The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-05-16

| HE world OF harness racing is
watching with great interest
at present. the attempt OF the Read
vile association al Boston 10 inject
-----------~into its repertoire
| HANDICAP brand new sort
PING THE OF horse race and
RACE HORSE. for a stake OF so
H--------I--- much larger dimen-
sions than the other trotting and pac.
ing classics, as TO cause a real sen.
sation' In addition. the Readyille
people have drawn up in their con-
ditions for the event a possible solu.
ton for the present problem OF sat.
isfactorily handicapping the race
horse on the harness tracks.
The race is for $50 600. OF which $50
600 is for the winner and the first pay
ment calling for but 500 is due today.
II will take tremendous number Of
entries TO make the affair success
from the financial standL Int. but the
management naturally expects 10 Sc
cure very considerable addition TO
its admittance fees at the gate
through the presence OF the event on
its program. Just once before. II
memory serves correctly. have trot.
tiers ever been able 10 race for a purse
of that size and the public always
likes TO see competition for the big
money.
IL is probable that the event will
have to be run off in two or three
heats with final for the winners.
in which case the association will
also be able TO spread its attraction
~ a..
However, u is not with the size or
the purse or the financial risk OF the
Readville association that the harness
racing world in general finds its chief
interest in the event. These features
are but secondary 10 the attempt that
Is being made TO race trotters on a
brand new basis OF handicapping.
The Readville dash will be from a
standingstart--a system in vogue on
| the running tracks and used In Eu-
rope for harness racing for many
years. It will be for a mile and a
quarter and thefidea OF mixing the
distances Is a deviation from the or
:thodox rule which proscribes mile
as the unvarying route for all harness
races. AND 1T WILL BE A HANDI
CAP. Here. in fact, is the real mils
in the cocoanut.
Horses that have never performed
In public and which have not beer
faster than 2:15 for mile. so far az
the handicapping committee can as
certain. will start on scratch. Fifty
feet back of them will be the horses
thought TO be up 10 mile in 2:l4. Sc
on at intervals according to their
records and best performances-anc
this includes authentic miles which
are not necessarily formal records
will be the faster horses. NEARLY
500 FEET BACK OF THE SCRATCH
CONTINGENT WILL BE SONOMA
iGIRL, HIGHBALL, DR.. STRONG
land GEORGE O., WHICH WILL
PROBABLY BE THE FASTEST
HORSE TO START IN THE
EVENT.
VIII this plan prove success?
Wherever horsemen are gathered
together these days, there are found
debaters ready to take either side
The plan undoubtedly places a high
premium on quick starting ability
Still. the runners and the European
Itrotters manage TO get away that way
A great deal depends on the work
of the handlcapping committee. II
some driver manages to so conceal
the ability of green trotter with
l2:0s ability-and there are quite q
flew possibilities in that line this year
land gets him scratch allotment
the race will be a hollow mockery
as II Is useless TO hope that any Of
the faster contingent will be able tC
60 round the big field and catch q
ltrotter OF almost equal speed wher
the latter has a free track.
The whole proposition is Just q
great. big experiment. Even II sue
cessful IL will still come far from
revolutionizing the sport. for that is