horse would be started against
the track record Of 2:OOA instead OF the
worlds record of 1881 which had stood
since Star Pointer startled the horse world
by passing the two-minute mark
Two runners we're sent with Dan Patch i,
one to precede him and break the force Of
the wind and the other as a prompter. At
the second score Driver McHenry nodded
for the word, but there was really little
interest at this time, for few believed Patch
would even excel his former performance.
When the quarter mile pole was reached
and hundreds saw that the clip had been
faster than two-minute gait there was a
general awakening Of interest The timers
hung out 0:29H, and by the time it was
displayed many watches had clicked at
the half and the figure OSsA appeared on
the timing stand. Then everybody realized
that a ord-breaking performance was
to come, for if the horse came homo in an
even minute, the record was beaten away
off and he really had leeway Of one-half
second more to equal the mark. At the
three-quarters 1904 marked the tim Q.
and that left him only 80 seconds, for he
had fallen away a triae around the second
turn.
Then it was for the first time that Mchenry
gathered the horse together for q fina 4
and decisive struggle. The runner in ad-
vance began to tire, and the spectators,
wild with excitement, began to shout to
him to get out of the way. Without falter
the king of PAGERS swept under the wire
winner OF the highest honors that have
vet come to q harness horse. The official
time announced was l;59, but the number Of
watches on the grounds that recorded II
faster was too great to be counted. In this
connection it may be- said that no spectator
has the opportunity to time correctly to
fraction OF second, as the official timers
have, and the latters. dsoisjon is usually
the correct one. In this case all the watches
held by official hands recorded the same
II was more than a remarkable perform
ance-it was a great one. The time by
separate quarters was 029l1, O:281%, 0:301SS,
029A. How much if at all, the horse
and sulky In front helped Dan Patch is a
question that is still being discussed with
varying opinion. Some believe the horse
and sulky were of no assistance, while
others credit the plan with at least two
seconds. IL Is the first time such an inno-
walton has been tried by record breaker.
Dan Patch has never before, under he
most favorable conditions of weather and
track, been able to pace as fast mile and
he has been driven in many attempts.
Yesterday under conditions that were
decidedly adverse, but with runner and
sulky in advance to shelter him, he eclipsed
all his former efforts at the first attempt