The Pensacola journal., 1907-06-08

Inc racing season opened ii Pen
sacola at the Kupfrian Park track
yesterday with some of the prettiest
events that have ever been Witnessed
there In fact, if the excellence ot
the opening day features can be main
tanned throughout the season. the lar
ter is going to be a big one for the
PENSACOLA Driving Association as we'll
as for the general public
Four Races-AII Good,
1here were four races yesterday
all good, but two of them extra good.
The Montgomery horse, Billie s
owned and driven by w. s. Webber.
won three straight heats over T 2
Welles's Jim Crow in los. King
Range. owned and driven by T. p.
Welles, won over the hay mare,
Katie Wilkes, owned by WiIkie
Bros. OF Montgomery. and driven. bv
A Wilkie. The getding lost the first
heat but won the next three and the
race.
BY Inches Only.
This latter race was the best fea.
ture of the day and was so close that
pretty evenly divided opinion ex-
lists as to which is the faster of the
horses. Katie Wilkes won the first
heat in 1:094, but lost the next
three.
The third heat in this exciting
event was about the closest ever
seen on the Pensacola track or any.
where else for that matter. King
Range Just simply nOsed it out and
won by bare half head or maybe
less.
Unfortunate Incident.
In the fourth heat, as the two
do -I,.,E
ed to be a pretty start with the mare
having slight advantage. some one
in the grand stand yelled, Go" and
the man at the bell. thinking the start
had been made, failed to call them
back until the hoBseS had passed the
first turn. There was no intentional
unfairneSS in the case, but many were
inclined to believe that had the heat
been finished according to the start
the mare would have won. and conse.
quentlY there was some little diSsat
isfaction among the spectators At
the result When the start was finally
made. a tire on one wheel of the
mares sulky came off at the quarter,
and the heat of course went to King
Range. who won the race. This race
will be run over again next Friday.
Speedy Sweetheart.
GOlding's bay mare. Sweetheart,
driven by A. Wooden, won in three
straight heats over Jas. NJ. JohnsOn's
grey gelding, The Judge, driven by
the owner, in liz.
Bay Charlie, a gelding, owned and
driven by O. McNaiT, won in the best
two out of three over The Kid. owned
by Walker Gonzalez and driven by S.
T. Gonzalez. the time being 1:29-
This was one of the closest and pret-
test races of the day and, while not
so fast as the others. it aroused a
great deal of interest and enthu-
SiaSm.
The Races in Detail.
In the race between Sweetheart ard
The Judge, the latter got the pole,
but broke badly on the first turn and
again on the second, Sweetheart win
ming the heat in lis.
In the second heat The Judge again
broke OF the second turn and Sweet
heart went under the wire in 1:17.
In the third heat, the gray held his
feet until reaching the quarter when
he again went up in the air and the
mare came under the wire in 1:I9,
The prize was a $3.50 ivory handle
whip.
Second Event.
In the second event, the PAGER
kdIlo Wilkes SOL iilc pore ana SCOIcU
down under the wire with the trOtter,
King Range. in a very pretty start.
The mare broke at the first turn, but
found her feet Immediately and they
went neck and neck to the last turn
when the mare came down the home
stretch in a magnificent squirt that
carried her under the wire about two
lengths ahead in 1:091z.
In the second heat Katie Wilkes
broke on the first turn. but got down
again at once and held her feet 70
the finish. though King Range got q
lead before reaching the quarter th&t
brought him under the wire all 3t
three lengths ahead IN time Of 1.1G.
The third heat was nosed out by
King Range in one Of the pretties-
finishes ever witnessed on the local
track. The time was I'll anl
though the mare got the whip repeat
edIv on the home stretch. she lost
the heat. by less than half a head