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: THE RACING OF THE PRESENT YEARS CHAMPION THREE -YEAR-OLD From his racing as a two-year-old it could not easily be discerned that Roamer was destined to be the champion three-year-old of 1014. Yet .sndi he was and is beyond dispute. In advance of the fact his brilliant role could have been assigned as a matter justly in expectancy for the grand two-vear-old Old Rosebud. Then after the gigantic Luke McLuke hail carried off the Kentucky Handicap in such extraordinary time and lashlon last May no one could have impugned the judgment of him who declared the real star o"f the year badjeen disclosed. One cannot help in indulging in conjecture as to what the outcome would have been had these two splendid young thoroughbreds not been disabled so early in the mimic warfare of the race track. In the face of the facts conjecture does not go far, but it can now be set down as a certainty that even had they remained sound and in top form they would have found in Roamer a formidable antagonist and, mayhap, a conqueror. It is recorded that long ago an English Napoleon of the turf was asked, "What is the first requisite of a race horse;" To which he replied, "Speed." "And then what?" "More siieed!" To one cherishing such opinions Roamer would have been a delight, for speed in its extreme is his most remarkable characteristic. Running well within his capacity aiid carrying 124 pounds, he reeled on" the first mile of the Washington Handicap at Laurel in 1:30. To those Inclined to mcntaj speculation, this might easily lead to wonderment as to what Roamer could do at a mile under favorable conditions over the inordinately fast Juarez track. Last year ns a two-year-old Roamer started in seventeen races, of which he won four. His most important success was achieved when he woii the Saratoga Special and, carrying 110 pounds, ran its three-quarters in 1:1.1, defeating Gainer,, Rlack Toney, Imperator, Ear.y Rose, Punch Rowi, Figinuv, Spearhead, King McDowell, Prairie, Golden Chimes anil Mr. Sniggs. This race was of the net value ilf 1914.sh,300 and Roamer defeated Gaiuer by a length .ind si half. Roamers beginning in racing was as the property of lay Bros., of Lexington. Ky., but Andrew Miller had purchased him at Belmont Park while the meeting there was in progress and it was for him that he won the Saratoga Special, as well as his signal triumphs of this year. He did not wjn again after that race and went into winter quarters with the reputation of being merely a itspectably useful youngster. Showing the traditional traits of the Musket family in England and Australia, Roamer improved beyond all reasonable expectations in the periqd of transition from his form as a two-year-old into that of a three-year-old. He did not immediately demonstrate this and it was not until he had ran in three races that he found himself and forced. himself into the public eye by- convincing displays of superior speed. Ills first start of the year was at Belmont Park. May 27,. in a purse race at three-quarters of a mile. He carried 104 pounds and had for opponents Yankee Notions, 114; Leo Skolny, 107: Montresor, 105; Ben Quince, 00, and Decoy, 05. The race Was run in a blinding rainstorm. Roamer won from Yaiikee Notions, bv four .engths, with mi time taken, and was a 7 to 5 post favorite. May .10 he started in the Withors Stakes, at .1 mile, the starters, weights and order of finish being Charlestonlau, 115; Gainer, 118; Roamer, 115; Superintendent, 11.", and Old Rosebud, 113. The latter celebrity, fresh from his runaway victory in the Kentucky Derby, was the favorite at 1 to 5 and led to the far turn, then, as was ascertained afterwards, fell-lame and, swerving to the .outside, finished last and .never started in a race again. It was a race or disasters and contradictions, Cliaiiestonlan at 40 to 1 winning, with Gainer at 30 to 1, second, and Roamer at 10 to 1, third. Charlestocian only won by. a nose, biit Gainer was eight lengths in front of Roamer. The mile of the race was run in 1:S1-. In his next race Roamer was unplaced for the only time this year. This was in the Toboggan Stakes, of three-quarters of a mile, at Relmont Park, June 11. Fifteen of the Tastest horses in raining in the east started, with Meeting House the favorite at IS to r. Roamer at 20 to 1 was off next to last and finished there. Meeting House being the absolute last. Carrying 120 pounds. Rock View won by a nepk in 1:12, with Figinny. loo pounds, second, and Ten Point. 12S pounds, third. ; The unplaced ones were Sprite, Flying Fairy, Leoehares. Tranjd. Yankee Notions, Rnckhorn. Helen Barbee. Early Rose, Spring Roard. Montresoi Roamer and Meeting House. The latter was pocketed from the start and could not get out. Obviously, speed was more than, well represented in the Toboggan of this year. Fo.lowing this, Roamer inaugurated a career of triumph that included only two reversed in the remainder of the racing year. June 20, In a purse, race.at thrce-quartei with 107 iounds up, he won with ease in 1:1.1 from Yankee Notions", 102. pbunds;llester Prynne, 100; Stromboli. 100: Leoehares. 117: Tranid. 00: Helen Rarbee. 104, and two more. With JoeNotter up. Leochsuxs was the favorite at .2. to 1 and Roamer Was secondehoice at 4 to 1. Moving" WeVHcTtlie: Aqueduct track, he was "given 100 pounds in the Carter Handicap, at seven-eighths of -a mile. It might be said that it was in this event that he gave the first de-cded evidence of his coming greatness. lie was opjwsed by such racing stars as Borrow, 120 pounds; F!y ing Fairy, 117: Meridian. 12;; Ten Point, 120; Gainer, 107; Buckhorn. 110; Leoehares, . 115; FUttergold . 10S; Isidora, 100; Republican. 108, and Frederick L., 112; Ten Point was the favorite, backed down froni: 3 to 1 to 7 to 5, and "It was C to, 1 against Roamer, which at once took the lead and, setting a great pace, won all the way and finished pulling up two lengths before Rorrow, the latter throe In front of Flying Fairy. The distance was run in 1:24, a new record for the race and the track as well. This race "was run June 27, and on July 1. at the same track and distance, he took up 115 pounds and, as an odds-on favorite, defeated Hocliir, 102 pounds; Hester Pryniie. 100, and four others, winning in a canter in 1:25. July 0 he showed that he could stay as well as run fast. Also he showed bow ridiculously untrue the rnn-t ning of the Withers Stakes was. The race was the Rrockyn Derby, at a mile mid a quarter, with Roamer, 117 pounds; Gainer, 120, aiid" Charlestonian. 123, as the starters. It was a case of Roamer first and the rest nowhere. He won pulled double by; eight lengths in the new track record time of 2:03, with Gainer second, and was a 7 to 10 favorite. His next race brought unexpected defeat. This was in the Empire City Handicap of a mile and an eighth, over the Empire City track, July IS, the going being good, but not fast. He was in at 110 pounds and was opposed by Buckhorn. 120 pounds; G. M. Miller. 104; Ten Point. 125, and Flying Fairy, 110, and so, by the scale, was giving weight to all. He was unable to do it that tiay and. after making the running to the last eighth, tired and Buckhoru won by a length in 1:54, while G. M. Miller beat him by a head for second place. Then he took six races in succession before again meeting a reverse. July 22, in the Midsummer Stakes, at a mile and a half, he only had Robert Oliver to con-, tend with and won uhextended at 1 to 30 in 2:40. Taken to Saratoga, he carried 12.1 pounds in the Travers Stakes, at a iliile and a quarter, August S, and won by ten lengths in 2:04. a new track record. Surprising. 120 pounds, was second, and Gainer, 121, third. Stromboli. Punch Bowl, Figinny and Addie M. running also. lie was favorite at 11 to 10. On August 25, as a 1 to 2 favorite, it was play for him to win the Huron Handicap of a mie and a quarter in 2:00-f.. He carried 128 pounds to 10! on Punch Bowl, 114 on Gainer and 110 on Addie M. Then bo went over to Syracuse after the rich State Fair Stakes promoted by the Jockey Club: Having only Gainer as an opponent, he ran its mile and a quarter in 2:02 and won by "eight lengths. -This race was worth 1914.sh,500 net and the most valuable that fell to him this year., Then ft was back to Belmont Park and there, on September 12, he won the Municipal Handicap, at a mile and a quarter in 2:04. but not with his usual ease. He carried 122 pounds to OS on Addie M. and the iiUv stuck to her work to such good purpose that she had him fully extended to win by a length. Pandean. 104 pounds, was third, and Hedge, 105, ran unplaced. September 12 nothing ventured to oppose him in the Belmont Park Autumn Weight-for-Age Race, so he had a walk-over for its 10. Then he went down in an unexpected defeat, but only through the prowess of another good race horse. This surprise camp in the tunning of the Baltimore Handicap of one and one-sixteenth miles, at Laurel. October 1. Probably be had been slightly indulged. At any rate it was- not for lack of speed that Stromboli defeated him. SVith 12 pounds in the saddle lie-ran the first mile of the race in 1:37 and then unexpectedly gave way when challenged bv Stromboli and was lieaten a length and a half by the latter iii such exceedingly fast time as 1:4.1. Stromboli carried 117 pounds. Tartar with 104 was - third, and Celesta. Buskin. Nightstick. Hedge. G. M. Miller, Tactics and His Majesty were the unplaced ones. Of course Stromboli is a cracking good three-year-old. hut he had up license to bent Roamer. This the latter proved conclusively in his next and last race of the year, which took place at Laurel. October 10, in the Washington Handicap, at a mile and an eighth. It was a small, but select, field, the starters beng Roamer. 124 pounds; Tartar. 102; Ruskin. liO: Gainer, 115: Stromboli. 124, and Robert Bradley, 105. In one of the most amazing displays of speed, stamina and wcight-c:;rrying power ever witnessed anywhere. Roamer rushed into the lead at once and.-running the first quarter in 22, the half in 40, three-quarters In 1:11 and mile in 1:30. wound n 1, v covering the full distance in the unprecedented time of 1:40 and never gave the others a chance. Tartar ran the race of his life and was second, with Buskin third, but StromboU was outpaced all the war. Should all go well with him. Roamer should do some great things in racing next year, esiieeiallv over long distances. His ancestry is notably rich in natural stayers and he evidently does not fail in this family characteristic. His record to date and his remarkable pedigree are as follows: Year. Age. Sts. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Unp. Won. 1113 ..2- 17 4 i 1 i $ 8.4S0 114 .- S 10 12 1 2 1 20,105 Totals 2 V. ...... 33 , 15 7 3 7 7,.rS5 V - pruskct Toxopholite j Kandain fTrenlon " Daughter of j WAustnUian " I . i Fireworks Goldsbrough h IV- : . i Frailty Srlvia . , , . , Flora Mclvor J New Warrior j. Knight En-ant. . J i "-r :. Galopln i Vedette Sr. 0 Simon 3 Flying Duchess 3 " ,,., "J St. Angela " j King Tom c l.St. .Mildred , . -j 1 Adeline J Ixird of the Isles . . -it Scottish Chief Ci- . L Lady , tm. Fltz .Tames. t .. J Miss Ann , . . ? Hawthorn Rloom.. j Kettledrum Z ! . " ... v I Lady A. Hawthorn f RendOr.. oncaster j Rockwell " - : yTX .,.i . UougeRose KUenTlorn g. Macaroni J Sweetmeat " " " " I Vista 1 Jocose ! Verdure... J King Tom nAuaTW TT" S Rose Tree II... May Rloom t EordLyon r i r J Stockwell r Minting "j Paradigm .l,Fan,iy Relph...;v - ? Mint Sam j Young Melbourne T Consternation j Rlair Athol I Elm I Rosabel Klmina J King of Trumps 1 Ella
