The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-20
LOU DILLON SHOWS
PHENOMENAL SPEED.
Champion TrOtter Goes Fast
Eighth in Exhibition at
Berlin.
HORSE IS CONSIDERED
THE WORLDS WONDER |
Billings String viii Tour Eu-
ropean Tracks, Returning
in Fall.

After four years of retirement to
the stud, which it has been supposed,
was permanent. Lou Dillon U;5S 1-2),
the world IS champion trotter, is once
again in the limelight and electrifying
thousands by the exhibition of her
marvellous speed. writes j. l.. Hervey
in the Chicago Record Herald, When
the c. K. G. Billings string of trotters
was made up in April for that turf
man s european iuvasion,'' she was
taken up, replaced in training and made
the star member of the outfit. When
the trip was first announced with the
fact that Lou was to go along, many
critics derided the idea, thinking that
1T would be impossible to bring the
mare, after her long lct-up, back to any
thing like the form that distinguished
her during her career as a record
breaker; while, they argued, it would
be foolish thing TO take her to Eu-
rope, where her reputation preceded
her years ago, and give disappointing
exhibitions with her at a rate of speed
that was only ordinary-if, indeed, she
could be shaped up to show any speed
at all,
Fast Time.
OF course, the croakers always have
10 have their spiel. During her palmy
days Lou, however, had the habit of
confounding them, and she has it yet,
The cable dispatches brought the news
of her first appearance in public across
tho pond some time ago, but details
were lacking. They have now come
to hand and are full of interest. The
mare s debut was made at the opening
of the new Ruhleben racetrack near
Berlin, which is said TO be the most
magnificent in the world. its cost be-
ing placed at between $5,000,000 and
$6,000,000. AS she is not yet in con
dition to carry her speed very far, she
was announced to go dash of 250
meters-a little over an eighth of a
''Doc - Tanner, who is managing the
trip of the stable, drove her to cart,
with a runner on each side Of her, and
she trotted the distance in 10 seconds |
or about 2:01 gait. It was a wonder
full performance. because the Ruhleben
track is slowness itself In comparison
with our American specially prepared
''parlor' courses.
Fast in Russia.
What 2:0l gait means under these
circumstances can be best appreciated
when 1t is stated that the half dozen
or so 2:06 TO 2:0S trotters in the Bill |
kilometer (1000 meters) at 2:20 gait |
over the Ruhleben track. If Lou thus
early can show what she did there and !
she does not get off during the trip |
before it is ended, the indications are
that she VIII be able TO display to the |
foreigners the full extent of her un-
paralleed speed When she gets to st. |
Petersburg she will find much faster
tracks than the German ones; and when
she reaches Vienna, which will prob |
ably be in August, she ought to be able,
over the good tracks that they have
there and at Baden, TO trot half so
fast that it Will be revelation 10.
the onlookers.
Mr. Billings Will sail for Europe
June is and Will himself sit behind the
mare in her subsequent performance.
IL is not expected that his horses will
return to this side before September,
and it is probable that If Lou lands
then in good condition, American trot- !
ting enthusiasts would be much graft
fled if they could be accorded one more
last glimpse of her. Mr.. Billings has
season in which she is seen in public.
Six Years Since Prime.
Mention of Lou Dillon brings to
mind the fact that it is now SIX years
since she startled the world by trot.
and that it is difficult matter to haz-
ard even guess regarding the time
when her record will be displaced. AS
is we'll known, il was made behind II
running pacemaller, and the powers
that he later ruled that style Of going
out, SO that records thus made are
no longer official. In doing so, they
put up the bars to future record
breakers-and put them up so high that
the best telescope fails to disclose
any trotter that is liable to be first
over them. No trotter can go as fast
sin the open' as behind a runner; and
as, since the retirement OF Dillon, nc
trotter has shown up that has APP
preached her in speed, when her rec
ord can be beaten, looks about as dis
tant as the millennium. The mark
that the championship aspirants, there
fore, will shoot at will be the 2;01 that
she made without pace-but should
any trotter beat that lc or she will not
become the champion, unless also beat
ing the ] :5S l-2 that She made behind
the runner.