Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-08
Goal of Owners of Classy Trot-
ters This Season Generally
Set at Two Minutes
FOUR GIVEN A GOOD CHANCE
UhIan, Penisa Maid, The Harves-
ter and Soprano Looked
Upon as Best
fsnecia1 10 Tha IIera1dN


so many sensational performances
during the 1909 harness season that
close followers of the sport are al
ready figuring on the chances for rec
ord 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. several
candidates for a place in the charmed
circle. There are at least five or six
trotters who showed wonderful form
last year that have been picked as
possible two-minute flyers in 1910, and
the followers of the big line feel con-
fdent 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 inevitable. Ma
tive Bellies 2-year- old performance of
2:O7& at the trot being, of course, the
most meritorious. 1t is rather early
yet to obtain any accurate idea, as
from that quarter, If any, is to come
the youngsters that will continue this
time shading stunt. But thus early
in the season one thing in connection
with the time tilts 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
re-eminently as the most likely to
get in on the two-minute figures.
These four have all shown their abil-
ity 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 a record
breaker, that she never was a con-
sistent race mare. The four to whom
horsemen look as at least furnishing
the bulk of the entertainment in en-
deavoring to attain even two minutes
for the mile are, in the order of their
present records: Uhlan, 2:02h; Peni-
sa Maid, 2:04A; The Harvester 2:06A,
and Soprano, 2:08%, as a 3-year-old.
On the form he showed last season
the chances favor Uhlan, for which G.
K. G. Billings, the present owner Of
Lou Dillon, paid $4,000, after Bob
Proctor, the Readville trainer, had
marked him in 2:02A. Uhlan has been
wintering at Thomasville, in the south,
and is now at Memphis. While he
probably will be used very largely for
matinee racing, it is certain, also, that
he will be sent to beat his record be-
fore the year is out.
Uhlan proved his racing qualities last
season in his race with the great Ham
burg Belle, forcing the mare to trot
In 2:01 1-3 and 2:01%, the fastest two
heats ever trotted in a race Uhlan
turned the tables on Hamburg Belle
at Readville, winning in 2:02A and
2:03h, and later trotted in 2:02A
Trainer rector stated last year that he
thought Uhlan surely would trot a
mile in two minutes this year, and
good Judges feel this prediction will
come true.
According to M. D. Shut of Rock
Rapids, Ia, If any trotter goes In an
even two minutes the coming season
it will be his own little Penisa Maid,
that delicate, but sweet-gaited little
mare that was quite the sensation or
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 record or
only 2:19A, in all of the big stakes OF
the year. Yet she proved the year
biggest money winner, earning IN
stakes and purses $22, ,733, or nearly
twenty times as much as the $lzoo
Shut paid for her.
She returned to winter quarters with
the credit of the fastest heat ever won
nv a trotting mare in regular Grass
race. and, as if to cap the climax, late
in the fall, over the poor half-Inlle
track in her home town, stepped d
quarter in an even thirty SECONDS;
shut has the mare at Memphis, and
savs she can beat two minutes. And
if his Judgment is as good at tMhe M
present time as 1t was twelve months
ago she surely will do the trick.
II is nroyerbial that Ed GeerS rarely
vaxes genuinely enthusiastic over any
of his horses. Equally true 1t Is iha'
he believes he can drive The Har-
vester in two minutes this season
surely that he can beat Cresceus loie
standing stallion record. 1,
vester a workout mile in 2:O41s' as
against Directum's 4year-old record OF
9.05H. and later, at Lexington ne was
stenped in 2:03%. Two years ago Inc
harvester, as a 3-year-old, was un-
broken in February, but by fall had
record of 2:0S%. Last year ne was tns
largest money winning trotter alnoIIs
the stations, and showed trial IN tille
that was fastetr than the record tnaI
bad stood for seventeen years for a.
vear-olds. The worlds stallion record
of 2:O2A looks to be surely In The Har-
vester's reach, and a mile IN z:uV IloI
unreasonably beyond his limit.
The race track managers of the coun-
trv collectively speaking, have aWaK.
ened from their lethargy OF many years
duration and have at last realized tnat
innovations and departures from the
stereotyped are necessary to bring TO
their race meetings the largest crowds.
The days of straight three In nVe
events, with the race lasting hVe, SIX
and sometimes even seven or elght
heats, to be carried over two or three
DAYS. are things of the past. Whlle
such races, very properly. Will con-
tinue to have a place on the pro
gram. novelties and features are to be
introduced all along the line
In this the tracks of the country are
very largely, consciously or otherwise
following in the lead of the Readville
track, long noted for its aggressive
initiative policy, eliminating with its
rich $4,000 American handicap derby
that attracted probably more attention
than ever was given to any other race
in the .trotting world.
The early announcements or race
programs show that this year there are
to be many novelties in the way or
stakes. the Tavern "Steak" at the
cleveland grand circuit meeting being
one of the most conspicuous In this
line