Omaha daily bee., 1898-10-02
WITH HORSES AND HORSEMEN
Wonders of the Season Performed by
the Harness Racers at Louis
Vile During the Week.


The feats that were performed on the
grand circuit this season have been thrown
in the shade by the great work done by the
speeders at Louisville during the last week.
The average time was very good and not
few records were broken. The fast per-
formances commenced with the very first
day. On Monday Bingen Urotted the fastest
heat Of the year by going the mile in
2:062; John A. McKerron trotted the fastest
mile for 3-year-olds by going in 2:12A. On
Wednesday the phenomenal Klatawah
again broke the worlds pacing record for
3-year-olds by lowering the mark to 2:051s,
a remarkable bit Of work. On Thursday
Directly paced the fastest heat Of the year
in which members Of the prospective two
minute class were not entered; Mary Gel
este trotted the fastest heat for 2-year- -olds
Of the year in 217h. These feats were
possible by a large number of competitors
in all the events, attracted by
the big purse money. The final great
light harness meet Of the year occurs at
Lexington and some other phenomenal per-
formances will probably be seen there.
In all this work, however, there is nothing
that gives promise that the worlds trotting
record will be broken this season. While
there are a number OF young trotters who
have shown good speed, they have all failed
to come within less than three seconds of the
mark. Ever since Star Pointer passed the
two minute mark horsemen have been look
ing for a speeder who will do the same,
but the development OF the horse of this
gait has apparently not reached the proper
point as yet. However, Bingen has made
mark which has been surpassed by only
five trotters-Alix, 2:03&; Nancy Hanks
2:04; Azote, 2:04%; Directum. 2:O5A, and
Fantasy, 2:06 Only two others, Beuzetta
and Ralph Wilkes, have equaled his time.
With the work Of the last week several
additions have been made to the 2:10 list.
There are now nineteen trotters in the class
| and forty-sx PAGERS.
1t Is the consensus of opinion among cir
cult followers that Star Pointer is in bet
ter form this year than last, and that he
will beat his mark whenever the conditions
are favorable. He is more than fifty pounds
heavier than he was in 1897, his coat Is
more lustrous and glossy and he goes with
out touching the knee that he struck last
fall. After his engagement at Des Moines
on October 5, he will be taken to some fast
track in the southwest to camp out for the
rest of the season, Owner Murphy having
three or four tasks for him to perform in
| addition to beating his present record Of
1894. He will be sent to beat the high
wheel sulky record of 2:06, now held by
Direct. and the wagon record of
| 2:O4A, held by Joe Patchen. 1t
is not unlikely that he will also
start to beat the two-mile record Of
4:19A made by Chehalls last year. Not a
I few horsemen believe that he can cover the
distance in 4:10 or better.
Searchlight, 2:O4k has quite history
| for a youngster. When he was yearling a
| Colorado miner named Kicker showed up
| at Lexington, and for ten days beat the
! bookmakers every bet he made. The bookies
| laid all kinds of prices on impossible things,
| only to so down to the lucky miner Elated
| with his luck, he purchased the colt Search
! light from w. II. Richfield, "the honest
| farmer" Of Lexington, paying $4,000 for
| him. Later the plunger's luck turned and
| he jumped to South Africa, where it is said
! he has made another fortune. When he left
| the colt was seized as one OF the assets OF
| the estate, and went under the hammer at
| $3.50 With this sale he drifted still farther
west and Tom Heating, after driving him
| a little as 3-year-old, induced Lewis Crel-
! lis of San Francisco to purchase him and
| race him last season.
The little American jockey. Tod Sloan, Is
! opening the eyes OF our English cousins
across the water more than he did last year.
His record of sixteen winnings out OF twen-
| ty-seyen mounts is a phenomenal perform
ance, particularly as many Of the wins were
on long shots. The ease with which he Is
outdoing the beefeating jockeys seems to
teach that the riders of the thoroughbreds
over there are by no means OF the same
/ IA a. h..