The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-06
MILE RECORD GOSSIP
CRACKS PREPARING FOR ANNUAL
ATTEMPTS AGAINST TIME.
Kfser, Who Has Done Mile I'm 80,
Feared by the Champions
Grand Circuit Racing.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, Sept. 5.-What
viii the mile record be at the close of the
coming season of record-breaking? This
theme is puzzling many brain. The mark
is now 1:Ss 1-5. made by William w. Ham,
ilton at Coronado Beach, March l of the
present year. The racing season is now
drawing to the point where thoughts of
record breaking are attracting general in
terest. 1t has become the feature annu-
ally, this record breaking, and each year
has seen the mark placed lower and low
err Last year, at Louisville, Gardiner sue
ceeded in doing AZ rs; at New Orleans
Berle did 1:40 1-5, and at Coronado Hamil-
ton did 1:39 Is. Kiser did not succeed in
his effort owing to misfortune but he once
rode a mile, unofficial, in 1:32. Wells at
Coronado made the mile in 1:41 1-5 just be-
fore the closing forever of the class B
rule. Fast time the pace-making ma
chimes is what is desired, and with the
proper pace there is hardly a limit to the
possibilities. as shown in the recent
This deals with the paced miles. The un-
paced mile is also very important, but
a rule the man capable of unpaced work
Is the man who cannot follow pace at the
speed required. Hamilton is the first man
TO appear on the scene who was capable
of both paced and unpaced record time.
Hamiltons record of 200 % was tied by
Sanger, but the Denver man gained the
paced record. He VIII try for the marks
this fall and should he prove as good as
last season. competitors for the honor will
have to move fast.
The present record of 1:39 is was made
on a mile horse track of the very finest
character and the riders who are most
interested hatt bar no
may not be made third or quarter
mile cement track There are so many
or the advantages of the Coronado dis
tr1ct for record breaking, and it is to these
features that the team last year owes
much of its great success. Over thirty-fve
records were wiped from the slate last
winter on this track, and some of these
may never be broken on any other surface
than this. Among these is the mark set
by Hamilton of :5S As for the two-thirds
This is at the rate of LIS to the mile, and
the man was not paced fast enough as it
was Kiser made the half-mile record of
AZ 4-5 on this surface, and Randall rode
paced quarter in % 3-5. Tandem teams
did 20 for an unpaced quarter-mile on all
occasions. All of these times are fast and
may never be approached on the smaller
tracks
The Englishmen have the mile standing
start figures at 1:47 or thereaDouts and
this is much faster than the time of this
country, which stands at 1:49 As, by Nc
Crea at Coronado last fall This mark is
not allowed in this country now the stand
ing start records having been barred
Englishmen have ridden the mile close to
1:41.
NEW FACES ON THE CIRCUIT
New faces are appearing every day on
fhn
a majority of instances by men who have
not followed the regular circuit through
the land. The most prominent of the East
ern riders, Tommy Butler the Boston
schoolboy. who joined the circuit at Louis
Vile and who has been doing grand things
ever since in competition with the very best
men. Butler is pigmy beside the great
men of the path who have heretofore held
the attention of the people. Tommy is the
surprise of the year in racing circles. Then
there is Williamson, the Niagara Falls ice
man. who came from the amateur ranks
and met the good men, defeating them one
by one in one race or another He de-
feated Bald in a heat at Erie; he took a
handicap race in nice style at the same
meet; he went off the circuit to Medina
and took a handicap and ran second to
Ray Macdonald in the mile, and a Ro-
donald was competitor along with Tommy
Butler. Williamson is, however not a rider
who will be popular On the national cir
cult. He has a strange habit of swerving
to one side or the other as he comes down
the stretch, and he generally swerves to
that side from which his greatest OPPOSE
ton is coming, thus endangering the
chances of some men.
Positions have changed very little during
the past week in the percentage table. but
have been made. In percentage the men
have closed to the point where a single
day of races with all the leaders up may
make changes all along the line Such
two days of racing as that of Springfield
may change positions of every man
In points and prize winnings Gardiner
has once more gained the top with lead
of four points, and he is determined to stav
there If that is possible. Cooper's lay-off
to prepare for the Springfield meet cost him
the lead in this table Zieser has passed
up past Bald. Tom Butler, with one day
of racing at Saratoga and another at Meri-
den, steps up nine places in the points
table and is now fifth, with the good record
of thirty points for less than a month
Those ahead of Butler in the table have
been on the circuit, some three months and
others two months longer than the Boston
lad. owen Kimble, of Indianapolis has
in six weeks, gained eighth position among
the very leaders of the year and in the past
week has demonstrated his ability to do
res9iar circuit work and TO campaign in
good style. The tables are as follows:
Points and Prize Winnings
Name. Starts. 1st. ID 3d. Points. Val.
Gardner, "A. .0o 8 125