Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-01-12
LACK OF ICE may
HURT MEETING
AT MT. CLEMENS
Warm Weather and Poor
Prospect for First-CIaSS
Track Cuts Entry List;
Statistics of Season.
By H. K. Whitfield.

for Mount Clemens, Mich, is all
ready for the tap of the bell tomor-
row afternoon. The horses are on
the grounds and "raring to 60" the
grandstand has been enclosed with
glass and the heating arrangements
are in place; the entrance fees are
all paid and the winners picked. In
fact, everything is in shipshape with
the exception of tine ice. That
seems to be all that is lacking. Very
little snow has fallen in that part
of the state so far this winter and
unless something happens pretty
quick they may have to race on the
bare ground.
Mount Clemens has popularized
the sport of winter racing more
than any other city in the country,
and, in fact, is about the only place
on this side of the Canadian line
where regular meetings are held
each winter. Because of the warm
weather and poor prospect for good
racing the ST 900 stake events did not
receive the patronage this year that
they had last, and only three of
them filled. The program for the
first day (Monday) consists of a
2:09 pace, 2:20 trot and a slow pace.
Purses are $415 in each of these
events.
Columbia Fire, Jr.
One of the additions to the grand
circuit next year will be the 5-year-
old trotting gelding, Columbia Fire,
Jr, who is in the Geers st..ble at
Memphis. This gelding is by that
old Nebraska war horse, Columbia
Fire. 2:044, who was owned for a
number of years i'll Lincoln. The
gelding is said to have trotted
eighths in Is seconds and, unlike his
sire, is claimed to be good-headed
and easy to manage.
Another western trotter to go to
the big rings next year is Ruby
Aubrey (4) 2:13A, who was recent
ly purchased by Tommy Murphy.
She was bred and raised by L. L.
Cassidy of Des Moines and has been
in the hands of Charlie Hardie for
the last two seasons. She obtained
a 2-year-old mark of 2:17 in Indi-
annapolis two years ago and during
the last season won nine straight
races over the half-mile tracks, sew
eral of them in the Great Western
circuit.
Statistics of Past Season.
Statistics for the last year show
that a total of "a former 2:10 trot-
tiers lowered their marks during the
season, while but IA 2:07 PAGERS re-
duced their records. OF the trot-
tiers nine took records of 2:05 or
better, while all but one of the pac-
ers were blow the 2:05 notch. Ma
bel Trask, 2;01M, heads the list of
trotters, having cut her mark from
2:021z.
New additions to the 2;10 list of
trottcrs number II, of which Ante
Guy. the four-year-old FLY by Guy
Axworthy, 2:08A; dam Anteash by
Ashland Wilkes, 2:l71z; second dam
Eoline, 2:l4N by Arteeo, 2:161z,
heads the list with mark of 2:0319.
Two in the list are two-year-olds
and 10 are three-year-olds.
In the pacing division, 43 side
whcelers entered the 2:07 list with
new records. The former western
owned horse, I'm by Redlac, 2:0715,
dam Garnetta s., 2:12A by Sirius,
2:l9H, second dam Mack Rose by
Ncbocklish took the fastest mark,
2:02H. He was bred by Seth Cook
Of Mount Ham;1, Ia, and was driven
by Chas. Valentine last year.
Miss Harris NJ, 1:5s14.
The fastest mark of the year was
made by Miss Harris NJ, when she
paced the first mile in race over
the new Toledo, o., mile track in
l:5S4. The second fastest mile was
made in the second heat of the same
race by Single G. in 1:59H and the
third mile of the same race was in
1:i594, also won by Single G. This
was the first race in history where
all three heats were under two minu-
ties. Two other former western
PAGERS, A Game of Chance, and
Helen Chimes, took marks cf below
two minutes.
The fastest yearling trotter of the
year is an equal honor between the
]. Malcolm Forbes FLIES, Miss I'm
and Flo Shirley, each with a record
of 2.23, while Mr.. Dudley Cd, an
other of the get Of Malcolm Forbes,
took a mark of 2:254.