Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-04-20
NOT MANY COLORADO HORSES
ENTERED IN EASTERN EVENTS

-'N @'1S ItN CSo Z MN EVEN
Denver Republican: The number
of eastern horses that will visit the
eastern harness racing meetings prom
ises to be less this year than is usual.
Few names of Colorado breeders or
owners appear in the lists of entries
made in the early closing events on
the tracks of the east. Prominent
among these is that of Wood & Nor
gan of Durango, owners of the SEN
sational PAGER Polar Wilkes. The lat
ter received his first real good cam
paigning at Denver last summer, when
he was driven by James Curl The
owners had understood that the horse
was very fast performer, but were
not prepared to have him dispose of
his friends with the ease shown
Some trainers think they have
shown poor judgment in campaigning
him, as If they had worked him care
fully last summer and kept him from
starting or getting mark, he could
easily have started in the $50 class
races this year and taken some good
i purses. AS It is he must go down the
| line in the 2:12 class, where he will
find steppers who will go somewhere
in the neighborhood of 2:OS and per-
haps less. These prophets may not
be using the best judgment, as Wilkes
showed not only speed last year, but
staying qualities. If he has improved
at all during the winter and spring
he should be able to hold his own with
the faster ones
| George Estabrook il the only other
owner of prominence whose entries
have been observed in the lists. He
| Will again take Halle Harden to some
of the leading meetings. with Halle
will go several of the stable of fine
ones he has been gathering during the
past year.
writer in the Boston Herald states
that the entries at all the leading
tracks In the east show a remarkable
falling OFF In the number of entries
made in the early closing events,
At Readville, the falling Off was first
noticed, Other early closing lists
have shown the same decrease, ex-
planned partly by the fact that fewer
owners have entered their animals on
speculation. During the past few
years owners of fairly good horses
have entered them for stake events
paying the first fees and then not
following them up. Horses that at
first promised to do very well, had fall
ed to come up to the mark set. When
owners grow cautious there is falling
off of speculation entries. Very like
ly there will be the usual fields to
start, as long entry lists do not guar
antee large fields.
If any man was asked to state or
hand how many standard trotters and
PAGERS had been developed in the last
year he would probably guess, in care
less manner, as though he was afraid
that he was going over the proper fig
ures. that he supposed 300 trotters
and 500 PAGERS would about cover all.
and for the past ten years he would
blush at his temerity If he should say
that 5000 horses had entered the lists.
And yet lately compiled tables show
that 9,4iG trotters alone have been de-
veloped on the race tracks during the
past ten years, and have taken records
that have placed them in the standard
performer classes. The PAGERS, which
|
the trotters developed in the same
time have been 7.S42.
The last list will surprise the cas-
ual and careless observer far more
than the first figures. for the reason
given, that it has been generally sup
posed that the PAGERS have been able
to cut under trotting records and that
they have been able generally to make
much better time. General Tracey, a
well known breeder. predicted some
years ago that the trotter would be
bred out in favor Of the PAGER, but
; the figures do not entirely sustain
him. Many breeders wish to under
take the more difficult feat. which has
been proven to be to raise the fast
trotter. There has been relative in
crease Of pacing horses In the last ten
years as they were then about 2 In ] !
= and now they are about l In of the
standard performers