Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-30

Roseben. the famous Splinter SO well re-
membered In Washington. gave promise
during the Aqueduct meeting this spring Of
great things. and for time he was &C
claimed by the race-going thousands who
even now in the days of Roseben's isnony.
do not blame the horse for his long list of
unexpected defeats They place the entire
responsibility upon the big geldiugs owner
and trainer. in attempting to make this
world beating Splinter race over a mile and
a quarter OF ground In the big handicaps.
After finding that Roseben could not carry
his wonderful speed over the distance, the
owner and trainer put him back into sprint
races only to find that the long journeys
had completely dulled his speed even over
the short six furiongs Of the Gravesend
course. Thus from being the foremost
Splinter of his time. Roseben. through the
bad judgment of Davy johnson and Frank
Weir. has become neither fish nor fowl
Johnson and Weir have become convinced
that they were wrong in expecting him to
win at a mile and a quarter only to find
that they have now taken away his sprint
Ing foot. Davy Johnson has paid well for
his experiment. and from the days of pros
perity which smiled upon him at the be-
ginning of the year, he has fallen Into
losing rut. which, it is said. has put him
completely down and out. Even Roseben
had to be sold. and now Johnson's name is
seldom spoken about the race tracks
Rams Horn. in a way. Is responsible for
hOSeDel 8 DOWNFALL Inc TWO horses met
at Aqueduct in the Sterling stakes, at a
mile. This the longest distance Rose
ben had ever travelled in race. and il was
a test to see whether he should be sent
along after the big handicap purses 1t so
happened that Rams Horn was quite III
on that day and Roseben galloped home
the easiest sort of winner. This victory
over sick horse fairly turned Johnson's
head. and he Immediately plunged IN Rose-
ben to win the Brooklyn handicap, placing
his thousands in one of the future books
which was still open for business. The
public agreed with Johnson that Roseben
had developed into a handicap horse.
The big sprinters next engagement was in
the Excelsior handicap at Jamaica, the
distance being one mile and a sixteenth
An ordinary field of horses was opposed 70
him. There were sixteen in all at the start
ing barrier and despite this big field Rose
ben installed a to 5 fayorite Pikers
and piungers alike few at the bookmakers
IN perfect frenzy of recklessness and fair
Iy buried the gentry of the high under
blanket OF greenbacks- With nearly 300
bookmakers in line and sixteen horses In
race IL requires an appalling amount OF
money to force cut in such shortpr:ee
as 3 TO .. But Rosebens price actually
dropped to to ) at the close. When the
barrier was sprung the Held gos away all
together with several of the ugmweshts
showing in front After the first furlong
had been run Roseben was In front and
great shout went I'D from the JuD.isnt
thousands who had gladly given the botk-
makers big odds on the geldings chances.
Down the back stretch the field Numbered
away. and ii was right here, before the race
was half over, that the expert horsemen
who Were watching Roseben and who had
bet on him to a mar knew that their money
had been thrown away. Roseben did not
possess the electric speed which had en-
atled him IN previous races to shake on his
field In the Excelsior he could never get
more than a length away and turning into
the short stretch Merry Lark ran right ur
to him. Then another shout went up from
the great crowd. This time II was q cry o.
dismay. Roseben was beaten. One by onz
the horses passed him anu enen silence fea
Continued on Tsnth Paxe1