The New York herald., 1922-10-15
CHAMPION TROTTERS
IN IMAGINARY RACE
Recent Holder of Worlds Rec
ord Moves 1922 Feet a
Second.
ONLY UHLAN MISSES FLAG
Goldsmith Maid, 2:14, Left
Furlong Behind and Sally
Miller Quarter of Mile.
BY GURNEY C. CUE.

Robert Bonner, perhaps the most
famous horseman this country has
ever known, and one whose influence
in elevating the status of the trotting
turf cannot easily be overestimated,
became engaged about thirty years
ago in a friendly newspaper contro-
versy with Gen. Benjamin F. Tracy,
then Secretary of the Navy relative
to the ultimate speed of the harness
horse. and in supporting the conten-
tion that no trotter could ever make
a record as fast as 900, the editor of
the New York Ledger said:
"Just see what they have got to do.
To trot a mile in 200 the horse must
beat Maud S. more than $50 feet
They have been trying six years now
to beat her just one foot, and they
have failed to do it, let alone beating
her $50 feet
Mr.. Bonner's graphic style Of stat
ing the case brought out forcibly the ac-
tual meaning of every advance in the
record, and of the vast difference be-
tween a mile in 2:0S% and mile in
100. To the everyday horseman it was
much easier to think of mere clipping
away OF quarter seconds and seconds
until the two-minute mark was reached
than to conceive of trotter great enough
to leave the peerless Maud S. away up
the homestretch. twenty yards behind the
distance flag as he sped past the finish
line.
This picture then seemed so preposter-
Gus to horsemen that 1t proved to be
more convincing than any argument that
the noted Brooklyn lawyer could adj
vance, and the owner of the mare that
first beat 10 had the great majority
OF horsemen on his side Yet within
a year from this time the trotting record
lad dropped from 2:0s% to 2:04. and
Maud S. was left nearly 200 feet behind
the new champion. Nancy HANKS. 2:04
in the imaginary race of the record hold
ers. A radical improvement in sulky
building contributed much If not all TO
this marked reduction of the record but
improvements in sulkies. tracks. train
ing methods and the like had aided
nearly every other champion to advance
the limit of speed, and they are always
to be considered
II all the champions beginning with
Lady Suffolk, 2:29la. the first horse to
beat 2 80 or better in harness. could be
called back and started in a race. each
maintaining his best recorded rate OF
speed for one mile, Peter Manning, the
champion of 1922. would not only dis
tance the great mare whose record Mr..
Bonner believed could never be beaten.
but would leave her three-quarters of
furlong up the stretch when he crossed
the line in 56%. The present king OF
trotters travels at the rate OF 45.22 feet
n second. Maud s. covered the ground
at a rate of 41.01 feet. The gelding
would thus gain a little more than two
feet second on the mare. making his
lead 492.09 feet in the mile.
AS showing the outstanding speed OF
Peter Manning, it is interesting to note
that only Uhlan. :5S. among champions
of the past could escape the distance
flag In race with the grandson OF
Peter the Great 2:07A. He would be
66.61 feet, or about seven lengths be-
hind the winner. Lou Dillon. without
the aid of her windshield would fail to
beat the flag by a couple of lengths.
while Nancy Hanks. would be almost n
double distance out. Goldsmith Maid
the wonder OF her day, would finish
more than furlong behind the winner.
and Sally Miller 2;37, the first trotter
TO beat 2 40. would be struggling along
on the upper turn. more than quarter
of a mile back of Peter Manning.
What the result of such race might
be II all the champions could start on
equal terms with modern equipment on
the parlor tracks Of to-day. and each
with q Tommy Murphy to condition and
. drive him, Is. of course, very di1erent
matter But Peter Manning probably
Mould sell favorite over the whole HELD
with Cresceus or Uhlan second choice
and Jay -Eye-See not wholly overlooked
in the betting.
Tba following table shows the sue
cessive champions in harness from Peter
Manning back 20 Flora Temple. the first
trotter TO beat 2 20; also the previous
champions that first beat 3 100, 2 40 and
2.2O. The distance covered In one sec
ord by each horse trotting at his best
re .orded rate of speed Is given; also the
distance In feet that he would cover IN
~, time required by Peter Manning TO
trot a full mile. and finally the distance
in feet that Peter Manning would leao
each trotter as the champion finished In
:56T
Year OF
making
ie2s-Petcr Manning. :56% %................'.
fai2-Uhlan. .JS.. .......s'.''''.'
l0Ol-Iou Dillon. 2:0i.................'
iao4-Major Del Mar. :o1M.................
1aOI--Crerceus . .O2A. ..s.ss..'s.
lao0-The Abbot, o3M.......
isae-Nancy Hanks. .................."
: 1s9l-Sunol 2:0sh.. .............s.'''..-''
iss5-Maud s.. 2 osN ..................'....
iss0-st. julien. 2:ifh..................
is74-GoldSmlth Maid, 2;i4..................
is5a-Fiora Temple. 2:ipA.. A..................
1si5-Lady Suffolk, 2:29h. h..............''.'
lssl-sally Miller, 2:3a ...'.''..''''''''''''
1S..6- -Screwdriver, 2;4s......'.