The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-07

hard to overcome the wind. which had freshened considerably, and was now blowing little short of a gale. Had Driver Banty been able to. hold the runner back 1t might have beena possible to have given enough protection to have allowed Dan Patch to husband some of his strength to use in the home stretch, but the battle against the wind was rapidly taking his strength. .E
 Hopes Begin to Fade. The three quarters pole was passed in :32Ik, which was about a -.oi gait, 9nd the hopes of lowering the record faded slightly, but still there remained the pos sibility of the wind aiding the horse in the home stretch. Had the track been hard and fast at this place at least half second could have been taken off the time Dan Patch made, but 1t was sort and he could not go his best. Besides he was somewhat tired from the two bat ties with the wind, and with the heavy track he was unable to make his last quarter in better than :31%. When this is compared with the first quarter the effect of the wind and the heavy track will be seen.
 | J In the home stretch Driver McHenry cracked his whip over the head of Dan Patch and the lash sung around his ears. The horse responded to the call and came under the wire magnifcently, but he was just three-fourths of a second behnds the worlds record of 2:031a, and l only a fourth of second behind his own record on a half-mile track, which was made under favorable circumstances.
 Crowd cheered Lustily.
 The crowd cheered the horse and driver all the way down the stretch, and hum dreds gathered around both as they came back up the track It was clearly seen that the driver was disappointed at the failure to lower the record, but he was also gratlfied at the noble response made l by Dan Patch under the circumstances. 1 It is almost needless to say that had the weather been good the horse would have made the mile in 202, or possibly in ? minutes fiat, as he seemed to be in ex- cellent condition.
 With a warm day so that the horse could have become thoroughly heated, and less wind, the people of Birmingham would certainly have seen new record made These adverse weather conditions also kept away hundreds of people who would have otherwise gone to the track. l Driver McHenry and MT. Banty both believe that with good weather condi- tions next week Dan Patch will be able to lower the record, and he will be sent after 1t again if the conditions during the early part of the week are favorable.
 Driver McHenry Talks. 1 In speaking of yesterdays trial after it was over, MT. McHenry said: T had little hope of making a record. Every thing seemed to be against us. The wind up the back stretch was awful and could feel the horse falter slightly as he struck 1t each time. It beat him back and knocked at least two seconds from the time he might have made. Possibly more.
 "The track was also against us It was too soft owing to the recent rains and the lack of opportunity to put it into the best condition, although hard work was done on 1t. The horse was in excellent condition, as his work will show, and had the conditions been at all favorable believe he would have come very nearly going the mile in two minutes fiat mile in 2:04M under the circumstances which existed yesterday is remarkable performance. but we had hoped to lower the record
 The Judges.
 The judges yesterday were Henry B. Gray Robert McDavid and Culpper Exum, and the timers were Fred Newell. J. H. Barr, Webb Crawford and Eugene Fies. Mayor Drennen was starter. The watches of the timers did not vary d quarter of a second on the time of the mile, and the variance was on the side of the pacer.
 Benigne won the free for all trot by taking the last three heats of the four Tom Boam won the first heat and was second in the remainder. The result was;
 Free for all trot. three in five half mile heats, purse, S200
 Benigne (Wilson)...... ...........3 1 Tom Boam (HulD... .1 2 2