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V ROSE BEN, GREATEST OF AMERICAN SPRINTERS, IS RETIRED FROM THE. TURF D. C. JOHNSONS B. G, 8, ROSEBEN. BY BEN STROME ROSE LEAF. In racing, every year has its good sprinters, but every lew years one crops tip so superior to the average that it acquires a, .special degree of fame. Greatest of all of these, and by the record the greatest sprinter of American turf history was Roso-lien. In superb disregard of weight he was a remarkable horse and his enormous lllght of speed at any distance up to seven furlongs was something wonderful to contemplate. His days of racing are over. After as many farewell performances as falls to a favorite singer Roseben has really been retired and will spend the remainder of his days in peace and honor on the Genesse Valley farm of James W. Wadsworth in central New York. I.ut many years must pass before memory of the deeds of the mighty "Dig Train" passes from the minds of the thousands of New York turf patrons whom he thrilled and amazed by his meteoric rushes over the Xew York tracks. Rosebens racing career began in the powerful Drake stable of a half dozen or so years back, but he was lame and ailing when a two-year-old and was only started once, running unplaced in a little purse race at the Nashville spring meeting of 1903. The next year he passed into the possession of David C. Johnson, and his great racing was all made while the property and pride of this reckless plunger. His first winning race, however, was for Drake at Morris 1ark In a sprint for maiden three-year-olds at !i furlongs. He then passed to Johnson and won two races for the latter as a three-year-old in 1!04. Johnson took him to New Orleans in the winter of 1004-5 and from there to Hot Springs, Ark. Here he won some fast races ami acquired considerable reputation, but no one then had any idea of his being such a whale of a horse as he afterward proved himself to be. From . Hot Springs he was 1 1 " i . t : . 1 I V 1 L c L ; It t a u Ve-r. Age. - Sts. 1903 2 1 1904 : 0 j 1905 4 2! i!o; r. 22 1!07 ! 11 VMS 7 20 1100 s 10 Totals 7 Ill 1903. 3 - 2. "i? g" i n "3 a Distance. : ,. sr - e i 2 S 4 1-2 furlongs.. :50 107 8-1 10 15 Ion 1904. S-l mile .-. 1:HJ !S 11-5 4 ICS len About ::-4 mile. 1:11! JlS 100-1 8 U len i 1-2 furlongs.. 1:2.. 107 0-5 1 3 len ::-4 mile 1:1:;; 10s 4-1 2 neck ::-4 mile l:i:: lW l-l 1 nose 3-4 mllG 1:135 12:: i-5 1 i len 7-S mile 1:28 122 11-5 .". len ::-4 mile 1:105 114 0-1 4 l len o-4 mile 1:13J 110 12-1 2 3 leu 1905. .1-4 mile 1:1S 117 1-1 1 12 len :;-4 mile i:is i:;o ::-.- :; I len 5 1-2 furlongs. .1:115 !IS 1-3 1 5 len 5 1-2 furlongs. .1:10 12S 2-1 1 nose ::-4 mile 1:14 115 11-20 2 2 len ::-4 mile 1:15 122 7-5 1 head 7-S mile 1:201! 11:: 10-1 2 5 len 1 mile l:::!i 122 0-1 4 7 leu :.-4 mile 1:13 112 8-1 1 nose mile 1:13 115 .5-1 0 22 len r, 1-2 furlongs.. l:2i 115 12-5 1 11 len 7-S mile 1:28; 140 8-5 1 2 leu About 3-4 mile. 1:10 12." 5-1 :: :: len 3-4 mile 1:125 120 1-1 2 2 Icn ::-4 liilh; 1:111 1:17 ::-2 1 0 len 3-4 mile i:i:: 140 8-5 1 1 len ::-4 mile i:i2 i::5 1-1 1 :u ion ::-4 mile l:i:i 1 10 o-5 1 ll leu ::-4 mile 1:144 i:;7 1-S 1 ll len 1 mile 1:395 120 31-1 ! - J len 3-4 mile 1:13 140 18-5 1 head 3-4 mile 1:14 120 !-10 2 1 len 3-4 mile 1 :14ft 137 2-7 2 5 len Aliout 3-4 mile. 1:095 132 2-1 1 5 len About 3-4 mile.l:ll 137 9-5 1 H len 3-4 mile 1:12 140 11-10 1 5 len 3-4 mile 1:1 IS 147 3-5 1 5 len 7-S mile 1:254 120 1-20 1. 10 leu 3-4 mile l:12i 130 1-25 1 20 len i9og. ;; 7-S mile 1:20? 120 11-5 1 head 1 mile l:40i 127 4-5 1 2 leu 1 1-10 miles l:47i 120 7-10 5 4i len 1 mile 1:30 120 31-1 5 4 len taken to Washington and there beat .Santa Catalina iii a riico.: Hismoxt whining. race, was in the Toboggan Handicap at Morris .Park, .in which he defeated Sparkling Star. Pasadena .and nino more :good sprinters, and at once acquired a favorable position in metropolitan estimation. It was the beginning of a long series of remarkable achievements in the course of that and the next two years, marked my unheard-of performances in record breaking and weight carrying performances that brought several fortunes to his owner and endeared him to the public, not only of New York, but also everywhere in this country where the lleetness of the thoroughbred is known and admired. His speed remained undiminished until the end of his form as a six-year-old, but in 100S. although always dangerous, it became evident that there was a falling away In the average of his form and his forelegs became troublesome. Last winter he was taken to California and was moderately successful, winning several races, and in one instance showing a glimpse of the grand speed that earned for him the sobriquet of the "Rig Train." Tills was when with 13! pounds up he ran second to King James in tlie Speed Handicap at Santa Anita in 1:11 at three-quarters of a mile. The table Hielow gives the features of every race run bv Roseben. One striking thing is the great number of races in which he carried over 130 pounds to victory. Many were the perplexities liandicapper Vos-burgli had in weighting Roseben. but he established that 150 was his breaking iHiint. Not once did lie win when handicapped to carry that weight, whereas 147 did not seem to bother him in the least, that being his impost when he made his electrifying record of 1:115. Rosebens record of earnings and his racing in detail are as follows: 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Unp. Won. 0 0 0 1 3 2 1 3 S 2.3S0 39 - 22,080 11 5 3 3 27.800 J, 1 2 1 l.-;.S05 ; i 4 8 " 0.340 Jj J " 2-41r 52 25 12 22 4,010 S S! 9 Si K Distance. ; ? . --3 2 cr "i . " 2 " 3-4 mile 1:13 140 0-10 2 neck 7 1-2 furlongs.. 1:32 133 3-5 1 1 len 1 1-4 miles 2:05? 11! 20-1 7 S len About 3-4 mile. 1:11 i? 110 31-1 3 21 len 3-4 mile 1:12? 113 7-5 3 - 3 len 0 1-2 furlongs.. 1:1! 137 !-5 2 4 len 3-4 mile . ...1:125 137 !-10 3 41 len 3-4 mile 1:12 137 11-5 2 head 3-4 mile 1:125 132 31-1 1 2 len 3-4 mile 1:125 137 1-3 1 o len 7-8 mile 1:205 122 1-3 1 3 len 3-4 mile l:12g 144 1-3 1 J len About 3-4 mile. 1:10 15 !-20 2 2 len 3-4 mile 1:125 147 1-1 1 0 len 7-S mile 1:22 120 1-80 1 20 leu 3-4 mile 1:13 148 1-3 2 head 3-4 mile 1:12 117 3-5 1 2 len 7-S mile 1:275 140 . 2-1 1 2 len 1907. T-S mile 1:285 135 S-l 2 1 lc:i 1 mile IMOt 124 8-5 3 2 len 3-1 mile 1:125 110 0-5 ! 4 len 3-4 mile 1:125 137 0-5 1 3 len 3-1 mile .......1:13 110 2-5 2 2 len 1 mile 115 2-1 2 21 len 3-4 mile 1:135 130 1-5 J 0 len " 3-4, mile 1:125 140 1-2 2 3 len "-4 mile 1:12 140 4-1 1 1 len 3-4 mile 1:125 147 11-5 1 2 len 3-4 mile 1:125 150 1-1 2 2 len 3-4 mile 1:115 132 3-5 1 C len 3-4 mile 1:125 137 1-5 1 i len 7-S mile 1:255 110 1-1 1 2 len 1908. 5-S mile :505 130 S-5 4 3 len 3-4 mile 1:125 130 3-2 fi 7 len 3-4, mile 1:115 130 5-1 10 S len 3-4 mile 1:15 140 8-5 1 G len 0 1-2 rurlongs..l:215 12! 2-1 3 5 len 3-4 mile 1:135 132 S-5 2 4 len About 3-4 mile.l:10 130 i ;..-, 1 neck About 3-4 mile.l:0!5 135 13-20 1 4 len About 3-4 uille.l:00 142 7-10 3 1 len Aliout 3-4 mile.l:0!5 142 4-5 3 12 len 3-4 mile 1:12 140 0-1 5 12 len C 1-2 furlongs.. 1:1! 137 S-5 1 1 len Continued on second page. ROSEBENS RACING CAREER AT END. Continued from first page. H SI O 3j sj S3 : 5 2L ra n ? 5"3 n Distance. . 3T c p . ! f i I ? 0 1-2 furlongs.. 1:19 142 C-5 2 2 len 1 1-2 furlongs.. 1:188 127 8-o 2 ,.hSai 7-S mile ..7... 1:25 130 3-1 If fn 3-4 mile 1:12s 12S 0-1 2 i en 0 1-2 furlongs.. 1:18 129 1-1 2 -lb len C 1-2 furlongs.. 1:19s 140 2-l 1 3 len 7-S mile .1:20 122 S-5 5 S en About 3-4 mlle.l:08 123 2-1 .! 4 len About 3-4 mlle.lMO 123 1-2 1 3 len Futurity Course.l:108 112 4-.; 1 4 len Futurity a:ourse.l:108 12S 11-20 1 4 len Futurity Course. 1:10 185 3-o 1 3 len 7-S mile 1:27 107 1-5 2 2 len Futurity Course.l:09i 140 Go o i len 1909. 7-8 mile ....... ..1:29 14., 4-1 5 7 len U 1-2 furlongs.. 1:22 119 23-;. 2 head Futurity Course.! :128 130 1-2 1 4 len - 3-4 mile 1:118 129 10-1 ; 2 len .3-4 mile .......1:11 139 4-1 2 - 2 len Futurity Course.l:12 .107 -10 1 3 len 3-4 mile 1:10 111 9-5 5 4J len C 1-2 furlongs.. 1:20 lir, S-5 1 3 len - 3-4 mile 1:13 "0 ? ? J"11 7-8 mil" 1:21 105 5-1 2 21 len
