The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-17
'Blaze B." Nearing the Finish.

From the start Of this race it was
evident that Blaze B would take first
money and that he would establish a
track record. Starting on the jump,
leading all other entries in every inch
of the race and making every lap in
record breaking time, Blaze B dashed
under the wire, smashing all Compel
itors and all track records in this dis
lance for running.
Iole was the favorite of the race, but
she had to fight for second place, with
Ira K breathing in her ears. Iole took
a squirt on the last quarter and gained
several yards on Blaze B, but the gain
only made the winner cut the wind
faster. This was the only time that
any of the other runners in the race
made noise like Blaze B class.
Iole and Ira K fought for second
money on the home stretch. They were
running together around the bend, but
Iole held a good lead on the stretch.
With the wire looming in sight, Ira
K leaped into the air and made a lurch
for the shadow-but it was too late
This was the only running race of
the day. There were two other races
on the card-a mile and a three-quar-
ter mile consolation-but before the
races the owners scratched in order to
distribute the money evenly. and the
fair management called off the race.
The races during the week were ION
the square as far as the management
could carry them, and the least sign of
a "fix up" couldn't be slipped over the
last day.
But the crowd was satisfied. The
three harness races-all pacing-were
exciting. One, the free-for-all, took
five heats to decide and the betting fra
ternity was up in the air. 1t was any
body's race, with Skiddoo on the big
side because of his marvellous speed
IN tha homo stretch
In all the races won by Skiddoo he
was SO yards behind the leading horse
on the home stretch and climbing up
in this short space he nosed ahead as
minded the crowd of the race the day
before between Roseben and Burnham
Rex, when the former allowed the lat
ter to lead in all but the last quarter
and then went past him.
The first heat of this free-for-all
was won by Farmer Boy. The second
heat by Contractor and the third heat
by Skiddoo. The fact that three horses
were able to take three heats was puz-
zling to the crowd and the result was
awaited with interest. But in the third
heat Skiddoo showed the pep and the
power to squirt on the stretch. The
first half the horses were running in a
string in this order-Contractor, Skid
doc, Billy Bryan and Farmer Boy.
Contractor led until the last turn on
the last quarter ana LH0n WIFI Hldu0
to the wind, steady stride and en-
couragement from his driver, eSkiddoo
threw his head back a few inches
farther and passed Contractor under
the wire.
The fourth heat wan exactly the
same-the order of the horses, the
manner in which Skiddoo gained on
Contractor and the result was identi-
cal. In the fifth heat Billy Bryan led
out on the start with Contractor sec
ond and Skiddoo third. This looked
like a departure for Skiddoo to the
crowd, but on the final lap he closed
up the daylight between himself and
the other horses and won in his squirt.
This result gave Skiddoo first mon
ey, Contractor second, Farmer Boy
third, and as has been the case for
many years-Billy Bryan came in last.
Billy Bryan was a good horse and
showed class-but alas, alack, the
namei Horses can stand beefy driv-
ers, heavy wagons" soft track, a
singing whip, yelling crowds and
| changing bells-but there was never a
horse that could take first money with
the name BILLY Bryan
The other harness races furnished
amusement to the crowd. A two-year-
| old pace with four colts on the field
was the best entertainment of the
! day. All the colts left their feet in
the race and their breaking was more
exciting than the finish. But there
were some "comers'' in the bunch
The 2:19 was won easily by Major