Omaha daily bee., 1917-05-20
STEPPERS
SHOW fine FORM
ON BENSON OVAL
Boarders at Benson Racing
Plant Put Through PAGES in
Preparation for Early
Meetings.
By RUSSELL PHELPS.

Omaha Driving clubs Benson racing
plant took advantage OF the ideal
training weather last week, putting
their harness stars through the stiff
est workouts of the season thus far.
Visitors to the suburban plant on
track days"-Tuesday and Thursday
saw some pretty stepping by Per-
formers in stables destined to play a
big part in middle western meetings
this year. "Rail birds" clocked some
Of the horses in unusually fast miles
for this time OF the year. .N
George S. and Lord Aubrey, a
couple of favorites in the Fred Doug
las-Earl Hart stables, negotiated the
speedy Benson twice-around in 2:l8
without much trouble. Both came in
strong at the finish. They are trotters.
Show Fast Miles.
Governor ", one of the fine ami
mails owned by Otis M. Smith, super
intendent Of speed of the driving club,
and Cambridge Belle, another boarder
in the Joe Hildreth stables, trotted
miles in 2'2O and half-miles in l:07.
Governor V. looks like a real purse
grabber this year.
A pair of PAGERS showing good form
were Shadeiine and Dan w, the for
mer owned by Judge Sears of the dis
trict court. They went the mile in
2:l6H, stepping the last quarter in 80
seconds. Shadeline and Dan w. are
under the care of the Douglas-Har
combination.
Maharba OF the Hildreth stables,
Stabe, a PAGER boarding in the Hal
Brown stables, and Gray Hal, another
PAGER handled by the Stetson stables,
were credited with miles in-2:22.
AL Thomas on Job.
Al Thomas, veteran trainer OF
champions and we'll known on tracks
all over the United States, worked a
2-year-old filly by Justice Brooke in
2:35. The old campaigner let the
likely-looking PAGER step the last one
eighth in u seconds.
Electric Togo, boarding with Joe
Hildreth, showed creditable form in a
2:2l workout.
Everything is spick and span at
Benson. Since the Omaha Driving
club took over the suburban plant and
concentrated the Nebraska metropo-
lis horse racing interests there, a
wonderful Improvement has resulted
New stables Of the most modern type
have been erected and the whole plant
gone over by the enthusiastic Driving
club boosters.
More than 100 head Of horses are
being trained at Benson.
Omaha horsemen hope to make it
the premier racing plant, of the west.
A landscape gardening scheme is
being worked out that will transform
it into beautiful place.
Strictly Harness Racing.
Driving club officials are trying to
impress on Omahans the fact that
nothing but clean, metropolitan light
harness racing will be staged at the
Benson plant. There will be no wild
west show, coursing meetings or
pumpkin shows. When the Driving
club took over the plant one of the
stipu1ations was that small town
stuff and anything Objectionable to
the public would not be permitted.
1--WE want to put horse racing on
the same plane here as in Columbus,
O., Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Detroit,
Lexington and the eastern racing GEN.
ters," said Mr.. Smith.
The last stables to be moved from
the speedway at East Omaha to Ben
son were the large ones owned by
Tom Dennison, boasting such famous
stars as Hal Mckinney, Hal Commons,
R. C. H. and other animals admired
by horsemen everywhere. Champion
Hal McKinney's owner expects big
things of his favorite this year.
Early Closing Entries.
A glimpse at the early closing en-
tries for the Great Western circuit
meeting August 81 to "a, inclusive
shows the cream of the country's har-
ness racing stables. Entries for the
early closing purses closed May Is.
Stakes and purses totaling more than
$4,000 will be hung for the four
days racing, as follows:
} Hal Mckinney purse. $1,000, 2;1b pacing
class. thirty eight entries.
Burgess Nash purse, $500, 3-year-old pAc-
ing class, twelve entries.
Bingen Silk purse, $500, 2-year-old trottins
class. nineteen entries.
Grain Exchange purse. $1,000. 2:14 trot.
ting class twenty entries.
ne-Hammer purse, 800. S-year-old
trottlng class, twenty-seven entries.
Ak-SsrBen purse, $1,000, 2:22 trotting
class, thrty-one entries.
Castle Hotel purse, $500, 2-year-old pacing
class, nine entries.
Entries are coming in nicely for the
Driving clubs meeting, June II to ID
inclusive, on the Nebraska Speed as
sociation loop. The club will offer
$4,000 in stakes and purses for this
early meeting. Early closing entries
close May rs.