Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-26
OF THE GRAND CIRCUIT
National Trotting Whirl Begins To.
morrow at Detroit.
SEASON LOOKS GOOD AT START
First stop Down the Line for the
square Steppers and PAGERS
HiEhbnu and Leyburn's
Fast Miles.

Today the light harness horsemen-
drivers, stable hands. owners and grand
stand patrons-are uttering prophecies as
to how fast their favorites may trot or
pace this year or fighting over again the
great races OF last season; tomorrow fore.
casts and "reminiscences will be put away
with mothballs and all hands will greet
the making Of new records at Detroit and
the advent OF the Grend Circuit of 1907.
Trying to make good will keep the drivers
busy and there will be no more chin music.
The Grand Circuit Of 1907 stands out
by the S-year-old worlds record Of General
Watts, 2sO6%. and the 2-yesr-old marks of
Trampfast, 2:12h, and Helen Hale. 2:1si4.
with the development Of green ~trotters,
seven Of which entered the 2i0 list
sonoma Girl, 2:O5h; .Highball, 2:Osh; Cen
eral Watts, 2:O6A Tempus Fugit, 2:OTI;
Claty Latus, 2:0SA; Lolita, 2:OSk, and Mar
garet o., 2:0S1f. Three that were prac-
tically unraced and began the season
eligible to the 2:2S class also entered the
2:lO list. They we're Carlo, 2:Os%; Toxic.
200, and Beatrice Beliini, 2yO9A, all owned
and bred by w. b. Dickerman. a former
president Of the New York Stock exchange,
at his Mamaroneck farm.
What the Youngsters Did.
Eleven 2-year-olds trotted better than
2:S0 at Lexington last fall. and with Tramp
fast already jogging miles in 215 the years
crop Of S-year-olds should equal Bisa.
who rushed General Watts in his record
race; Belle Bird, 2:11A; Miss Densmore.
2:l2h, and Bonnie Way. timed as fast.
Many of the 4-year-olds, among them Gen
eral Watts, 2:06, the champion, will not
race this season for lack of Inducements
There will be enough good ones of that
age in the game. however. to put into
Jeopardy Cordero's 2:O9%, the fastest mile
trotted by a 4-year-old last season. Thus
far' though, to judge by the way the nags
nave been shaping up on the Great West
ern circuit, the horses of developed speed
are to guard the plums from the novice
t%rotters IN the years campaign.
Highball, 2:O6k, who reached his mark
on July 4 at Libertyville, ILL.,, last season
In his maiden race and took Sonoma Girl
INTO camp has again early speed. At the
Peoria, Ill, meeting with Ed Geers on the
reins Highball won the free for all race
in 2:O6h and 2:O3%. Geers sent him TO the
Ilrst quarter In O:29&. the second in 0:3OK,
the third quarter in 0:3O%, and the fourth
In o;SS' the horses beaten being Margaret
o. and ORC, owned respectively by the
' ~ W Es u. Stokes and WIFE
lam Kelly. No other horse has ever trotted
SO fast in public before the middle of July.
the second heat being the fastest ever
made in a race, except the first heat
trotted by Cresceus, in 2:O3h, in his race
with The Abbot at Brighton Beach in
August, 1901. Highball is a high strung
and delicate horse, but II he keeps on his
feet Geers expects to gain 2:O1> or better
with the gelding before the fall.
Almost n New Worlds Record.
A seasoned campaigner of 1907, Jack Lev
burn, 2:OSA. on July 16, at Terre Haute.
also did some record breaking. The geld
ing won the 2O9 class. %trotting, in straight
heats, with Margaret o as the contender.
In 2;Hh. 2'o6 and 2;O4%. The latter was
the fastest third heat ever trotted in a
race and Leyburn also gained credit for
the fastest three heats ever trotted by a
gelding, The average was 2:O6, only one
third of a second slower than the worlds
record established by Alix on the Terre
Haute track in 1894. Two green horses
to reveal a wonderful flight Of speed at
Peoria were Fleming Boy, who trotted in
2;OIh, and Minor Heir, a PAGER, to take the
record of 2:05k. Quite as sensational for
the early Peoria meeting was the consist
ent trotting of the Boston mare. Amy