Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-08
HORSEMEN' LOOK
TO ROSEBEN
GREAT HORSE EXPECTED TO
SUCCEED SYSoNBY
Recent Record Made over seVen-Fur-
long Course Thought to Be Pro-
pitious for Trial Against
the Mile Mark

sixteen years dkO Oiit VI AhV iite'
important events i'm Americas racing
history occurred. when Salvador, rae
ing against time, broke all records ever
known and set up mark of 1:S5 l.
on the straight course for one mile
which mark still stands.
Now that Sysonby is dead, Roseben
seems to be his successor as a classy
thoroughbred. and when the big son of
Ben Strome- -Roseleaf shocked the coun-
try by breaking the seven-furlong mark
by AS seconds, when he travelled the
distance in 1922 at Belmont, horsemen
began TO look upon his as the world s
greatest sprinter.
The stewards therefore asked Davey
Johnson If he would send Roseben
against the worlds mark, and the
plunging owner consented.
Should Roseben run II will be the
first time that Salvator's remarkable
time has ever been shot at. There have
been few horses since his day which
had a chance to set up a new mark.
Sysonby was one of these, as he was
probably the most sensational thor
oughbred. that ever looked through a
bride, but James r. Keene never even
gave a thought to the question Of go
ing against time. as he was content
with having Sysonby win the stakes
which meant fortunes.
Horsemen believe that Roseben is
fully capable of hanging up new
record. They point to the fact that
Salvador covered his first quarter in
:23 IA, the half in AZ 1-2 and the three
quarters in Ill 1-2.
In his race several days ago Roseben
made these marks look slow. He COW
cred in the first quarter in :23 AS, the
half in :46 As and the three-quarters
in 1:1O 2-5, so that it would have been
comparatively easy for him to have
covered the final quarter in :25 1-5 sec
onds and have equaled Salvator's rec
ord.
There is no spot in any sort of mile
when Roseben cannot beat IA for any
quarter His first quarter was in :23 AS
and his second in :23 fiat. He went to
the three-quarters in :23 80, so that
it would have been comparatively easy
for him to beat the 1:35 for the mile
had he been sent on.
Roseben's recent performance of set
ting a new worlds record for seven fur
longs is taken as a criterion upon
which to calculate his chances of
the mile record If he attempts
it. The race was noteworthy in many
ways. one of which was the large
amount of money wagered.
Owner johnson does not feel happy
unless he has some kind of a wager on
mis- horses when they start. He could
get no bets down on the result of the
race, but he heard "Cad" Doggett, the
clubhouse bookmaker offer even money
that Roseben would not best 1925. This
was Johnson's chance and he bet him
$4,000. Then he gave Doggett another
wager of $4,000 and Frank Farrell fol-
lowed with $25,000, all of which was
eagerly taken by the bookmaker.
Other owners and plungers took the
tip from Johnson and strung with him,
while even the small bettors offered
their fifties and hundreds until the book
was flooded and is said to have taken
in more than 100000. Owner Johnson
then left the clubhouse and hurried to
the paddock. He rushed into the stall
lust as Shaw took his seat in the
saddle.
"I want you to ride Roseben out from
start to finish, Shaw" said Johnson.
when you hit the stretch set him
down for all he has in him, but don't
whip him. 1 have bet that he beats
1:25. He can do it, and you see that
you land the money. He never was
so good as he is today, and want him
to hang up a mark that will be shot at
for years. Remember, don't whip him."
Shaw nodded his head as a signal
word, particularly the order not to use
the whip. The boy, who has an excep-
good set of brains, at once
realized that this race, although there
were only two starters, was not de-
pending on the winner, but the time.
To accomplish such feat as break
ing. a record it must be necessary to
take the shortest way around the track
When the word was given, Roseben
who had the outside position, immed-
lately shot to the front and took the
rail. He hugged that pole at every
turn, with Shaw bent low over the big
sprinter's neck. The furlong was run
in :12 fat. and the big horse reached
the quarter in :23 70. He was going
some when he passed the half in :46 As.
The three-quarter mark was reached
in 1:10 2-5, and the timers were prepar-
ing to throw away their watches. Grad
ually Roseben had increased his lead
over his only competitor from five to
twenty lengths. Shaw was paying no
attention now to Beauclere but was
riding Roseben for all he had in him.
The whip was held tightly in his
right hand, with Roseben watching 1t
at every stride. Harder and harder the
old fellow tried. The winning line was
crossed and before the timers had an
opportunity to post the time the trowd
knew that another worlds record had
been broken.