South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-30
BARON Alta HAS
UNIQUE RECORD
Oakland Barren GeIding Starts
as Trotter, But Is Shifted
to q PAGER.
BY W. II. GOCHER.

BY W. II. GOCIIER.
After "a horse has been raced for
three seasons in oil kinds OF COM
pany and mover finished outside %
the money. he is enutled to be COW
sidered a srcc-s-fu1 performer. That
is the score which has been made 5y
the Oakland Baron gelding Baron
Alta His card shows starts OF
which ne won 2S, was second in four.
third in three. and fourth in one.
His winnings amount TO S11.567.S0, a
very favorable showing for a horse
that made all of his starts but one
over the half-mile tracks.
Bred on Hudson.
Baron Alta was bred at the Hud-
son River Stock farm. Poughkeepsie.
y. Y, and was sold as "A three-year-
old at one OF the New York sales
20 Roger Rourke of Greenfield.
Mass. for $40. He was then a
trotter and showed a quarter in 80
seconds at that gait when Starr Lee
of Athol purchased him for $500.
The -year-old was then turned
over TO Eddie Rowe. He shifted him
To a pace, the gait at which his dam
Laureatta made record of 2:0SA
She was bred in Montana by Marcus
Daily and was "a sister to the fast
colt trotter Laurels, Pisa. the pair
being by Prodigal out of Laurel b,
a daughter of the three-year-old
champion Sable Wilkes and Lyla A.
The latter was by Arthurton out of
the LangfOrd mare Flora, which also
produced Lillian Wilkes, 2:17%. "A
mare that earned a place for herself
i'm turf history by producing Guy
AXworthy, 2:OSA, the sire of Lee
Axworthy, 1852.
First Race.
Springfield. VT. was the scene of
Baron Atlas first race He won a
heat in 2:25 and finished second to
Brown Johnson. This event was fol-
lowed by eight victories in five
weeks. his fastest mile being paced
in 2:14A at Northampton His last
appearance in 1916 was in October
at F'itchburg. where he paced three
races on consecutive days and was
credited with one first and two thirds
at the close of the meeting
BY this time the people in New
England knew that there was 4
clever PAGER owned in AthOl and
considerable was expected of him in
1917 when after winning two easy
races over the home track he drop
ped into the Bay state circuit at
Northampton. Starting in a field OF
II. he won the first heat in 2:11L
and lost the next three to James AL
bert. one Of them being paced in
.2:O912. This event was followed by
eight victories. all but one of which
were won in straight heats, the ex-
Ception being at Springfield where
in October he won after making a
dead heat with May Bird. His rec.
ord was also reduced to 2:O9A al
Plattsburgh, where he won a $4,000
event while he also repeated in the
same time at Malone
First Start
Baron Alta made his first start
last year at Springfield. Mass. where
he again met his old antagonist
James Albert. and was defeated aft
or a five heat contest He also fin
ished third 10 Judge OrmOnde the
following week at Northampton
after which he won at Greenfield in
2:09A from James Albert. B. NJ.
and Colonel NJ. This race was fol.
lowed by a sweep through the Orange
county circuit. where he won at
Monroe and Goshen in 2:O7% and
at Middletown in 2:1OA from Texas
Jim. r. II. Brett. Mussell Shell. and
COmsewogue Hal. n his Middle
town race. "A competitor ran into
him and injured one of his front
legs. He was kept going. however.
and was started the following weeE
in his only race over mile track al
Poughkeepsie without being legged
up for trip through the long
stretches. this even ne stood sec,
ond in the summary 10 Betsey Ham
lin after winning heat in 2:06.
Switching back to the double
oVals, Baron Alta won four more
races, two of them being the $4,000
purse events at Pittsburgh and Ma
lone. where he paced in 2:O7H. de-
feating James Albert and Liberty
Patch. His last two starts were in
the free for alls at the Windsor
Conn. October meeting. II the first
he finished fourth TO Baxter Lou. II
being the lowest point ever assigned
him in a race summary. The fol-
lowing week. however. Baron Alta
balanced his account with the Kin
ney Lou gelding by defeating him.
Judge Ormonde. ard Bellinardine
after five heat contest in 2:O1L.
Woman Owner.
During the greater part Of last sea
son. Baron Alta was raced under the
management OF Mrs. Lee. her hus-
band. who has since died. being in
such bad health that ne was unable
TO visit the meetings at which his
horse performed Also when his es-
tate was settled Baron Alta was
SOLD at public auction for $500 TO
John a. McGregor. under whose col
ers he Will race this year. pass
ing II might also be added that
Brown johnson. Maella. Red Norton.
James Albert. Judge Ormonde. Bet