Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-13
FAST TIME MARKS
BENSON MEETING
Governor ", Omaha Horse,
Wins Holly Contested Trot-
ting Event; Colts and Run
ners Provide Thrills.
TODAY'S RACING PROGRAM.
2:ll Trotting class.
2:l4 Pacing class.
2:27 Trotting class.


EslT dIiliS NIdoos
2:27 Trotting class.
Three-fourths OF mile running.
By RUSSELL PHELPS.
Hotly contested Tits between som,
of the fastest harness horses in thu
middle west, excellent time made by
the winners for this carly in the sea
son, an enthusiastic crowd OF horst
lovers and society folks and goodly
dash of patriotism all round were a
few OF the features marking the open
ing OF the racing season at the Omaha
Driving clubs plant at Benson yes
terday afternoon.
The initial program on the three
days card OF harness and running
races went off with the snappy way
which has characterized all meetings
of the driving club.
1t was the opening OF patriotic
race meeting, for the entire proceeds,
after actual expenses are paid, will be
donated TO the Red Cross. Twnty-
FIVE society girls, wearing Red Cross
costumes, sold tickets at the gates and
acted as usherettes. A band played
patriotic airs between heats.
Socieyt in Boxes.
Well known figures in Omahas
social, business and public life oc-
cupied boxes and gave the finishing
touch to the metropolitan atmosphere
of the Gate city's 1917 turf premier,
An Omaha-owned horse, Governor
V, the property of Otis M. Smith,
superintendent of speed and one OF
the directors OF the driving club, won
first money in the classic race of the
day-the 2:20 trot.
Mr.. Smiths fancy gelding stepped
out a well-earned victory in the first
heat in 2:loH, beating out Virginia
Watts in lively brush near the wire.
In the second heat, George S, who
finished in sixth place in the previous
twice-around battle, outstepped the
Omaha horse, Brady, 2:l0H trotter,
Wrestling third place from Virginia
Watts, who got second in the open
ing heat.
Pace -Four Heats.
Brady came back i'll the third heat
and upset the dope, winning bya mar
row margin over Governor V, and
making the best time of the race,
2:l5H. George S squeezed out
third in a tilt with Virginia Watts and
the rest Of the field, with the excep-
ton of Arapahoe, who was distanced
The judges called out the three heat
winners and Virginia Watts for a
final and deciding go, the Omaha ami
NAL, skillfully handled by Joe Hill
dreth, winning and bringing the crowd
to its feet. Governor VS. performance
showed the mettle of horse already
started on successful season over
midwest tracks.
Peggie G, easily the class out of a
field Of eight starters in the 2:l7
pace and doped as the, prime favorite,
won handily in straight heats, circling
the twice-around oval both times in
2:13N.
Bonnie Belle and Billy Murry fur
nished some good racing in the bat
tie for second place, but the Colorado
mare proved to be little the better
and got under the wire ahead Of the
Nebraska horse both times.
Colts Show Class.
Many horse fans opined that the
colt race did much to add the excite.
ment of the program. Four clever
3-year- scored for the starter.
A Colorado E. colt, Z. Colorado,
heralded as the cream of the field, got
away with the big end of the purse
in straight /heats, but not without a
III Thomas tidy gelding
driven by the old veteran himself,
forced the western stopper to equal
the state record for 3-year-olds to |
win.
One Graves, sitting in the sulky for
the millionaire owner of the colt, met
a Tartar in Al Thomas, and got his
speed merchant under the wire first
both times simply because he had the
best horse. The first heat, clocked at i:
2;lSffl, equaling the state record for
the class, held by Daisy Todd, was
genuine horse race all the way.
Exciting Running Race.
Three colored jockeys and a To-
year-old white boy, all of them riding
we'll put up rangy looking runners
provided an abundance of laughs at
the barrier and an equal amount of
thrills at the finish in the half-mile
dash.
After several fzzles the starter
inally got, the runners away, Blue,
Connors up. the favorite, leaping TO
the front, The veteran jockey of the
,rowd was Jimmy Reese, a dark-hued
gent, who was as good as any rider
II the country ten years ago. His
Barney Mccoy, however, did /
lot have ANYTHING on traveller carry
ng young Criswell white boy, who
loon put the favorite in the rear by
long a good job Of jockeying on
Planetary.
Planetary and the Mccoy horse
came down the stretch neck-and-neck,
Chriswell crowded to the rail by the
and consequently given the
race by the judges. The time, :49M,
was fast over a half mile track.
Track Is Fast.
Slightly cloudy weather greeted the
opening days program. The track
vas well conditioned and has lots OF
tcp.
Ed Curtin OF Decorah, Ia, president
II the Great Western circuit, is pre-
iding Judge for the meeting. C.-M.
Buck and E. L. Whitehead OF Omaha
re associate Judges. ..
DR.. c. c. HalKa and Frank Childs
4 Omaha and DR.. ]. M. McNally of
'ellwood, Neb., are official timers.
+. D. Van Pelt, starter, got them
way in good shape in the face of
ONE aggravating scoring
Todays races, which start promptly,
t ESQ O'Clock, consist OF two trot-
ing events, pace and three-fourths
u mile running race.
Still limo tn planf Thof