Rensselaer Republican, Volume 28, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 September 1895 — RENSSELAER WILKES WINS. [ARTICLE]

RENSSELAER WILKES WINS.

A Great Race at The State Fair Last Friday. The match trotting race, last Friday at the state fair, at Indianapolis, between Rensselaer Wilkes and Que Allen, a Crawfordsville horse, was the most interesting sporting event of the fair. The race was for a parse of SI,OOO a side, and was won by Wilkes, after a hard struggle and one of the closest races ever trotteththiß season. Some 25 or 30 of our ganiest sports went down to see the race, and as the Crawfordsville horse had lots of friends present, the betting between the two parties was |Mpty lively. That the Rensselaer boys brought home at least SI,OOO in side bets, would probably be a safe estimate and perhaps much more than that. The following is the Indianapolis Journal’b account of the race:

THE HATCH TROTTING RACE. The match race between Rensselaer Wilkes, 2:12f, and Que Allen, 2.-16 J, was an important event in many respects. It grew out of a bitter rivalry that has developed in the past three weeks between the owners ot the two horses. Que Allen is a, five-year-oil that has been invincible on the half-mile tracks of the State. Twice on half mile rings he defeated

the head of the Rensselaer stud and this “choked in the craw” of the Rensselaer people. Dr. Gott, of Crawfordsville, when ho beat the Wilkes horse at Lebanon two weeks ago, hired a band and celebrated the event with a triumphal parade on the track. He eLo offered to wager SI,OOO that Que Alien could defeat his antagonist over the Indianapolis track, on which Rensselaer Wilkes appeared to be equally as invincible as Que Allen on the half-mile rings. So after some bandying Tom McCoy agreed to trot a race for that amount, and Dr. Gott and Homer Law, of Crawfordsville, put up the SI,OOO for the Allen end of the bet. The race was the third called yesterday afternoon. Two better bred and better gaited horses never appeared for the word. Que Allen is an ideal trotter as to gait, but he lacked the courage of the Alcantara Stallion. They" went away on even terms in the first heat and trotted about even the first half. Going around the turn Que Alhn moved away from his antagonist, who vainly endeavored to overhaul him in the stretch. It appeared as if Qae Allen had a sure thing of victory, but the pace was too hot for him, and the next heat he became distressed in the Stretch and was beaten by andek. Rensselaer Wilkes reducing hisrecor i to 2:11$. Que Allen’s driver caused delay the next heat, which was of benefit to the horse, by alleging that the animal was sick, but he won the beat with great ease for a sick horse. The next heat went to Rensselaer Wilkes, because he was able to trot a mile while Que Alien began to show distress two hundred yards from the wire. In the final heat Rensselaer Wilke3 won with ease.

While Que Allen was beaten th< re are a few who believe that if he had been in good preparation for such a hard race he could not have beaten Rensselaer Wilkes any part of the race. Those in charge of him say he was short of work and his showing indicates as much. His sire was a fair race horse, but not noted for bulldog courage, but the infusion of Blackwood blood that he leceives from his dam ought to make him game. Still there is not a better .bred horse in the land than Rensselaer Wilkes and few finer individuals. His sire, Alcantara, was out of Alma Mater, the best daughter of Mambrino Patchen, while his dam, Nena, was by one of the best sons of Hambletonian. Que Alien is by a sod of Happy Medium, the sire of Nancy Hanks, 2 ;04. A great deal of money, probably $4,000, was wagered on the race. The summary:

Match race: SI,OOO a side. Rensselaer Wilkes, b. h., Alcantara, dam Mena, by Mutwood (Padgett) 2 13 11 Que AUen, b. h., Cham plon Medium, dam Lady Haven, by Ravenswood (Gottj 1 2 1 2 2 Time 2:U*. 3'; 11'/,. 2:16*- 2:15*. 2:10*. Tuesday afternoon quite a demonstration was gotten up here in Wilkes’ honor. Headed by the Citizens Band, Wilkes waj driven through town, by Drivet Padgett, and was followed by the Cimmaroon Club, with umbrellas. A number of large banners bore these inscriptions: “Rensselaer Wilkes, 2:11£.” “Hurrah for Our Stock Farm Boys, The BIG THREE.”

“We Hold the Stallion Record of the State.” “What’s the Matter With Padgett? He’s All Right.” Lastly came Harry Wiltshire, driving a worn out plug, and carrying this banner. “Que Allen and His Driver.”