The sun., 1919-10-26
MURPHY LEADS THE
WINNING DRIVERS
Tops List in Grand Circuit
Meet With Total Of Fifty
six Victories.
WALTER COX IS SECOND
-'POp" Geers, Counted Out
Early in Season, Lands
Third Laurels.


barrel. and it never got back into posi-
ton during the rest of the season.
Two days were checked off the list at
Belmont Park as we'll as at Pough-
keepsle and Hartford, while BostCN lost
almost three and Syracuse almost two.
The Columbus September meeting also
was hampered by the weather, but man.
aged to avoid cancellations A colt race
was all that was skipped at Lexington.
At Atlanta the curtain fell on the series
in the rain with the loss Of one days
programme.
Give 4O2 Meetings.
The series OF 1919 runs the number
of meetings given by members Of the
Grand Circuit in forty-six years up to
402, at which the premiums amounted
to s12. ,30392. Hartford now is the
senior member and Toledo the junior,
while Cleveland, which obtained another
franchise after dropping from the cir
cult. Is the only present city that was
a member OF the original circuit In 1878.
At the start Its meetings were held over
the golden oval at Chenille, but in 1909
were transferred to North Randall.
when the present course made its bow
to the racing world.
. While the average rate OF speed was
faster in 1919 than in the past, there
have been very few sensational perform
ances except among the aged, some
might call them old. horses. Single G.'s
heat in :59& at Toledo was the only
one recorded below two minutes. while
Lu Princeton leads the trotters with a
time record of 2 :01 and a mile in 2 :02
in a dash race.
All OF these are trifie short Of the
returns in 1918, when Single G. and Miss
Harris NJ. placed the three heat race
record for PAGERS below the two minute
line. while both Mabel Trask and St.
Frisco won heats in 2:01s. The in
jury sustained by Ante Guy In her
second race no doubt kept the trotters
from making a new mark, but all that
can be said for the PAGERS IL that they
could not step up to the new standard.
OF the old trotters, Heir Reaper Early
Dreams, Royal Mack and Mignola were
the leaders. The first named, now a
twelve-year-old, won in 2:04% at Kala-
mazoo Royal Mack, IL years old, made
his third trip through the circuit and
won in 2:04A at Toledo and Lexington.
where Early Dreams made a new record
for horses of that age when he showed
In front Unexpectedly in 2:0SL.
At the same time he made a new
worlds record for geldings, which was
equalled by Prince Loree In the Tran
sylvania. Mignola, ten-year-old.
marched like conquering hero from the
opening meeting of the Grand Circuit
until he pulled up lame at Hartford.
where he was defeated in the Charter
Oak Purse by Mariondale. He was
started In ten races. OF which he
won nine and made a record OF :04A
NO one ever saw a better trotter than
the handsome son OF Allerton.
McGreEor Leads in Money.
McGregor the Great proved the lead
ing money winner OF 1919 He won
twelve OF his fourteen races. Marion
dale defeated him at the first Cleveland
meeting and in the Massachusetts Purse
at Boston, but he more than offset those
slips by his brilliant race at Syracuse,
where he won In :03k and followed II
Ny sweep from that point TO Atlanta.
Direct c. Burnett leads the PAGERS In
the dollar column. He won eleven OF
his fifteen races. After his first start
at Cleveland. whore he was drawn. he
looked to be unbeatable until Grace Di-
rect caught him on his second appear
ance at Lexington. This was followed
by two more losing performances at At
lanta, where Frank Dewey, after a run
IN the field for eleven weeks, flashed
out in front in 2:01h, while In his
second race he lost to Sanardo. his
stable companion.
Mignola and Sanardo each won nine
races during the season. As has been
stated, the former started in ten events,
while the San Francisco PAGER took the
word in fourteen. his fastest perform
ance being at Lexington, where he de-
feated Adioo Guy in 2:ook after the
latter had won heat in 2:O0% Royal
Mack made the most remarkable cam
paign ever placed to the credit of a
horse OF his age. During the fifteen
weeks he was started in fourteen races
or which he won eight. finished second
in four. third in one and was unplaced
IN one. In his last race at Lexington
this rugged gelding looked as though he
was good for another season or two in
the fastest company.
TAe Laurel Hall filly Natalie the Great
made one of the most prolonged and
most successful campaigns ever credited
TO two-year-old trotter. She took the
word In ten races, of which she won
seven and finished second in three. None
or her rivals could catch her until she
reached Philadelphia. where Mr.. Dudley
won. At Boston she won In 2:10. while
Dudette defeated her at Hartford and
Daystar at Lexington. Mr.. Dudley
dropped dead after winning a heat in
2:O9%, the race record for a two-year-
old this year, and also in an event which
proved the fastest four heat race on
record for foals OF that age.
Grace Direct Runs Well.
Grace Direct. DIR. Nick, Goldie Todd
and Hollywood Kate each won. six races
at Grand Circuit meetings OF this list
Grace Direct defeated all of the best
class PAGERS of the year, including Direct
c. Burnett. Sanardo and Frank Dewey,
while she was beaten only few inches
by Directum ]. at Lexington. Prior to the
opening OF the Grand Circuit this mare
picked up five races on the half mile
tracks, In one OF which Symbol S. For
rest won a heat from her in 2:05 q
Also after the close of the Philadelphia
meeting she was shipped to Springfield
Ill. where she defeated Single G. and
a number of other high class performers
In the free for all In 2:00la.
Murphy did not start DIR. Nick until
the circuit horses reached Poughkeep-
sic. lie won six of seven starts, his
only skip being at Syracuse, while he
showed also,a mile In 2;04% at Lexing-