The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-11
RECORD BROKEN
 BY DAN PATCH Paced Mile in 2iO31-4 on a Half Mile Track CLIPS ONE- OF SECOND Champion Horse FulflIls the Expecta- tions of His Driver and Adds
 Another Record to His
 Long List.

Dan Patch, 1:56A, the unbeaten son of Joe Patehen, yesterday afternoon broke the worlds mile record on half mile track al the fair grounds in Birmingham. The mile was paced in 2:09l. which IS just one-fourth of second less than Prince Alert made under very much simi- lar circumstances. The quarters were :301a, 1:O1, 1:32A, 2:0314.
 The day and track were ideal and every one felt when the horse came out that he would lower the record unless the unfore- seen occurred, and it came very nearly Occurring for the running horse which paced the champion again got beyond con- trol and did little of any good.
 Never a Falter.
 Dan paced the mile practically unaided and it was one of the best miles he has ever gone From first to last there was never a falter in his movements and with step which was almost like machine work he came under the wire just fourth of second faster than it was ever crossed on a similar track.
 There is one regret attached to the en- tire affair and that was the small crowd which was present. With such an effort and with seemingly every chance to ac- complish the end sought it was expected that between 90o0 or 4oO0 people would have been at the track, but instead of large crawd being present the champion horse of the world to break record here raced in the presence of not more than 500 peo- pie.
 The Race.
 The race yesterday was in every way different from the one of Friday last, when Dan paced the mile under very unfavora- ble conditions in just second slower time than he made yesterday afternoon The work of the horse on Friday was all most heroic, as it was in the face of q cold wind and bad track, but yesterday everything favored him and he seemed to appreciate 1t, for from the time Driver McHenry gave the word to go he seemed to do his best and to travel without any announcement from the pacer In front or his driver behind. Had the horses man. agers been allowed to plot and plan for week on an ideal day they could not have made a better one for a record breaking trial than yesterday and they were re- warded. Lew Banty. John Flynn and MT. McHenry were the three happiest men in Birmingham last night, as this record alone stood between the horse they man. age and the undisputed championship of all the harness horses of the world.
 Day Dawned Foggy.
 Yesterday dawned cold and foggy, and for a while in the morning it looked as if it were not going to be a good day for the attempt, but after the genial rays of the sun had fallen on the earth for a while everything frightened up and the managers knew they had the day they had been looking for. In the morning. Driver McHenry logged Dan out for sev- eral easy miles, and at dinner time he stated that the horse was in as good con- dition as he had ever seen him.
 MT. Banty, MT. Flynn and MT. McHen- ry carefully inspected the track and found that 1t needed nothing to make it ideal. Just a few minutes before the time for Dan to come on a harrow was run lightly over the track near the rail and a slight cushion was thus made giv- ing an ideal spring for the horses hoofs.
 Knew What Was Expected.
 When the horse came on the track, hitched to the light white sulky before which he has made other worlds records, ne seemed to know what was expected of him and was seemingly as conscious as a person might have been under similar circumstances.
 The horse paced slowly up the track in front of the grand stand where there were about two hundred people which cheered heartily to make up for the lack of numbers. He was scored twice by Driver McHenry with Cobweb the run ming horse which paces Dan, along the side and only enough speed to warm the horse up to certain extent.
 The two times that the horse scored he showed that he had plenty of speed with him yesterday afternoon and that his condition was excellent. The horses gait was even and as regular as if it had been timed and set to exact figures before he came on the track. He passed the grand stand twice at about a two-minute clip and seemed to be able to increase that speed slightly if he was called on to dc So
 Exum Gave the Word.
 The third time down. Culpepper Exum, the starter, gave the word to go and the watches clicked 3.02 o'clock as the horse passed under the wire for the begining of the race MT. Flynn, who was driving the running horse, took the lead before the horses passed the judges stand, but seemed unable to get Cobwebb to his best speed to start This delayed the start possibly a fraction of a second, and Dan had hardly settled into his stride until he was almost ready to take the first turn. Then he settled down and paced great quarter in 3ois which was a POP clip.
 The running horse was well under ms driver and was behaving nicely until the first quarter pole had been passed and he was rounding into the upper turn Tor the first time. Then he seemed to get unruly and refused to hug the fence Tn going around the turn, but even this did not seem to rattle the great pacer, which was following as evenly and stead- fly as if his pace had been the best that could be afforded. Down the home stretch for the first time the two horses came, and a mighty cheer greeted Dan Patch and his driver as the timers fash ed the time for the first half-1 :o1-which was still at 2:o2 gait,
 It was the bad work of the running