The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-11-27
tBy J. L. Hervey.)

Seldom indeed does the weather
man provide horsement with such a
late fall for p~ost-season work as he
has this year. Here We are, on the
eve of Thanksgiving, and from the
time the regular" season closed al
Lexington. five weeks ago, the condi-
tions for speedmaking. both on track
and road. have been well-nigh ideal.
In consequence the trainers are find
ing out a lot more about the horses
| which they have been holding over for
1913, or are searching" with the ex-
pectation Of taking them on for the
next campaign.
The greatest activity is. without
doubt. observable at Memphis, Tenn.
where Geers always winters, and
whittier his presence and the excep-
tional facilities which the plant af-
fords, annually attracts a large winter
colony. Last winters was n of the
largest that ever hibernated at the ia
nous Tennessee track, but some OF
the reinsmen who made it up are not
going back. for it happened not only
that the severity of the winter there
was abnormal, but that the vile wealth
er also prevailed late into the spring
The same thing. It is true. obtained
the country over, and If these reins-
men had been at other points they
would have suffered in the same way
but that they not to think OF
and are locating elsewhere for the
winter ION account of the climate
However. while this is true. there Is
no likelihood of any scarcity of horses
at Memphis, and the work that is done
there will, as usual. be repletc with
interest.
The Geers string lie. of course. the
top-liner there. The grand old man.
began wintering at Memphis as soon
10 the track was in commission-that
was in 1901-and has been a fixture
there ever since. He has his custo-
mary herd of trotters and PAGERS OF
all ages. sexes, sizes. gaits and varie-
ties Of manners and speed. and is now
busy winowing them out for future
reference. Thus far the possibility OF
his training any of the r. j. Mckenzie
stars in 1913 has not been confirmed,
while it is also doubtful II he races
Brighton B. (2:11A) for John Mad
denis boys. But he can worry along
| without them, and still have enough
material to fit out several different
stables.
The campaign. made by Geers the
success and brilliance that has usually
attended his former ones. and with
this in view critics have pointed out
the big winning Of younger e like
Tommy Murphy and Walter Cox. and,
in some cases. voiced the opinion that
the &c. o. NJ" has begun to &c back
lost his grip" ETC.. etc. and that
from now On. during the remainder
Of his career. he will occupy Il posi-
ton far less conspicuous than that
which he has adorned for many years
past on the big ring"
Personally. I think these critics are
incorrect. and that Geers will show
them in the not distant future that he
IL far from a hack number" Ger
tainly. he level trained his horses
more ably. conditioned them any more
perfectly or drove them in their races
with any o consummate skill than
ne did during the campaign Of 1912.
If he did not top the list Of winning
horses. 1t was not. by any means. be-
cause Of any failure of his W pow
ers. The best. the youngest and the
most thoroughly rising trainer in
the world. cannot put new legs and
feet on broken-down racers or: replace
bad brains with good ones-and II
was somethink of that kind which
would have been necessary to make
Geers' string a big winning one this
year.
His main dependencies in the sta kes
where the big money is winnab bic
were the trottinE stallion Bergen and
the pacing stallion Akar. both of them
owned In the east. and. in blood lines.
quite similar. Bergen being by Bingars
and Akar 10y Aquilin-both Binsara