Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-08
AIM At TWO-MINUTE MARK
Owners Of Fast Harness Horses Are
Keying Them High.
LAST YEARS RECORD WAS GOOD
Uhlan, Penisa Maid, The Harvester
and Soprano Are Four Candidates
an the Field that win Go
for TvvO-MInute Goal.

DETROIT, Mich, May i.-There were so
many sensational performances during the
1909 harness season that close followers OF
the sport are already figuring on the
chances for record-breaking performances
during the coming racing year. The two
minute mark appears to be the goal aimed
at in an actual race, and there are sew
eral candidates for a place In the charmed
circle.
There are at least five or six trotters
who showed wonderful form last year that
have ben picked as possible two-mnute
flyers in 1910, and the followers of the
big line feel confident that the mark will
be reached this year.
In the matter of record breaking last
year was sensational. to say the least. for
marks that had withstood the assaults of
a score or more of years yielded TO the in
evitable. Native Bellies 2-year-old per
Torrance In 2:07aa, at the trot, being of
course, the most meritorious. 1t is rather
early yet to obtain anw accurate idea from
that quarter, II any is to come the young
sters that will continue this time-shadng
stunt.
But this early in the season one thing in
connection with tine time tits is certain
1t Is that there will be lots OF shooting at
the two-minute mark, and among good
judges four horses stand out rather pre-
eminently as the most likely to get down TO
the two-minute figures.
These four have all shown their ability
as race horses, and in this respect differ
somewhat from Lou Dillon, the worlds
trotting champion, of whom 1t may be
said. without detracting in the slightest
from her glory as record-breaker. that
she was never consistent race mare.
Four Promising Candidates.
The four to whom horsemen look as at
least furnishing the bulk OF the enter
tainment in endeavoring to attain the even
two minutes for the mile, are, In the order
OF their present records: Uhlan, 2:O2ih
Penisa Maid. 2:044; The Harvester, 2OeA,
and Soprano, 2;Os% as a s-year-old.
On the form he showed last season. the
chances favor Uhlan, for which Z. X L,
Billings, the present owner OF Lou Dillon
paid $4,000 after Bob Proctor, the Read
vlle trainer, had marked him In 2:02A
Uhlan has been winterinR at Thomasville
in the south, and is now at Memphis While
he will probably be used very largely for
matinee racing by Mr.. Billings, it is GER
tain, also, that he will be sent to beat his
record before the year is out.
Uhlan proved his racing qualities last
season in his race with the great Hamburg
Belle, forcing the mare to trot in 2Oiis
and 2:Ol&, the fastest two heats ever trot-
ted In a race. Uhlan turned the tables on
Hamburg Belle at Readville, winning in
2:Oz% and 2;0s1k and later trotted in 2:O2A.
Srainer Proctor stated last year that ne
thought Uhlan would surely trot a mile in
two minutes this year, and good judges feel
this nredictiOn will enna tyne
Banking on PenIsa Mid.
According to NJ. D. Shut OF Rock Rapids,
Ia. II any trotter goes In an even two min
utes the coming season It will be his own
little Penlsa Maid, that delicate but sweet
gated little mare that was quite the sensa-
tIon of the Grand Circuit of 1909. Few
could see a year ago at this time where
Shut was justified in making payments
on Penisa Maid then with q record OF only
2;1sh in all OF the big stakes Of the year.
Yet she proved the years biggest money
winner, earning In stakes and purses S22. 7Ss,
or nearly twenty times as much as the
sl.sOO Shut paid for her.
She returned to winter quarters with the
credit OF the fastest heat ever won by a
trottlng mare in regular class race and,
II to cap the climax, late IN the fall,
over the poor half-nre track In her home
town, stepped quarter in an even 30 sec
onds Shut has the mare at Memphis, and
says she can beat 900. And IL his Judgment
is as good at the present time as Il was
twelve months ago she surely will do the
trick.
II is poverbisl that Edward Geers rarely
WAKES genuinely enthusiastic over any OF
his horses. Equally true II is that he he
lieves he can drive The Harvester in 200
this season-surely that he can beat
Creseeus' lonE-standing stallion record
GeeFH Has the Harvester.
At Readvile Geers drove The Harvester
a workout mile in 2:Ot1h as against Direc-
tums 4-year-oid record OF 2:O5k. and, later
at Lexington he was stepped in 2:O3Z. Two
years ago The Harvester, as o s-year-oI
was unbroken in February but by fall a
record OF 2:os&- Last year he was the
largest money-winning trotter among the
stations. and showed trial in time that
was faster than the record that had stood
for seventeen years for 4-year-olds. The
worlds stallion record OF 2:O2h looks 10 be
surely In The Harvesters reach, and a mile
In 2;S0 not unreasonsbly beyond his limit.
The race track managers OF the country,
collectively speaking, have awakened from
their lethargy OF many years duration and
have at last realized that innovations and
departures from the stereotyped are neces-
sary TO bring to their race meetings the
largest crowds.