The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-15
GAME IN A BUNCH
Many Thrilling Finishes IN the
Friday Races.
Horses Travelled Nose to Moss
Down the Stretch.
. E. WIS GREAT RACE.
Won the $500 Trot in a Slash
ing Finish.
Silver Leaf Equals Track Record
for One-HaAf Mile Running.

- ONE sensational harness racing
was seen at the fair groundz
yesterday afternoon especially
IN the 2c2o trot and the 2:10
~ pace. It was not sensational
because OF the time that was
made IN any Of the heats. Although the
track was IN the best possible sort OF
shape unusual time was prsciuded BY
a strong wind which blew across the
course from the south. It was sensz-
tonal because Of the evenness with
which the fields were matched and the
close and exciting finishes, particularly
in the deciding heats OF the 2:2c troL
In this race it was necessary for SIX
heats to be negotiated before a decision
was reached and IN the final heat. J.
E. w got the decision by a scant NOES
from Beauty Wright after a thrilling
drive down the stretch. These horses
finished on such even terms that many
in the crowd thought q dead heat had
! been trotted. but the Judge at the wire
saw J. p. WIS nose a little to the front
and the horse was awarded the heat
and the race. Some one in the judges
stand suggested that J. E. ". stuck
out his tongue as the wire was reached
and thereby got the decision There
WIS N kicking. however. over the de-
! else has a cause for complaint
A good crowd gathered at the
grounds to see the races and those
fond Of harness racing had an after
4AOOI u EAtcI4 -liJOy IIlCIll LOT 10 DClL5E
harness races, as g whole, have been
seen on the fair grounds track or
/ course the crowd did not begin to com
pare In size with the record breaker II
Thursday afternoon but the grand
stand was well filled, there being prob
ably twenty-five hundred persons in Il
and there were over q thousand more
/ scattered along the rails and in
/ vehicles in the quarter stretch and that
4 they appreciated the racing which de-
I veloped was evidenced by the cheers
that were given at the finishes of some
/ Of the heats
Carded as the first race. the 900
trot. was the last IN the harness class
to be finished. OF the ten horses on
the program for this race three were
scratched, leaving a field of seven, ard
that these seven were most evenly
matched is evidenced by the score Of
+ the race IN the summary below
/ J. E. w had no trouble in taking the
first two heats. although he had to
race and race hard for them and il
/ looked as though he might take the
next heat and race in about as easy
fashion But when the third heat
was started, J. E. ". showed a sort
of tired feeling and finished last as
he did IN the fifth heat Silver Rus
sci took the third heat in corking
! drive with Ruby Of Rubies, with the
rest of the horses we'll punched at the
| finish. In fact in all the heats OF this
race the horses kept mighty close to-
/ gether during their two trips around
the track and when the fourth heat
I was called, a man who could have
picked the winner of it would have
/ been a wonder. Silver Russell made a
great bid for this fourth heat. but
Beauty Wright, who, heretofore, had
not secured q better position than
fourth, made a beautiful trot down
/ the stretch and got the decision. Beau
! ty Wright took the next heat IN handy
fashion from Thorndeld, who finished
sixth in the previous heat. Then the
judges announced that only the win
ners of heats would be permitted to
start in the sixth heat. So closely
were all the horses IN the race match
ed that If this decision had not been
made by the judges no one would be
/ surprised to have seen some horse,
other than the three heat winners,
I take q first position. But after Eve
airy to allow only the winners Of heats
to fight for the race. Beauty Wright
Silver Russell and J. e. W. faced
the starter for what proved to be the
final heat It seemed that the race lay
between Silver Russell and Beauty
Wright and had Silver Russell won sn-
other heat would have been necessary
After a two or three scores the horses
got away to a good start On the back
stretch the first time around Silver
Russell took the lead from Beauty
Wright, but the latter regained It
without much trouble. J. e. " was
right with them and as they complet-
ed the half mile IN front of the grand
stand they were abreast, with Beauty
Wright at the pole, Silver Russell next
and J. z. ". on Sthe outside. They
practically raced around like a triple
team for the rest of the distance and
Beauty Wright with J. z. w. a half q
length behind swung triffs wide into
the home stretch. Silver Russel's
driver saw a chance for the pole ana
pulled into it. But in doing so he evi-
IDENTIFY threw his horse out Of stride
for the gray mare broke and did not
regain her feet again until after the
wire was passed. Beauty Wright led
j. e. W, who was trotting maEniH-
Gently was not to be denied. Twenty
yards from the finish he was on even
terms with Beauty Wright. The crowd
IN the grand stand was by this time
cheering as hard as the crowd did
run on Tuesday. As the horses passed
under the wire they appeared to be on
even terms, but the man at the wire
was IN the best position to judge that
and he decided that J. Z. W had won
by a nose. It was nearer a lip
Some good racing was also furnished
/ by the 2:l0 pace with five starters. but
the delays at the post ia this race were
most tfresorne They were caused in
) the main by the halkiness Of Mama
Pierce. For many minutes at q time
this horse refused to bulge a step would
not turn around and IN fact acted like
most sulky beast. When she did get
headed down the stretch the other horses
: were not ready to get away ana IN the
l first two heats there were innumerabIe
starts. Finally the judges decided that
they would start the other horses IN the
race whether or not Mama Pierce was
, ready to go or not. She happened to
2 by ready for the third heat and man