The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-22
HIS RECORD SAFE
HOrsemen Expect Lee AxwOr-
thy to Remain TrOtting King.
No Stable Can Boast Con-
tender for His Crown.
BY JACK VEIOCK.

New York, March 22-The coming
harness racing season may see many
brilliant performances on the tracks
of the Grand Circuit, but in the estl-
nation of horsemen who followed the
wonderful performances of Lee Ak
worthy last year 1917 promises to be
a dull, year in so fan as the breaking
of any trotting records is concerned
Retired to the stud at Castleton
Farm, in the Blue Grass country, the
worlds champion trotting stallion mas
said goodbye to the big tracks ana
appears 10 be secure in the possession
of his title for some time to come
His mark OF 1858 Il, established at
Lexington last October, represents the
fastest mile ever trotted by a stallion,
and the story of how he became the
king of trotters is interesting one
The education of the king OF trot-
tiers commenced in the Spring of 1918.
He was then owned by Walter cox,
but he failed to impress Cox as
horse with the makingS of a world
beaten, and he was eventually traded
to the Pastime stables. where he came
under the experienced hand of w. j.
Andrews, who drove him up to the
time that he (Andrews) received
suEstroke at Syracuse in the Fall of
1915.
He Was Started Right.
But Andrews had started right with
Lee Axworthy. and when Ben White
became his driver his education was
advanced rapidly until he eventually
burst under tie wire at Lexington in
the remarkab BILE time of 1858 a
The first really great race of Lee
Axworthy was his memorable match
race with Peter Nolo at North Ran
dali. In the first heat the Volo horse
drew the pole and flashed under the
wire in the van in 2:O2, a new record
for 4-year- trotters. which equaled
the race record for stations held by
The Harvester. In the second heat
Peter Nolo broke while heading into
the first turn and it was Lee AK
worthy's heat in 2:O3A, the final
quarter being trotted in 29 seconds. In
the third heat the champion defeated
Peter Nolo and after that he was
given a two weeks rest for he had
already won the NJ. & NJ. stake and
he had much work ahead.
In the early summer of 1916 Lee
Axworthy's owners announced their
belief that he would shatter records
as a 5-year-old, and their predictions
came true. His only opponent was
the stop watch in the hands of Old
Man Time, and he beat the Old Tim
Ell to the wire in the greatest trot-
ting performance in history.
Rapid Climb to Fame.
In August of last year the great
stanton OeIn1One0 Inc Harvester by
trotting a mile in 2:00A, but the I'M
even time for his record mile ranked
his handlers. and they looked ahead
to the making of better marks. In
September he reached the 200 mark
in 4 trial trial at Syracuse, being the
fourth trOtter to enter that class and
the second to accomplish it without
a windbreak. The evident benefit of
several weeks OF rest between trial
performances against time convinced
Ben White that his champion was en-
titled to another vacation, and he
rested for two more weeks. being TAX
en- to Lexington in the meanwhile.
When the trotting king headed into
the stretch in his first Lexington time
trial he faced a stiff breeze, but he
swung along and passed under the
wire in 1:5914, and another record
had been broken.
His last and greatest performance,
which came three days after his
1853 y mile, will never be forgotten
and his mark may stand for years.
He took the first quarter of his
wond erful mile in 29A and flashed
past the half-mile pole in 5S u. As
his nose showed at the three-quarter
pole the watches registered 1927 u In
the home stretch came the fierce test,
but Lee AXworthy was more than
worthy of it. TOR the watches caught
him in 1:5SA, his championship
mark. and the swapping of those
Axworthy also holds the worlds trot-
to wagon, having a mark of 2:02 r..