Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-02
Exciting Races Opening Day of Run
ming NJ ,etiDg or the Rock
leland Jockey Club.
POLICEMAN DRIVES A WINNER
Dick KeII's Billy Raymond Takes Low
ing Cup in Harness EVent-Tom-
my Foster Captures Derby.

only harness feature OF the nine days |
running meeting under the auspices of |
the Rock Island Jockey club at the |
Ninth street track. The prize was a |
loving cup.
Probably a prettier or more sensa- |
| tional finish has never been witnessed |
on track in this section than that be-
tween Raymond and Jess. the latter the |
little black mare owned by Carl j. |
Mueller. of this city, and which was |
driven by Ed Ward. of Moline. Jess
came under the wire almost head in |
the lead of her closest competitor, and
would have had chance TO have tried |
for the honors of the contest but for
the fatal mistake that she was per
mitted to make in breaking at the
first turn in the second heat.
Two Other Horses Break.
Two of the other horses had erred
similarly, but Raymond had maintain
ed his pace. and the judges according
ly held that Jess, although winning
the heat. must be set back. Raymond
captured the first heat with com
parative ease, with Billy the Ghost
trailing at his heels. but not making
sufficient gains at any point to worry
the driver of the head horse. Jess was
third in the first heat. Barney p, driv-
en- by his owner AL Moosman, of Mo-
lime, holding the end of the process
sion Barney behaved badly in the
second heat, breaking repeatedly. In
rounding the first turn he hOisted his
tail and swung to the fence as if to
lattempt a hurdle. Moosman Rugged
oil hnu in
motion in time to finish on his good
behavior.
| Would Not Run Her Again.
The judges at first were disposed to
Overlook the offense of Jess and not
impose the penalty imposed by the
rules. but her owner, Mr.. Mueller. pro
tested that the decision was entirely
satisfactory to him, and even if the
Judges insisted on third heat he
would withdraw, as his horse was not
in condition to go again, having been
out of the pasture only two weeks, and
being in foal. This race was the only
harness event of the meeting. Ray
mond was three to five in the betting.
Running Races Are Exciting.
There were three running events,
with the Rock Island derby as the
feature. This was captured by Tommy
Foster, st. Louis horse, with Nc
Carthy up. There were two daSheS.
Foster taking both in a walk. Tin
lOch, a brown gelding, with WoolSey
up, had the pole at the start, but she
weakened at the second turn, coming
in second in the first, and last in the
| second heat. Tinloch was the veteran
J of the field. and was played even in
the books. Foster was a two to one
shot. The five-eighths-mile dash for
! all ages furnished the spectacular fin
5 ish of the afternoon. This was the
second race ON the bill, Soundly, a St.
5 Louis mare, ridden by Berry. winning
by a nose over Bamboo Tree, with
DOremus en- top. Soundly is a 5-year-
Did and Bamboo Tree a 3-year-old
Miss Messenger, four to one, looked
like the money at the start, but fizzled
Z out. holding the end of the row at the
3 finish. Soundly was a two to five shot.
4 The three-quarters-mile dash was the
: closing event of the afternoon, and
was won by Frank Jones, an even
t. break, with Wilson up.
4 Thousand People There.
There were fully thousand people
3 in attendance. The day was an ideal
! one for racing, although a trifie close
5 for the horses, which seemed to suffer
considerably from the heat, and the
track was fast, the five-eighths-mi
going in 1909. Rock Island had never
had running races before. although
they have been held in years gone by
on the other side of the river. But il
there were any there who did not un
derstand the game before the first
dash there were not many who were
not head over heels in il after
= the first one was run. II seems more
natural to see horse dash away over
the course with a boy astride, lying
forward, bending and begging, and
whipping, and squirting, his one
thought to reach the wire first. II is
not so much a matter of the money
that is in sight as it is in the satisfac
ton of besting the other fellow. It's
the sport. running race is sport
II is sport of the old-fashioned kind.
Horse is More Natural Running.
horse haTnessed to a wagon doe,
not appear to have a fair show. He
can't let himself loose like he might i
@ he were free of the straps and the
'. harness and the shafts Turn hin
It loose with his little friend with tn,
n visor on top TO say pretty things Il
I. him and tell all the nice things he viii
have to eat if he just beats his neigh
Dor. and then watch him scoot. HI
does his level best, and so do all tn,
I others competing. and the result is
race that momentarily separates on
from his wind. There was excitemen
in plenty at the Ninth street tract
yesterday afternoon. II was the kline
i that causes one to rise up in his sea
and cheer. He might have a favoriti
and he might not But he is pulling