Charleston & Belvidere, Illinois 1945

[wilderness]

Both from Aug 8, 1945 Harness Horse.

Charleston, Illinois

By TOMMY HARRIS

The 1945 Coles County Fair brought together some of the Midwest's best horses, as well as one of the largest crowds in the Fair's history.

A heavy rain on Wednesday night postponed Thursday's program until late afternoon, but the track wasn't as bad as it was expected to be at post time. The time wasn't as fast as it would have been had it not rained, but spots in the miles were exceedingly fast.

On opening day the good trotting mare Joan Spencer, owned by R. C. Alexander of this city, won the 2:14  trot being a splendid in straight heats, her second trip in 2:071/2 mile. Dan Wagner, from the Art Shaw stable, took the 2:26 pace in straight heats, and the 2:26 trot went to Betty R. H. after Eva Scott had won the first heat.

On Wednesday the crack colt Baranka met his first defeat at the hands of Bluejacket, owned by Don Wade of Greenup, Ill., and cleverly driven by Edgar Leonard. The black son of Dominion Grattan-June Robinson by Berry the Great stepped the first mile In 2:12 and seemed very comfortable with Baranka second and Mighty Grapes third, and won the next in 2:121/4.

Moses was a straight heat winner in the three-year-old trot, and Robert A. Woollen took all three heats of the 2:14 pace.
The third day saw Flask Siskiyou take both heats of the two-year-old trot, with Gazelle and High Bridge each placed a heat. Queen Anna-belle won the three-year-old pace in straight heats, and New Deal took the 2:12 pace after losing the first heat to Easter Dale.

On getaway day the two fast pacers, Cisco 2:023/4 and Purdue Hal 2:011/4, put on three fast miles with the first named taking all three of them. Earl's Moody Guy took the first two trips of the free-for-all trot, but lost the final and fastest heat to Austin Hanover in 2:071/4. Prudity won all three heats of the 2:20 trot with Scotch Goddess second on each occasion. She trotted the second heat in 2:081/4.
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Belvidere, Illinois

The Belvidere mid-summer race meeting was again successful in 1945 as Illinois and Wisconsin's top performers made fine showings and went a few very fast miles. The track records for both troffers and pacers were broken on Sunday before a very large crowd who cheered both long and loud when Starter Pat Bacon announced that the grand old mare, Mary M. by Jericho, had broken the former track record of 2:071/4 by trotting her second heat In 2:053/4, last half in 1:011/4. The pacing record was shattered by the Ward stable's good four-year-old Cisco 3, 2:023/4, when he reeled off the second heat of the free-for-all pace in 2:043/4.

On opening day in the 2:20 pace Selka Adam, a nice little chestnut filly by Calumet Adam, annexed all three heats in handy fashion by defeating four other speedy side wheelers. She paced the opening round in 2:08. Highland Queen was second each trip. Senator Athlone walked off with the 2:25 trot by winning the first two heats but Jake Rodman and Mona Patch came through in the final by nipping Senator Athlone at the wire. John Lee paced the first heat of the two-year-old event in 2:141/2, the fastest time for age this season in Illinois. John Hennick piloted the son of John Dillard 3, 2:02.

On Saturday the 2:25 pace drew a field of fourteen so it was divided into two divisions. Highlawn Corbett, driven by Lloyd Perrin, took the first division and Hunter Grafton, by Dominion Grafton, carried off the second. Brave, by Bravo, won both heats of two-year-old trot.

One of the finest fields of free-for-all pacers seen so far this year staged a bitterly fought contest-, Cisco won the first heat in 2:05 coming on to beat The Legionairre in the last few yards. In the next heat Symbol Cash was away on fop but again the gelding came on to win in 2:043/4 the fastest mile of the meeting and the track record. He had no trouble in taking the third heat.

Mary M. was a straight heat winner in the free-for-all trot but the fleet Reveler was lapped on her every heat. Buzz Hanover was third and Guy Barnes fourth. Jim Cash took the 2:15 pace in straight heats, reeling off the first trip in 2:071/2 with Derby Day Direct second and Lucy Mite third. Guy Jewell won the 2:15 trot after losing the first heat to Dudley Spencer.