Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-10-21
A Hard Fought Race Taking
Seven Heats for Decision.
Protest and DenunCiatiOn FOL-
lows Action Of Driver O'ReiI.
The ala Unfinished and the 2.25
Put 0Ver.-Saturday's Card.

Under frOWning sky, upon leaden
track and before discouraeingly
empty grandstand 10 heats of the
most sensational racing ever Witness
ed over a Maine course were served
up, Friday afternoon. at Capital park,
the track record being eauallcd three
times. The satisfaction of everyone
who attended was apparent after the
petty wrangles had been cleared away
even the dynamic Manager Hanks.
lodging about like a bean with shot
in it, grinned cheerfully in the face of
the skinny attendance. Attributing
the scarcity of spectators to the
threatening clouds. he averred that the
crowd would find the way. Saturday.
Dyed in thew fans were those
Who came and merited applause was
surely Forthcoming. There was q de-
eided absence Of the chillness usually
elinging about small gathering and
| Frequently the watchers rose 10 their
| feet with waving arms and beseeching
cries. William O'Neil, behind Billy
Patton. was the object of an outbreak
of accusal in the seventh heat Of the
| 2.15 pace Mr. o,Neil could hardly be
/
! first money in that event.
| This race was unfinished Wednes-
day. but two heats having been run off
Billy Patton taking the first and the
second going 10 Joe MaPes Q'Neil
again put his horse under the wire
ahead i'm the first heat, Friday Stanley
| g. unquestionably the favorite of the
crowd, clinched the fourth by ONcirs
over confidence the Willard horse be-
ing allowed to slide by on the rail at
| the top of the stretch. From then on
the Lexington eelding was unmistak-
ably tired, after being bad third in
the fifth and sixth heats.
| O'Neil came to the Judges stand tc
ask permission to refill fiat tire. The
Judges assented and O'NeiI went tC
the stable Darkness was fast closing
! in and word of what had occurred
was passed among the spectators Pro
tests increased with the flying min
utes and finally a few sarged toward
| the stand. Their ranks were imme-
diately augmented by n hundred 9th
ers and epithets flew thickly as the
belief grew that O'Nell was seeking
a postponement Of the last heat until
Saturday 1t was well-known that his
horse would have better chance OF
winning with a nights rest.
Two judges were dispatched to his
stall and Starter Pike quoted the
crowd for moment With the assur-
ance that everything possible was be
ing done.
| O'Neil finally appeared and the po-
lice forced the crowd back off the
| yC
gutter He followed Hyde and viii
lard up the stretch, but turning halt
wav warmed his horse past the stand
apparently needless of the yells Of the
spectators or the commands of Starter
Pike. who warned him that the other
horses were to be scored whether on
not Billy Patton was with them
lO'Neil returned leisurely. informinp
the Judges Of his right to warm his
horse "aftpr it stood in the cold"
Then came his triumph, for, away
with slight advantage he fairly
forced the others off their feet and
won as he pleased-not forgetting an
Iexuberant laugh and a waving of his
whip as he shot by the Disguised gath
IerinC along the rail,
II was now ; o'clock and too darl
to admit of another heat in the 2:1S
Three heats Of this had been run off
with field of nine horses. and Mr.
/ Pike announced that the fourth Woult
be called at | +. NJ. Saturday In ad.
dition to this race will be the 2:2
trGt postponed from Friday. and tn,
two events already carded-one tn,
I213 pace, making virtually certain The
lowering of the Capital park mark.