The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-07
A $4,000 PURSE
Tremendous Prizes for Handi.
cap Dash Trotting Race.
Great Event at Readville Track
Guaranteed by Thayer.
RACE MINUS RETTTNG
RACE MINUS BETTING.
European System of Handicap.
ing to Be Tried.
Six Other Events With Offered
Stakes of $22,5OO.

Beston, April Fifty thousand
dollars in prizes for one dash race for
trottlng horses sounds so much like a
fairy tale that horsemen would have
felt inclined to look upon it as an
April fool story had the announcement
been made by the New England Trot-
ting Horse Breeders association one
day earlier than it was But the fact
that Colonel John e. Thayer of Bos-
ton has guaranteed the purse insures
that it will be paid if the race fills to
the satisfaction of the association.
Fifty thousand dollars is the largest
purse ever offered for harness horse
race in America, and but few stakes
hung up for the runners have been as
large. The proposition is to make it a
handicap dash race, the handicapping
to be on the European plan, distance
in place of weight. The race is open
cap will be for horses with mile rec
ords of 2.15, all horses with slower
records than that starting even with
the 2-15 horses on the mile and a
records than 2.15 will be set back fifty
feet for each second. Thus a 2.10
horse will be $50 feet back Of the ais
class, and a 2 minute horse would
have to start $50 feet back of the
leaders. Sweet Marie, zoo, would be
of the slow ones, and Major Delmar.
1853 N, would have nearly a seventh of
a mile to make up.
The fact that the racegis at an ir-
regular distance will exempt all horses
from records except for similarly con-
Quoted races. In other words, horse
without a record could start with the
2.15 class horses on the mile and a
quarter mark and win and still be
eligible to the green horse classes at
one mile. This fact and the size of
the purse is likely to be the means of
tempting many drivers to keep their
horses under cover in order to get the
most favorable handicap in this great
Readville track event. The money is
to be divided $4,000 to first; $4,000
fourth; $1,000 to fifth and $1,000 to
sixth, and the entrance fee will be
$500, payable as follows: 500 May
Is, when entries close; 500 June Is;
800 on July 5 and 5000 on August
~. The meeting opens on August "a
and the nandicaps or speed allowances
will be announced on August Is. In
handicapping records will not neces-
sarily govern. for the horses will be
placed according to the knowledge OF
| cappers on August IS. Nominators
| will not be held for forfeits falling due
after they have been declared out in
| writing. More than one horse from
trance fees must be paid on each horse
| named.
The announcement of this rich purse
| for trotters at the Readville track
| which is near Boston, is doubly sur
| prising because of the fact that poo
! selling on horse races is now prohibit
/ ed in Massachusetts,. But that is this
| determination of the New England
Trotting Horse Breeders association
to conduct a great meeting withou
| betting is shown by the fact that thi.
! $4,000 event is only one of the big
| races to be decided. Six other early,
| closing stakes are announced. and the
money offered for these events, $22,'
| 500. brings the total for the meeting