Evening journal., 1908-08-26
GREATRACE GOES
TO ALLEN WINTER
In Horses First Race Of Year
He Takes $4,000
Purse
NOVEL HANDICAP CONDITION

READVILLE, Mass. Aug. 26-Thc
well-earned victory won bv NJ. II
Reardon's Indianapolis stallion. Allen
Winter, at the Readville track, thereby
capturing $4,000 Of the $4,000 Ameri.
can trotting handicap from the field
of 80 starters. is believed by many of
the 10000 followers Of harness racing,
who saw the contest, 10 establish a
new era in the history Of the sport and
ensure its rejuvenation in this coun
try.
The race was novel in its conditions
which placed the horses at marks from
one-quarter to three-eights of a mile
behind the usual startog point. on a
handicap, based on their previous per
formances, and at the conclusion it ap-
peared to be the general opinion Of an
who saw the two preliminary heats
and the grand final. that this system
of racing win be popular in the future.
II was the first race IN which Allen
Winter had trotted this year, and LYn
Mcdonald, his driver. sized up the field
in the two preliminary heats. In the
first he watched sixteen horses, placed
at marks from 1920 to 1,72O feet be-
hind the usual starting line. swecL
once and a quarter round the track
TO grand finish. with Bervaldo in
the lead.
Novel Starting Method.
In the second hear, with his own
horse 1870 feet from The wire. ard
$3.50 feet to travel. he pushed Allen
Winter carefully, but surely, past three
other horses, and kept ahead of tie
others, finishing a good third. The
first heat had been run off at a 20S
gait for the mile. but the second was
a few seconds slower.
Then came the battle for final honors
and the money, with sixteen we'll
known trotters in the field, the fastest
being Sweet Marie. 2.O5.
Through a system OF electric buttons
which ran from each starting judge t.
a big bell, it was possible for each
Judge to signal when his own horsrn
were on the marks and facing the right
direction. When all the judges were
unanimous the bell rang automatically
and the field was awav.
AS they turned into the stretch and
raced under the wire fnr the first time
it looked like a long procession, ana
there was very little change in posi-
/ tions.
At the quarter pole Kim drew out a
triae. while the entire field still seemed
! well strung out At the three-eights the
/ horses began to buncE 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 pace to the three-duarter pole
+ never slackened.
Three Teams Abreast.
The slow horses up ahead were tin
ing fast and the fast horses behind
were coming up strong rhe field came
around the turn into the stretch like
q Roman chariot race. with threa
teams abreast and u horses lined nc
for a grand dash of an eighth of a
mile to the wire. AT ,hat point il
seemed anybody's race but 200 yards
from the finish Mcdonald shot Allen
Winter out Of the buncE. and. URGING
the big stallion along at the top of his
speed. drew away rapidly and won in
five lengths. The next ten horses
came under the wire in p bunch. and
the judges We're nearly ten minutes IL
arriving at the conclusion.
There had been no question, however
as to Allen Winter. and as Mcdonald
came back he was liftel from the sulky
and carried up the track on the should
ers of his shouting admirers.
II was found that Prince c has car
tured second money. san Francisco
third money. Geers. who drove Teasel
and Andrews behind Sweet Marie were
beaten about so feet by the place win
ners.