Norwich bulletin., 1909-12-23
MINOR HEIR vs. THE EEL.
Races Have Been Fought Between Great Pacers.

One of the most notable of the pac- ing performances of recent years was that of Minor Heir at the recent Phoe- nix (Ariz.) meeting, where the brown stallion paced mile against time in 1.59 If, equalling the best mile on rec ord ty pacer withcu. pacemaker in front. Two other pacers, Star Point CT and Audubon Boy. have negotiated miles as fast as Minor Heir under like conditions, and now we have the unique condition of three horses, all stallions, being tied for the worlds pacing record. Of course Dan Patch has a record of 1.55 1-4, made with a pacemaker in front to break the wind for him. but since this record was made the powers that control the Year Book have legislated against records made in that way. refusing to recog- nize them at all after the ruling, and the rule was made retroactive to the extent that the record of Dan Patch is marked in the official volume with a star. to distinguish it from those made in the regular way
 Minor Heir Won First Meeting.
 Minor Heir has had a meteeric ca- reer on the turf. He was a near cham pion almost from the start. In 1908 he was in the stable of the Illinois train- CT Charley Dean, and made his first StetiL eal tilt carry iuetllHS dL GeOIld, where he went two races and took a record of 2.05 IA. At that time there was a gray pacer from Canada in training for the stakes, Dan McEwen having him in charge and he was called The Feel. All sorts of sensa- tional stories were going the rounds as to his wonderful speed, most of which were taken by horsemen with a grain of salt. The week after Peoria the ns. !, Haute. and the fastest five heat pacing race in the history of the turf was the result Minor Heir beat the gray horse the first two heats in the remarkable time of POI 1-2 and POI. then made breaks, and the Canadian horse won the next two in slower time. Dean had the brown stallion going steadily in. the fifth mile, and he had no trou- ble in standing The Eel on his head in 2.t7.
 Lucky for Minor Heir.
 The next meeting of the great pair was in the Chamber of Commerce $5.- harness turf. Minor Heir was the fav- orite, but The Eel was well backed by his Canadian friends, who figured on Minor Heir being unsteady. The races were held under the American asso- citation rules, which require only 30 yards distance. Before the race the driveis signed an agreement to race under the National association dis tance rule, which moved the flag back 20 yards. putting it 100 yards from the wire. It was a fatal move on the part of McEwen. for Minor Heir. broke in the first heat and barely beat the flag running Had it been 80 yards he would have been hopelessly outside and The Eel would have had easy sail ing, as he clearly outclassed the bal ance of the field As it was, his party claimed that Minor Heir should have been distanced on account of his long run in the home stretch, but the judges couldn't see it that way Minor Heir then went on and won the race. A great deal of argument and i'll feel ing resulted from this race, and Me- Ewen and his party were so incensed that they refused to race their horse at the last Detroit meeting on this &C., count.
 Minor Heir won the following week at Kalamazoo, and then went on a western circuit. In a trip against time at Milwaukee he cut his record to 1.59 1-2. He joined the grand cir cult brigade again at Columbus. where he met his old enemy, The Eel. who had been winning an unbroken series of victories on the big ring.
 The Eel Wins This Time.
 This time the tables were turned and Minor Heir met defeat for the first time that season. the time of the three heats equalling the fastest three heat race ever paced by stallion. Minor Heir was given rest of one week and was then started in the Tennessee stake at Lexington his last appearance in an open race.
 Fastest Seven Heat Race.
 Again it was a duel with the Eel The brown stallion won the first heat in 200 1-2, equalling the worlds race record held by Star Pointer, and he came back and won the second heat in POP, but his gray rival was looking him in the eye this time, and the third heat went to the Canadian. There was an accident in the fourth heat which was won by Copa de Orc, and then the cleverly managed Jerry B., who had just been beating the flag when the stars were racing those heart breaking heats. came on and won the next three heats and the race, this be- ing the fastest seven heat race ever paced.
 Minor Heir Succeeds Dan Patch.
 Short1xr after this Minor Heir maa