Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-25
HEIR REAPER NOW
SCOFFS AT R. G. H.
E. q. Warren Declares His
Champion Trotter Can Beat
Tom Dennison's Horse.
RACE IN MAKING
BY RUSSELL PHELPS.

This is the kind of weather that
sends the red blood coursing through
the veins of the horsemen-training
days, when owners delight to see their
strings getting in preseason condition
while they contemplate on what
marks the summer and fall days will
bring forth. Reports from through
out the state the last week told OF
unusual activity in training plants Of
harness racing cities and towns. The
horse racing fraternity in general is
predicting the year OF years in the
time-tried sport for middle western
meetings.
Here in Omaha interest is centered
at the Benson track, the newly &C
CURED plant of the Omaha Driving
club, which will stage spring meet
ing in June and Great Western circuit
races in August. Work of moving
the stables and equipment OF the
Speedway plant, former home of the
driving clubs activities in Omaha, to
the suburban racing park is to be
started tomorrow. The commodious
stables are to be transferred bodily
to Benson,
As soon as the change is made
horsemen will take their strings TO
the new plant to permanently locate
at what bids fair to become the most
beautiful horse racing plant in the
Missouri valley. The half-mile speed
way will be widened at the stretches
and the inheld and parking spaces
beautifed in a landscape gardening
scheme. The track itself is fast now
and under expert conditioning should
be ideal for high-caiber meetings.
Otis NJ, Smith, secretary of the Oma-
ha Driving club and one of the best
informed horsemen in the country,
declared that no expense will be
spared to make Benson horse racing
in class by itself and a credit to
Omaha and the state One of the
early Improvements will be to raise
the grandstands, which seat several
thousand spectators, so that there will
be nothing to obstruct the view OF
all stretches of the track.
Tom Dennison. well known owner
of the famous string headed by the
pacing wonder, Hal Mckinney and
including other stars like R. c. II. and
Hal Connors, visited Benson yester-
day to give the future home of his
stars the once over All of his horses
are in good condition and will be
much in evidence in middle western
meetings this season.
Hal Mckinneys owner has been
much in the horse world limelight re-
cently\ by reason of the many chal-
lenges for match races he has issued
and the several that have been hurled
at him. Seemingly horsemen in all
parts of the country have stars they
figure can take R. c. HIS measure
and Mr.. Dennison is willing to give
them an opportunity to prove it.
Warren Hurls Def.
The Shelton horseman. E. c. War,
rem, last week came forth with a def
to race his champion trotter, He'll
Reaper, holder of the state record
against R. c. H. Mr.. Dennison and
the Shelton man are trying to get to-
gether on $1,000 side-bet PROPOSE
ton, race to be staged at either the
June meeting here, the July a date al
Lincoln or the Great Western circuit
classic in Omaha in August.
Heir Reaper is undoubtedly the
fastest trotter in the state outside of
R. {. H., the Shelton animals per-
Torrance at Fremont in doing the
ice-around in 2;l1M SCATTERING Ne
braska records. True, R. c. Fl. went
in 2;llA at East Omaha last fall, but
unfortunately East Omaha is in
Iowa, not Nebraska, so the mark does
not hold in this state. A match race
for supremacy this summer would be
a mighty big attraction to say the
least.
A couple of fine looking PAGERS be!
ing rounded into condition at the
Benson track are owned by the pre-
siding Judge of the district court
Judge Sears, who is known far and
wide as true horse lover and a
booster for the sport. His horses,
Shadeline and Cbarline, are full
brothers by Shadeon (2:08A), out OF
Lima V.
Shadeline was marked at 207H at
Phoenix. Ariz.. two years ago, and is
eligible to the 2:l4 class. He did not
start last year, but wifi be on hand
when the bell rings this season. Char
line has mark OF 2:l5A and is elig-
ible to the 2:25 class. The Judge S
Shade" horses are being trained by
Earl Hart, protegee of Ed Geers.
Hal lEI.a4I.