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: INTEREST KEEN IN COMING ATTEMPT TO LOWER SALVATORS LONG STANDING MILE RECORD IRON MASK, JOCKEY LOFTUS UP, AS HE APPEARED AFTER HIS RECENT RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE AT JUAREZ. The attempt which Jefferson Livingstons great sprinter. Iron Mask, will make at Juarez before long to better Salvators American mile record of l::!5ii. against time is being eagerly looked forward to by racing folk all over the country. Iron Masks feat of reducing the American record for three-quarters of a mile to 1:09 at Juarez two weeks ago is still a fruitful theme for discussion wherever racing foik gather and. although there is a disposition to regard the big six-year-old son of Disguise and Koyal Rose as essen-t hilly a sprinter, it is the general opinion that he is capable of running a mile over the incomparably fast Juarez track in less time than has ever been recorded for the distance in North America. Pacemakers will be provided for him in his record-breaking essay on Febiuary L and the management of the course will leave nothing undone in the way of track preparation that will tend to gain for Juarez the distinction sought. Should climatic conditionsbc unfavorable on the day selected the trial will lie deferred. Although authoritative information on the subject is lacking, it is-extremely probable that Iron Masks three-quarters in 1:09 constitutes a worlds record for the distance over an eliptical course. Time records in connection with thoroughbred racing are not so carefully kept in other countries as in America. This is partly because the time test, so generally relied upon in America to classify horses, is not regarded :s of equal importance in other lands. In fact, English raciiig ofiicials pay no attention to time and what timing of races is done in that country is due to private enterprise. It therefore follows that the English records available for purposes of comparison are necessarily incomplete. The same thing holds true of other Kuropean racing. In Australia time is carefully chronicled and the records are complete. Australian records for all distances are generally slower than ours. Certain it is that no horse in this country ever ran three-quarters of a mile over a circular course so fast, as Iron Mask did on January 4 last. Harry Payne Whitneys great filly. Artful, ran three-quarters in 1:0S at Morris Park with 130 pounds up. October 15. 1904. but it was over the extremely fast straight course at that track. Prior to Iron Masks performance of January 4 the American record for the distance over an o!iptical course was 1:10. This record had dated back only to September 23 last, when Iron Mask made it at Douglas Park. Louisville, Ky., carrying 127 pounds. Some ten days later. I.eochares. carrying 109 pounds, duplicated Iron Masks feat at Douglas Park and in December the two-year-old Orb again equaled the 1 :10 record over the Juarez track. The Canadian record for three-quarters -is 1:11 and was made at Hamilton, June 19, 1911, with an import of 113 oounds. So far as is known the English record for three-quarters is 1:07 and was made by .Master Willie, a live-year-old, carrying 122 pounds, over one of the straight courses at Epsom Downs, June t, 1901. The Australian record is 1:12,4. It is admitted that weather and track conditions were ideal when Iron Mask made his sensational record at Juarez, and in view of this circumstance there is a disjwsition to believe that the record is one that will stand for a long time. On the other hand, it should not be forgotten that Iron Mask was being eased up in the final furlong and that be could have done better than he did bad it lieen necessary. It was on August 2S. 1JS90, over the straightaway at Monmouth Park. N. J., that Salvator. then a four-vear-old. ran his memorable mile in 1:35. He carried 110 pounds and it was a trial against time. Should Iron .Mask succeed in bettering this mark his feat will be the more meritorious from the fact that it will have been accomplished over a course with turns. Moso Goldblatt. who trains Iron Mask and the rest of Mr. Livingstons big string of thoroughbreds, is confident that his charge will be able to lower Salvators lotcr-standing record. Fast as was Salvators mile, two horses are known to have run faster in actual racing in England. Caiman, as a four-year-old, ran the most extraordinary mile on record in England in winning a race over the straightaway at Lingtield. July 13. 1900, when, with 12S pounds up. he ran the distance in 1:33. So far as is known this is the fastest mile ever run by a thoroughbred. Caiman was an American-bred horse, being by Locohatchee Happy Day. lie was taken to England by Pierre Loriilard. On September 4 of last year the live-year-old Cigar, carrying 120 pounds, ran a mile over the straight course at Derby, hi England, hi 1:34.
