Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-14
PICK HIGHBALL AS
THE NEXT WINNER
HORSEMEN THINK GEERS HAS
GOOD CHANCE
Figure Long Rest Beneficial to Jones
Trotter, While Sonoma Girl
Is Getting Plenty
of Work

CLEVELAND, Aug 13-By her actions
in the $4,000 Empire State stake at Buff
falo last week 1t Is the opinion of many
horsemen that Sonoma Girl. 206A, the
sensational trotter that j. D. Springer
has brought east this year, will be beaten
the next time she starts in a race with
Highball, 2:06A.
These two trotters raced against each
other on two occasions at Libertyville
and once at Detroit, during which time
Sonoma Girl won two of the three
Highball was lame, the result of
splint and corns, and was unable to
start This week he was still too lame
to race and will not be able to take up
the trail again before Readville is
reached next week. At that time If he
has recovered fully there is strong
feeling prevalent among horsemen that
he will turn the tables on the girl from
the golden west"
sonoma Girl is a wonderful trotter.
but in Highball she has an opponent
that is probably just as fast, and in their
next match there will be some bets down
on Frank G.. Jones $17,500 beauty. The
reason for the opinion is this: In her race
on Tuesday of last week Sonoma Girl
acted nervously while scoring for the
first heat and in rounding the first turn
made the first break since Springer
has owned her. The break cost her so
much ground that it took a good deal
of speed to save the distance, which she
did by four lengths. When seen after the
heat Springer said that he could not ac-
count for the break, as 1t was the first
she had ever made in a race. He thought
the condition of the track might have
had something to do with 1t. The Kenil-
worth course was very soft and tiring
on the horses, which accounts for the
time made
In the third heat the California mare
blew up again, and this time ran into
the inside fence. Charlie de Ryder was
so close that he could not get out of the
way, and had to run into Sonoma Girls
sulky. This threw Springer out, and So
noma Girl started to run with the sull1y
dangling at her heels. She ran more than
half a mile before she was stopped. but
was unhurt This run would spoil great
many horses, but 1t did not seem to
bother her much, as she won the next
heat and appeared as quiet as a kitten.
In the next race, however, she may
be nervous and act worse than at any
time yet, but time is the only thing
that will tell that But there is this
much about it, in race where High
ball is,> Sonoma Girl cannot afford to
make any breaks, or else she will be
about al fast as she can, and any mis-
takes will prove costly. OF course
Highball breaks, too, and he Is just as
liable to blow up as the mare, but
should he trot and she go through any
of her pranks such as she showed at
Detroit and Buffalo 1T looks as If the
gelding would win. Highball is now
resting, while Sonoma Girl is racing,
which is also in his favor.
A1thOnPb the race caravan has moved
on to Buffalo there are quite number
of horses left at the Glenville track.
Among them are some that are to be
raced over the half mile tracks later
in the season. The rest are matinee
performers, or else some of the grand
circuit material that has not come up
to expectation. Local horsemen are
blue this year over the condition of
their horses, but it cannot be helped
and better times must come.
Among the stables that are still here
are those in charge of Havers James,
Gene Murphy, Harry Stinson, George
Saunders, Edward Ferguson, Joe Gaha-
gen, Billy Branigan. j. G. Burns, w. II.
Hathaway, George Marshall, Joe Rhea,
Dan Kanes and DOC" Tanner. which
are matinee horses; w. Mathews, part
of Vance Nuckols part of David Shaw's
and Charles James bunch. Stinson
and James each have some matinee
horses in addition to the candidates
they are training to race. The Gull
Wallis farm stable in charge of Trainer
Leffingwell has gone back to Louis
VILE. In this bunch OF horses were
Gulvallis Directum, 2:09A, Dogra, Ga
zote and some others by Prince of
India.
Vance Nuckols has decided to race
Brenda Yorke, 2:OSA, the champion
pacing filly out last season and Will
start her this week at Poughkeepsie
in the 2:1O pace. Brenda Yorke looks
good and Nuckols hopes she Will re-
peat some of her last years perform