The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-06-02
GREAT HORSE RACE.
The Brooklyn Handicap Won Yes
Fire Second-The First Horse Be
IonGed to Harry Payne Whitney
and the Second to His Father, Hon.
w. c. Whitney.

New York. May 2S.-Irish Lad won
the seventeenth Brooklyn handicap at
Gravesend today in 2:05 p. Ridden
by O'Neil with perfect Judgment he
bore the colors of the Westbury stable,
a partnership of Harry Payne Whitney
and H. 3. Duryea- Rated by the hand
icapper the highest of the three year
olds entered, Irish Lad carried 1o3
pounds.
Gun Ere, the Ill pounds winner of the
Metropolitan handicap, and the favo-
rite for today'S race, was second.
beaten by not more than three inches.
Burns rode her for ". c. Whitney,
father of the winners half owne~
Lengths behind the pair-eight ac-
cording TO the official figures-came w.
s. Fanshaw's Heno. Irish Lad lower
ed the record for the race 2:06A, made
by Banaster in 1899 and eQualled the
record for the track made by Colo
Heels last October.
John E. Madden owned and sold the
first. second and third horses in today's
Brooklyn handicap.
Mr.. Madden bought Irish Lad as d
yearling for 81, 500. The price Messrs.
Whitney and Duryea paid for him mas
never been authoritatively published
Worth in gross $3.50, the winners
share of the Brooklyn handicap of
1908 was $3.50. the second horse TAX
ing $4,000 and the third $1,000.
No more evenly judged race was ever
run as the fractional time shows:
Quarter % seconds; half so; five eighths
1O2 1-5: three quarters ia 2-5; seven
eighths 127 l.; mile 140 10; one and half
quarter miles POS %.
Irish Lad led practically from post
to finish, successfully stalled off the
challenges of Dom Paul and Igniter and
won after a final bitter struggle from
| his stable companion. Both trained by
]. w. ogers, the Whitney horses were
the only real cOntenders for first hon
ors after the field turned INTO the
stretch.
Irish Lad No. { from the raj, was
away well at the start, n on rushing
| clear, took him over close to the inside
fence He led as they passed the stand,
| running easily under restraint win
Dom Paul second, Gun Fire third and
Igniter fourth. Swinging around to
the back stretch Heno and Injunction
| tried to join the leaders but bOtn we're
crowded back several lengths. Irish
! Lad was a length in front when the II
down the back stretch began. bat Dom
! Paul challenged at once and the two
raced side by side for three eignthS OF
q mile. III Fire appeared in difficult
| ties for in a 1gniter raced up
to and passed her. and Colonel Bill was
making a sturdy bid. He reached the
| fllv's throat latch as they neared the
turn.
Then in q moment t was all over but
| for two horses. Igniter and Colonel
Bill fell back and Don Paul's green
| and white jacket was bidder by Burns
| Blue as he took Gun Fire into second
place.
Irish Lad led into the stretch by a
length. Gun Fire close behind and Dom
Paul still within striking distance put
apparently beaten. Enlightened Out
for the run home, Whitney, father and
son. had the race TO themselves. Irish
Lad had never faltered and O'Neil mad
rated him perfect. When Gun Fire
drew along side the three Year old, g
sixteenth of a mile from home. and
Dom Paul made a last effort. the out
cry from the stands was terrific.
With every muscle strained and
every horse doing their utmost. Irish
Lad and Gun Fire proceeded to the
Wire. The filly gained on the colt incl
by inch. Twenty feet from the end hel
nose was in front but with n splendid
burst of courage Irish Lad leaped for
n hairs breadth. One jump from :he
wire the race was a dead heat.
Little O'Neil. an obscure rider in tne
west last winter. took his first ride ir
the floral horse show. n another
Brooklyn handicap was history. Be-
tween 10000 and 10000 saw thu great
ace.
To Blockade insurgents