The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-29
The Suburban Handicap.
BY A. {. cAFFEE


Just mind your own business ana We
will get the best start you ever saw"
And they did. In less than two min
utes he~caught the field in perfect line,
and pressing the button and with the
shout Come on" the great Suburban
was started.
It may be well to give verbatim the
instructions of Mr.. Shields, trainer Of
Hermis, to Arthur Redfern. the brave
Kentucky boy who rode the splendid
Kentucky thoroughbred to victory and
fortune. Willie Shaw, who had the leg
up on irish Lad had just been instructed
to lay within length of Hermis until
half mile from home, when he was
to cut loose and break Hermis heart
In a whirlwind finish" Redfern's in
structions were as follows: Arthur
! said -.r. Shields, you are to take the
trac-- just as soon as the flag falls and
you are not to surrender 1t at any time
to any one. Don't you mind anything
else. Get to the front. Don't ride your
horses head off If you are not chal-
lenged going down the back stretch, but
If anybody gets alongside of you go
right on" They were instructions en-
phatic, and for blood It meant that
under no circumstances must Irish Lad
be conceded the lead for none other of
the great racers could possibly have
enough speed to get up to Hermis and
live with him long enough for the chal-
lenge to be effective
They Are off.
As the barrier rose. like eager coursers
held in leash, Irish Lad and Rermis-
one on the rail and the other on the out
side-bounded from their fellows stimuli
taneously, and $4,000 voices cheered them
to the echo, and they all knew the
Brooklyn was to be avenged.
Redfern, obeylng instructions to the very
letter and before dozen strides had been
taken he was crossing the field. making
Tor the rail, and when the watches snap
pea IL seconds they literally flew by the
first furlong post, a 1876 gait. the fleet
chestnut having gained the coveted DO
sition' with Irish Lad right upon his
neels, The Picket two lengths back lead
ing the others. AS they approached the
turn Redfern took steadying wrap on
ms gallant horse, clinging close to the
ran economizing every inch of space.
Unleash thy crouching thunders now, q
JoVe, and see thy fiery darts left far be-
hlnd by this noble animal. Two centuries
OF blood and breeding were hurting def
ance at his detractors who said he was
faint hearted and a gutter when he LOST
the Brooklyn. He fled along the level
course swifter than an eagles shadows on
a mountain side. his ears erect and his
giant stride working with the precision
and rythm of a perfectly balanced piston
rod to a Corliss engine; a phantom of
speed, a shadow flying along the land
scape. He fled past the three furlong post
in 36 seconds. on to the half with that
same amazing flight of speed. Striving to
the utmost Irish Lad and The Picket,
1lylng at dizzy speed their great hearts
burning in their breasts like living Goals,
three and four lengths back, bounded af-
ter the racing spectre in front of them
They might as well have pursued an an
CRY cyclone trying to destroy the work OF
God and man, To ordinary race horses
Hermis appeared as logarithms to plain
mathematics. No gambler ever hanlxered
for the feverish delights of the green
table as e-le jockeys on Irish Lad and Tho
Picket did to overhaul and vanquish Ar
thur Redfern on the superb Hernis. But
they were experiencing the weird emo
lions of sciomachy--a battle with
Shadow. On and on Herms sped past
the seven furIong post in 1:25, and the
mile in the marvellous time of 1873 Pa
full second faster than his sensational
first mile in the Brooklyn-yet no sign Of
abatement of the dizzy clip. With the
frightful speed and perfect regularity of
stroke, ne charged along. like swallow
before the blast, like q leaf on the storm,
gamely responding to every demand made
on his rich inheritance of the centuries
As they entered the stretch, Shaw and
Helgeson called on their gallant steeds
and they settled themselves for last
mighty effort but they were chasing des-
tiny To have overtalxen Hermis they
would have needed the wings of the alba
tross. hIs speed was resistless. His cour-
age was superb. The mile and a quarter
was run in 2:05, the record for the, Subur-
ban. The Brooklyn was avenged The
Picket was second three lengths back, just
a neck In front of Irish Lad.
Hermis is owned by Mr.. Il. r. Thomas
He bought him at the zenith of his brill
liant three-year-old career for 100000. He
won many great stakes and handicaps
and purses as a three and four-year-old
and In his five-year- form seems 10
have reached the full maturity of his re-
splendent powers. Mrs. Thomas claims
Hermis as her own particular pet When
her friends crowded around her at the
paddock where the racers were being I'M
sadded she said: Nothing ever pleased
me more than Hermis victory today
When they beat him feel so blue I want
to hide, and when he wins, I am 50
happy"
The romance OF Hermis' life began in
old Kentucky He was raised almost en-
tirely by hand by Miss Engeman, daugh-
ter of his breeder He was a very small
colt. and such a cunning little chap that
the Young lady fell in love with him the
first time she say him scampering about
her fathers paddock. He became her pet
and received all the loving attentions that
ladies bestow ON their dogs and horses.