Omaha daily bee., 1892-06-01
AT IOWA'S RACING CENTERS
Prospects for the August and September
Meetings Better Than Ever.
WORLDS CHAMPIONS AT DeS MONIES
allerton ana Deimarch VIII start for n
Ten Thousand Purse--williams' Great
Meeting Mt Jndepcndcnco-To BE
Seen at Knoxville and Mason city.

DEs MONIES, IA, May 30.--TSpecial to TIE
BEE. Within the past few years Iowa has
become one of the foremost horse-raising and
horse-racing states in tho union. Her blue
grass pastures are acknowledged TO be un-
rivaled even by the famous blue grass OF
Kentucky, and for speed iowa horses have
all but ecipsed the world. For many years
the race track was conspicuous feature OF
every county fair in the state, but the purses
were too small to attract any but very or
binary speed aud 1t was not until G. W.
Williams struck a lucky streak in tho pur-
chase OF Axtel and his subsequent establish
ment of Rush Park at Independence, that
Iowa people had any pretensions In the horse
racing world. Now Rush Park is the fore
most track In the state and is acknowledged
TO be one of the fastest in the world. Will
Jams has forged ahead in remarkable man
ner, and with Allerton and quite string OF
other good horses Us cutting quito an err
vable splurge. Hundreds OF horses are now
trained ut Rush Park every year, and some
remarkable records have been made on the
famous kite track This rainy spring has
demonstrated the necessity OF covered
track for training purposes, aud 1t Is said
Williams will supply the wantnext year.
A great program has been arranged for
100000 will be distributed in purses. The
feature of the meeting will be the contest
between Axtell and Ailerton FOR purse
of xl0,WW, and negotiations are pending
for other meetings of Ailerton and Axtell
on other tracks. After the Independence
meeting Allerton will come to Des Moines
and meet Delmarch for $4,000 purse, and
these two will also meet at st. Joseph, Mo.
In his training at Rush Park THIS spring,
despite the soft weather. Allerton has
ffoxt nh he in n emit
without apparent effcrt Besides Allerton
Rush Park has about twenty other horses in
training, among them being Canary Bird,
3-year-old, record 2:l01S. She Is very fast
this spring ana is expected to be a good one
In the 4-year-old class this year. If all goes
well she will be started with Allerton later
in the season to beat the double-team record.
A 2-year-old PAGER by Director bids fair to
pe another Direct, as she has already shown
a 20 clip A 2-year-oid trotter by Axtell
and ono by Red Wilkes also promise to be
fast.
The yearlings by Alerton are Mr..
Williams especial pride, and he has about a
dozen of them in training. They are very
promising, several OF them having gone
eighths in from twenty to twenty five
seconds. Their actions would Indicate that
Allerton will prove to be great sire
In addition to MIR. Williams horses there
are several other strings OF trotters at the
track. Charles Thompson of Keno +. fame,
has very strong string of green horses,
several OF which can snow u , 20 gait or bet
ter. They are literally engaged in valuable
stakes at all the big meetings. John Hussey,
formerly Z. w. Williams righL-hand man,
has q string OF fast youngsters, about fifteen
in all. j. w. Mercer who drove Incas to @
mark of 2:l4l5 last season, has, besides this
horse, several Others in training. j. F..
Martindale well known to the theatrical
world as Frank Howard, author Of ''Only a
Pansy Blossom" etc, is engaged in the
breeding business here, and has number in
training. OLe of then-a pacer-.g goes under
the name OF Female Pirate, but she can pace
close 10 o two-minute CLIP. j.
Great preparations are beng made for the
two weeKs meeting in August. A new
$4,000 Rrand stand with u seating capacity
of IL, 00O will be erected at the driving park
an electric street railway is now being built
TO the grounds, and $1,000 hotel is in pro-
cess Of construction. Mr.. Williams Is back
of all these enterprises The present season
promises To be more successful than any of
the past in the history of Rush Park.
Next to Rush Park In point OF age and i'm
portanoe, probably, is the Iowa Driving Park
associations place at Knoxville, where a fine
mile-track Of the oval shape is located and
where some good racing was had last year.
The entries for this year are all closed and
among them appear some OF the best known
horses from all over the country. The purses
are Ii oeral and a successful meeting Is looked
forward to in August, the weather permit
. ting.
The next track in point OF Importance and
agein Iowa Is the mile kite-shape at Mason
City, where some good speed was shown at
the nesting last year. Your correspon dent
has not seen any announcement for meet
ing this year, out there will probably be q
good one.
The horssmen of this city have been
slow about getting around, but have at las,
got to WORK and organized tho Des Moines
Driving Park association. A strong effor,
was made last year to have the state agricul
society construct mile-track on the state
fair grounds. but 1t failed. The Des Moines
society has now provided for tho long fol,
wnnt By the construction ofa mile track oi
the kite shape within the city limits and moi
over milo from the business center. A pro
grammo for summer meeting, August tc
20, has been arranged, at which S6O,00C
will be distributed among couple
hundred entries. The chief feature
will be the contest between Allerton ant
Delnarch noted above The track is on low
land and has been submerged during the late
high water, so that training has not yet com
menced, but will soon. The chief mover ir
the organization here is f.. M. Huobell, who
has ample capital and will not le. the associ
alton become hampered in its incipiency fol
want OF funds. Among the horses expected
here Is tho great California yearling Frou
Frou 2:251 who will go against the world.
record us u 2-year-old. j. ID. McKercher q
Denver will bo hero with Il string of TWEEN ty
horses. and Z. A. Thompson OF independence,
has engaged barnroom Tor his large string
Then there will be- pacing raca for So, 00t
between Roy Wilkes, Guy and Manager
Roy Wilkes has mark OF 2:0S]4, Guy a;09L
and Manager holds the worlds record fol
3 aud 3-yearold PAGERS. II. l.. ana r. ID
Stout Of Highland stock farm, Dubuque, la.
phe home Of Nutwood) have several YER.
fast ones ontereo.
Tho speed ring program for the state fair
the first week IN September, provides TO
$1,000 In purses All the races will be mil
heats over tho half-mile track. 1t is no
likoly the association will put In mile traol
soon, now that the want has been supplied a
this point.
The now Davenport association Is tn
latest to coine to tho front with u big priz
for stellar attraction for the first meetinl
on their new track, which will be held III,
first woek In September, and Williams ha
signihed bis acceptance for Ailcrton on tn
conditions specified for the other events.