Evening star., 1905-11-06
ROSEBEN BEST
OF ALL SPRINTERS

NEW YORK, November 8.-Roseben. a
big bay gelding, four years old, by Ben
StromeR Rose Leaf, is the greatest sprinter
the American turf has ever had This sea-
son he not only carried the greatest weight
horse ever carried and won, but he ac-
complshed task no other horse in the
world has ever even approached-he picked
up 141 pounds and ran six furlongs around
two turns in LII 3-5, worlds record.
In many respects Roseben showed that
he is the greatest thoroughbred SO far as
speed is concerned that ever looked
through bride. He not only made fast
time. carried big weight and beat good
sprinters. but he raced continuously for
nearly a year.
In every race he had great speed, and
whenever he was beaten he was second or
third. with two exceptions In these two
races good excuses were offered by his
trainer.
Late last fall, when owned by John A.
Drake, Roseben won his maiden race. Soon
after that he was sold at public auction
and bought for $4,000 by Davy Johnson. a
former bookmaker From the time he
passed into JohnsOn's hands until the end
of the Belmont Park meeting this season
he was kept in training and visited nearly
every race track from New Orleans TO New
York
When Johnson bought Roseben no one
suspected that he was a sprinter of a
high order. He was considered merely a
fast horse of fourth-rate quality.
He began the successful career this year
by winning race at Hot Springs. He was
then in charge of Charles OK, who raced
him at Benning and the various tracks
here until the spring meeting at Belmont
Park, where he passed into the hands of
Frank Weir, well-known trainer from
Gloucester, who handles Frank Farrell's
horses.
1t was during the Benning meeting that
Roseben began to show great speed and
ability to cary weight. He was beaten a
short head by Santa Catalina, after a
humping race all through the stretch. A
few days later he met Santa Catalina and
beat her. He then came north.
No horse this season has carried con-
tinuously such high weights as Roseben
Since the day Weir took him In charge he
has never run with less than 130 pounds
on his back.
1t was at Belmont Park this fall that he
In the Manhattan handicap he carried 147
pounds and ran the six furlongs in ] II 3-5
breaking the record OF LII 40 made by
Ivan the Terrible and Dick Welles.
Roseben was in such great form this
fall that many turfmen thought him as
good, if not better, at sprinting and carry
ing big weights than the mighty Sysonby
Weir was so confident he could beat Syson-
by in a six-furlong race with I35 pounds
or more up that he was ready to arrange
a match against Sysonby.
OK and Weir are of the opinion that
Roseben Is the greatest sprinter in the
country. Both men have handled fast
race horses and have been on the turf for
years, and their opinions are respected by
all turfmen.
In many respects Roseben is an ideal
race horse. He Is big and strong. and when
at full speed has a beautiful action. It is
this splendid way of moving that has
enabled him to win many of his races, for
there is no wasted energy in his stride.
Rosebens record for the season is eigh-
teen victories, five seconds, three thirds
and twice unplaced. His unplaced defeats
were at Belmont Park, where he was
forced into heavy going and nearly
knocked down. and at Saratoga, where he
tried to beat fast lot of horses in mile
race He has won s23.360 for his owner
which is a large amount for a sprinter that
was engaged in only two important handi-
caps. Most of his victories were overnight
races.
Roseben was a gold mine for Johnson
The latter had such confidence In his
horses speed that he backed him heavily
in every race and during the year won
800