Evening journal., 1915-04-07
IS LEE AXWORTHY
A WORLD BEATER?
Challenge TO Peter Volo and
Etowah Shows Wonder
full Confidence
OWNER BELIEVES
HE HAS GREAT HORSE

Lee Axworthy, 2Os. the four-year-
old trotter that P W Harvey has Of
fered to match for $4,000 against Eto-
wah, 2.O3 IA. or Peter Volo. 2O3 1-2.
or both, was traded by Walter Cox to
w J. Andrews, "sight unseen" a
couple Of years ago. Cox bought him
for S51O when yearling at the Fasig-
Tipton Company's November sale in
Madison Square Garden and handled
him a little without discovering his
that his trainer and owners believe
him to be almost a 200 trotter. Their
readiness TO match him against Eto-
wsh and Peter Volo proves that. lie
trotted six races for Andrews last
year, winning the Fasig Stake for
three-year-olds at Cleveland. on July
21, in 1908. the first time he started
in company. At Detroit, on August
IL. he was second to Peter Volo in
2.04 "a and 2.05 "a in the Horsemen's
Fnturity. AT Syracuse on August 81,
he won from w. ]. Leyburn and 9TH
ers In 2.10. 21O IA and 2Os "a. At
Hartford. on September 10, he was
again second TO Peter Volo In ridic-
ulously slow time in the race for the
Matron Futurity. Two weeks later
Peter Volo again defeated him for
the Horse Review Futurity at Col
umbus, trotting in 2.07 IA and
EOS "a. His last race was for
the Kentucky Futurity at Lex
ington on October 6. and Peter Volo
once more took his measure. but he
had to trot in 2.07 Ia. 2.05 and 2.03
IL to do it.
Barring his one stipulation that the
race must be trOttcd at the
Grand Circuit meeting in Cleve-
land, Mr.. Haryey's challenge to
Peter Volo and. Etowah was
about as clean cut and sportsman
like a proposal as any matchmaker
has made in a long time. But the stip-
ulation for Cleveland savored just
little Of some of those defis which the
owners of Dorsey's Golddust and Ham
Inns Almont used to issue about this
time of year in the brave days Of old.
In almost everything from duelling
10 horseracing IL has been customary
TO permit the challenged party TO Sc
loct the battle ground or for the chal-
lenger at least 10 leave il open to the
selection Of neutral ground acceptable
TO all concerned. For him to name
the track, and not name a neutral |
track-one of the reputed owners of |
Lee AXworthy is one of the owners |
and officers OF the Cleveland track |
is not quite up TO the highest standard |
of sportsmanship, to say the least |
about II. Such a race as Mr.. Harvey !
has proposed would he worth a lot of |
money as an attraction for one thing, |
and whatever IL is worth should be /
added to the stakes by the associa-
tion over whose track Il is trotted. r.
nj. Williams, manager OF the Grand |
Circuit meeting in New York, author
ICES the statement that he will add |
$1,000 for each starter If the match
makers will race their horses at the
Empire track in August.
n Lee Axworthy proves 10 be as
good as his trainer and his owners
think he is il would appear that the |
Grand Circuit track managers have /
jumped out Of the frying pan into
the fire in giving all their largest
purses this season for the POS or the /
2.07 class. instead OF slower classes
as in other years. When the change
was made a few weeks ago they
thought they were heading of the fast
stallion Peter Scott from making a
clean sweep through the circuit.
Though this horse won the third heat
OF the $4,000 race at Detroit last
season in 2.07 i-2 he is still eligible
10 the slow classes. having mover won
a race BY giving their $4,000 purses
for 20S trotters in 1915 the track |
managers thought they had put Peter
Scott about where he belonged Tbcv
did not dream that I'm doing so thew
had perhaps LEI a world heater into /
the game. opening the door for him
10 90 down tho line in the old accus-
toned way, winning al every town
without a contest and giving the spec
tators a $500 race for a purse of s5.- !
600 or $4,000.
On the face Of the returns tho chal- |
lenge TO Peter Nolo and Etowah. two |
Of the greatest young trotters the turf I
has ever seen, indicates that Andrews /
believes he has the best horse in train /
ing in the little bay son of Guy AK /
worthy. Andrews has no superior as |
Judge or as trainer Of real cham /
pion. His exploits with Mascot. John |
r. Gentry and Hamburg Belle are evi- !
dence of this. But il is still 10 he
considered that If the Cleveland own |
ers Of Lee Axworthv are interested in
the Cleveland track they could well af- /
ford TO risk $4,000 on their colt. even
against far greater horses. for the
sake of arranging such a drawing al
traction and such a betting race as
this one might be. Their failure 10
nominate Lee Axworthy in the 2.OS
race in Cleveland followed by their
Challenge to Peter Volo and Eiowah
to trot at Cleveland and at Cleve-
land only. seems 10 show that an at
traction for the meeting there was
Dne Of their aims.