Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-25

IZN(hO
problem of getting Dan under the wire
in this race with the greatest of all
antagonists-tirne. And all the while,
like a refrain to my thoughts, sounds
the question. "Can he do it?''
Workout in 2:12
The three workout miles with tho
last in about 2:12 are brought closer
together or farther apart, according
to conditions of thep rogram, the
weather and our shipping dates.
OF course we have our regular place
on the race program, although there Is
nothing very exacting about this, as
everyone will make way for the pros
pect of O new worlds record. the
more serious problem is the wind and
weather. Sometimes it is growing
calmer-then we wait. Sometlmes
rain threatens-then we hurry. A
trainer OF q seeker after world cham
pionship honors must be a weather
prophet. am not, but l am learning
to guess some often we have to ship
O. thousand miles a few hours a1ter
our exhibition. That naturally makes
me anxious to get through as soon as
possible. All these things have to be
reckoned with and the final result is
often affected by what seems TO out
siders an inconsequential matter
When the two running pacemakers
have warmed up and are ready; Wnen
the champion is brought out for ms
supreme effort; when the tense silence
of expectancy settles over the eager
thousands, then the responsibility cul-
inmates, the problem becomes concrete
/ know how l am going to try to solve
n. / know how am going to attempt
TO make a new worlds record-how
am going to help Dan Patch to re-
spond to the wishes of his owner ana
of his admirers.
I have planned every eighth of a
mile. / know this wonderful horse has
the power just enough power, to go
mile in record breaking time. l know
he is willing, that he is the gamest
horse that ever stepped on race track,
and 1 know just how l must direct him
at times and urge him at other times.
I have talked over the mile with the
drivers of the pacemakers and have
given all my directions.
Two Pacemakers Used
Everything is ready. To me there is
no crowd, there is no weather. There
is nothing but this stouthearted horse,
the pacemakers, one in front and one
at the side, and a track.
We score three times. That must be
all. Too much scoring would take
something out of the horse. We jog
back and turn about sixty yards from
the wire. know from experience 1t
must be very little more or less. The
pacemakers have the word and we
swing down the stretch toward the
wire. There can't be skip or a
culver. 1t must be clockwork. l nod
to the judges. We glide under the wire
at q two-minute clip. 1t mustn't be
slower or we can't ever catch up. 1t
can't be faster. or we would be draw
ing on the power we need In coming
home.
Cobweb, the pacemaker In front,
must be going as evenly as gasoline
engine, with Dams nose foot from
the drivers back. He likes to go best
that way.
We hug the fence, the runner in
front only swerving slightly once, but
brought back by warning from me.
We pass the quarter pole In 20 seconds
fat, Just as planned. Can he do 1t?
Turning on to the backstretch Dan
is going wonderfully and with his nose
literally against Scott Hudson's back.
I give the word Cobweb responds. the
pace ouickens, and we flash by the
half in :56h-a 1853 gait. 1t Is as
planned. He MAY do it, Without
showing signs of firing and without
calling on him, Dan goes to the three
than when he went his mile in 1856 at
Hamline He is going strong. He
WILL do II.
But Cobweb wobbles, slows downi
Dan, just beginning to feel the terrific
strain. has to be pulled up to avoid
running into the pacemaker's sulky In
front. There is no room to get by.
have to pull him up. That takes the
heart out of him, stops his momentum,
and although he gamely responds when
Cobweb recovers and Is urged under
the wire, new worlds record Is lost.
Dan finishes in 1:56A-seconds faster
than any other harness horse ever
went-but he did not lower the worlds
record. Months of training and work
and worry are wasted.
This is what happened to us last fall
at Lexington. 1t was a catastrophe.
But 1t shows very strikingly what it
means for even a champion to go a
worlds record mile. Any one of a
million things. unexpected and against
which you can make no preparation,
may happen. That time the pace
maker suffered from a broken blood
vessel. Next time 1t may be some-
thing else. All we can do is to try.