The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-08-26
HANDICAP RACE
MARKS NEW ERA
IN HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN
TURF AND BIDS FAIR TO
BE POPULAR. ~
ALLEN WINTER IS THE WINNER
Race at Readville, Mass, In Which a3
Trotters Were Contestants Was
Marked by Extremely Novel
Conditions.

Readville, Mass, Aug. 26.-The well
earned victory won by NJ. II. Rear.
don's Indianapolis stallion, Allen Win
ter, at the Readville track Tuesday,
thereby capturing the largest share OF
the $4,000 American trotting handl.
cap from the field Of SO starters, is
believed by many Of the 10000 follow
ers OF harness racing who saw the con.
test, to establish a new era in the his
tory OF the sport and insure its re-
juvenation in this country. The race
was novel In its conditions, which
placed the horses at marks from one
quarter TO three.eighths of a mile be-
hind the usual starting point on a
handicap based on their previous per-
formances
IL was the first race in which Allen
Winter had trotted this year, and Lon
Mcdonald, his driver sized up the
field in the two preliminary heats In
the first he watched 16 horses, placed
at marks from 1920 to 1920 feet be
hind the usual starting line, sweep
once and q quarter around the track
TO a grand finish with Bervaldo in the
lead. In the second heat with his own
horse 1870 feet from the wire, and
$3.50 feet to travel he pushed Allen
Winter carefully but surely past three
other horses, and kept ahead of the
others, finishing third.
The first heat had been run off at
a 20S gait for the mile, but the sec
ond was a few seconds slower. Then
came the battle for final honors and
the money, with lG well known trot.
ters in the field the fastest being
Sweet Marie, 2:05.
Through a system OF electric but
tons which ran from each starting
Judge TO a big bell, It was possible
for each Judge to signal when his own
horses were on the marks and facing
the right direction. When all the
Judges were unanimous, the bell rang
automatically and the field was away.
AS they turned into the stretch and
raced under the wire for the first time,
II looked like long procession, and
there was very little change In posi-
tions.
At the quarter pole, Kim drew out
o trife while the entire field seemed
well strung out At the three-eighths,
the horses began to bunch up and
there seemed to be four divisions,
with Kim out ahead and Sweet Marie
coming up fast on the outside of the
last bunch.
The slow horses up ahead were tir
ing fast, and the fast horses behind
were coming up strong. The field
came around the turn into the stretch
like a Roman chariot race, with three
teams abreast and ~ horses lined NJ
for a grand dash of an eighth Of {
mile to the wire. At that point 4
seemed anybody's race, but 200 yard'
from the finish Mcdonald shot Allei
Winter out OF the bunch and, urginI
the big stallion along at the top of hi
speed, drew away rapidly and won b,
five lengths. The next ten horse
came under the wire in bunch, ant
the judges were nearly ten minutes Il
arriving at a conclusion.
There had been no question, how
ever, as to Allen Winter, and as Nc
Donald came back he was lifted fror
the sulky and carried up the tracI
on the shoulders OF his shouting ac
mirers.
Prince @. captured second money
San Francisco, third money. Geeri
who drove Teasel, and Andrews, b'
hind Sweet Marie, were beaten abou
so feet by the place winners.
The conditions Of the race provide
for a handicap dash race, open to a
trotters with marks OF 2:15 or bette
the slowest horse being placed on
quarter OF a mile behind the wire an
the others handicapped to the rear a,
cording to their past performance
The purse OF $4,000 was split NJ
$4,000 going to the winner; $1,000
10 the second horse, $4,000 to IN
third, $4,000 to the fourth, 1900
the fifth and $1,000 to the sixth. Th
two scratch horses, or those set ia
thest back in the field in the tw
heats, were sonoma Girl and swe'
Marie.