The Washington times., 1908-08-16


the grand circuit AT Buffalo during the ,
week on account OF heavy rainfalls. the
only event 10 attract the attention Of
the horse-loving public was the match
race between Jack Leyburn and Sweet
Marie over the Belmont course. Phila-
delphia, on Tuesday.
To those who have followed the work
Of the mare during the present season,
and especially to those who have noted
the phenomenal speed qualities of the
geiding as well as his extraordinary
racing ability, the result was not an
overwhelming surprise. Two weel.s ago
al Detroit the mare showed unndstak-
able signs of being stale and weary Of
the game when Andrews brought her
out paced by a runner and negotiated
miles around 2.04. In this particular
tTy-out she was more than all in. and
in no way acted ike her former self.
And no wonder Tor five seasons the
great daughter OF Mckinney. Z:11h,
and Lady Rivers. one Of the greatest
and grandest race mares that ever look
Ell through a bride. and has been racing
I all comers over all kinds OF tracks at
extreme speed. She has not only raced
against the fastest and ganest horses
Of her era, but has frequently raced
against the fieetest and most relentless
. OF antagonists-Old Father Time.
( " orkeo 10 the Limit
Two years ago she earned a respite
/ from the grueIing contests to which
/ she had beer subjected. by reason Of
/ her marvellous performances, and il is
little short OF cruel on the part Of her
! present owner 10 make further demands
upon ner vitality, strength. and unTar-
alleled gameness. Of all the many
/ speed and racing marvels brought over
I from the Pacific slope-from the feet
SunoI 2.0S4, to Lou Dillon, l:581z and
/ Sonoma Girl, 2:05A, not ore of the three
/ compared in wear and tear qualities
and racing ability with the mare which
l lowered her colors Tuesday last 10 Jack
/ Leyburn.
In the sense of being racing machines
but two other mares eau be found in
( all the leaves Of American 4 turf history
worthy 10 be compared with Sweet
Marie. The two so distinguished are
Flora Temple. 2:IeA. and Goldsmith
Maid, 2:I+ Flora ruled the turf ten
years and the Maid about the same
period. Although the Californa-bred
mare has only been on the turf half as
many years as her distinguished pre-
. .decessors. the average time of the many
miles she has trOtted in races and
/ against the watch is several seconds
I faster. It is the pace that kills" says
an old turf proverb, and truer one
was never hewn out Of Saxon tongue
Rsced 100 Early.
I Flora Temple, foaled il IS45. was not
! narnessed until she was four years old
and was not seriously raced until she
+ was seven years old. The Maie, foaled
/ IN 1S55-ten years later-was not thor
ougnly broken until after she was eight
and was not seriously raced until she
was ten years old Each mare had ar
rived at maturity before being put TO
/ hard work. Sweet Marie was broken
/ TO harness at three years, having been
/ foaIed in 1897. and made her first pro-
/ fessional start at Seattle in the sum-
( .hsr Of 1898 She had been raced some
( in her three-year-Old and four-year-old
forms in mstinees. Her debut on the
grand circuit began in the summer OF
/ 1904 at Detroit in the 2:14 trot. which
she won in straight heats in 2:10. 2:10A.
and 2:l0z. On the day named there
/ cnancSd TO be present a veteran horse
man aud keen observer from the Ma
tionaI Capital John II. Gheen, Of Mt.
/ Pleasant. who. on his return home re-
marked TO some OF his friends here,
the writer among the number. that he
/ had seen performs al Detroit the best
/ t-stting prospect ~ his long existence:
and predicted for Sweet Marie a bril-
/ liant future should she continue sound.
That the prophecy has been fulfilled
the whole world can testify.
At Providence she won a five-hest
race, taking the last three in 2:O6A
2.OSl4. and posi-. AT Lexington, in 1905,
she in a fve-heat contest, reduced
her record to POS. Two weeks later,
at Memphis. she won the 2:1O trot in
2.O4ss. and 2:06. Later in the season she /
reduced her record to 2;O4A. During
the great State fair meeting at Syra-
cuse she trotted a first heat IN 2:04Ss
and a second heat in -:03S4. beating the
record of Crescess Of 2O314 and 2;O6Is
made in 1901 She holds the worlds
record for eight heats, having trotted
that number in 2.0 or better, and
which is a better race record than that
made by Cresceus, TivertOn, and Lou
Dillon con- biued. Her present record.
2:02. was got over the Columbus track
September p, 1906, where she trotted
the first half of her mile in 5994 seconds. 1
Ranks Second to Highball
As for Jack Leyburn. which lowered
the colors OF the trotting queen over
the Philadelphia track last Tuesday. IL
can be truthfUIly said that with the
single exception of Highball. he is the
fastest gelding on the trcItIng turf.
Specially prepared for il. he can prob
ably trOt a mile close to 2.03lf He is
Hn=a- 4
was begotten when his sire, Alto Ley
burn, was a UwO-year-old and his dam