Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 January 1903 — Our Own “Jack Orr.” [ARTICLE]

Our Own “Jack Orr.”

of Indiana and Rensselaer, we can be proud of having a horse duly entered for the greatest race and event Chicago ever sees, this is the handsome obesnut three year colt, “Jack Orr,” owned by Frank O’Meara. Jack Orr is a perfect specimen of the thoroughbred race horse, graceful and powerful in every line and Rensselaer may land the rich prize June 20th. This is a running race of a mile and a half called the “American Derby,” for three year old colts only and the value to the winner is $25,000. The second and third horses are provided for and to win second or third in this race will make the owners a snug little fortune. There is only one race in the United States or England equal to the American Derby, that is the Brooklyn Handicap, and it is run yearly at Brooklyn, N. Y. The American Derby is always run in the month of June, over the beautiful race course at Washington Park, Chicago, and it is attended by nearly all classes of people in every walk of life not only by Chicago’s most elite society people but by ministers of the gospel and down even to the ragged news boys, all are anxious to behold the greatest event of the year, all mingled together. No one holds their heed above the other only perchance to get a better view of the horses.

Chicago’s most beautiful society women remember this most charming and facinating event from year to year, and leave nothing undone in the way of beautiful costumes and costly equipages to make this a most enjoyable and social day; as 2:30 o’clock approaches the great Club Houee and Grand Stand are filled to overflowing with the thousands of gaily attired spectators, pushing and crowding to get a glimpse of the beautiful thoroughbred cults and their jockeys who are to take part in the struggle for supremacy. At 3:30 p. m, the bugle sounds calling the best lot of colts of the year to the post. All is excitement as the trim thoroughbreds, graceful in movements with their Jockey’s astridd arrayed in silk caps and jackets, white knee pants and boots, parade past the Club House and Grand Stand, preperatory to their final effort tc land the rich prize. Away, yonder, now on the far side of the beautiful course are a bunch of thoroughbreds with their jockeys trying to gain some advantage in the start, a flutter of silk jackets, a small cloud of dust, tells the thousands of anxious spectators in grand stand Club Houee and Paddock that ‘‘the’re off” and the Great American Derby is being run.