The Washington herald., 1911-03-05
TROTTER AND PAGER
New Speedway already Looks Inviting District
Horses Rank Well With High-class Nags
of Other Cties-Gossip and Comment.
By L. ID. SALE.

| ny Is IL oAACs
| II March proves true to its past his.
| tory. little can be expected to cheer the
hearts of light-harness horsemen.
In the meantime the new Speedway
which has been in the course of con-
struction for some months past, looks
| very inviting to those who have inspect
ed it The tree planting, which has
been going on under the eye of Col. Cos
by, has for some time been completed
the road bed is already in fairly good
shape for speeding purposes. To make
the track ideal sfor fast work a roller
must go over it a few times.
BY the 18th of the month all of the
horses that have been in cold storage
the better part of the winter months will
have been brought in and given the
hardening-up process By at least April
l matters will have frightened quite a
good deal, but it now looks that the
weather will have to be especially favor
able in order that a matinee may be
pulled off next month. Some light-har-
ness horsemen are inclined to take a
pessimistic view Of local conditions on
account of the fact that there is so little
doing in light-harness circles and such
slight interest displayed.
Judging from past years in this respect,
there is little cause for serious alarm. a
week or so Of sunshine are sure to diSSi-
pate whatever gloom may now exist.
In the ice and snowbound regions OF
New England and in States westward of
Atlantic States horse interests are seven
times more backward than here. The
only movements worth noting are trans
piring down at Memphis. where PA"
Geers holds forth, and at different points
in Georgia. where some of the Northern
trainers have their winter quarters; but
wherever the horses that will make turf
history for 1911 are located il will be
found that when the bells ring for the
annual fray the horses will be
on the job. just as they have for sea
sons far back as the memory of man
rUnneth.
What will take place in other sections
Ct the country will occur here. We have
never set the country on fire in this sec
tiOn in our IiGht-harneSs horse doings,
Tut it may he fully expected that We At
least will live up to our reputation and
line up in good shape when the clock
surikcs the hour.
1t would be interesting 20 know from
what quarters the sensation of the year
will come. The turf papers of the coun-
try record some very precocious young
stcrs East. West North, and South.
Every season some mature mare, geld
ing. or stallion appears of sensational
Caliber and We may expect that history
will repeat itself in the season now fast
approaching. Somewhere, on some stock
farm, there must be an embrionic Colo
RADIO L. or a Joan, a Hailworthy, Penisa
Maid, a Sonoma Girl, and perhaps
Harvester.
II would be pleasing 10 know that one
or two phenomenal youngsters were
munching their hay and oats in this i'm
many a local horsemans bosom with
pride if he was assured that there was
another Manuella, 2TIz, in this COM
munity, but II is not likely that any
hosOms will enlarge. Mares like Manu-
ella drift to this section very infrequent-
ly. We who. take pride in our city wish
il were different
Nevertheless. while we have not horses
in these parts OF the first flight OF speed
in abundance. we have got a better bred
and faster lot of horses in our midst
than has been the case in past years.
We may have deterioated in the matter
Of numbers. but VIC have made a rapid
stride in the matter of quality. And,
after all it is quality instead of medi-
oCre quantity that counts in the long run.
II costs no more TO feed horse that can
trot or pace a mile in two minutes than
it does to furnish rations for a horse
that does his miles in four. Where the
question of cost plays a conspicuous
part is in the purchase of the animal.
Luckily the day is past in Washington
when any dealer, local or otherwise, can
unload in this town a lot of secondhand
skates at high prices. Local horsemen
are beginning TO shy at cheap developed