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1 J , REDUCTIONS IN TIME RECORDS jl HOW SPEED MARKS IN AMERICAN RACING HAVE FALLEN SINCE 1880 MAN 0 WAR THE ONLY HORSE TO HOLD THREE AT ONE TIME S. D. Riddles incomparable three-year-old Man o War is the holder of three American and one probable worlds record. This distinction has never come to any other American thoroughbred. The nearest approach to it is Iron Mask, which holds two records, both made over the fast Juarez, Mexico, course. They, too, are at short distances, one being 1 :03 2-5 for five and a half furlongs, and the other 1 :09 3-5 for three-quarters of a mile. Another remarkable feature in connection with Man o Wars performances is that he broke the records at distances of one mile or over, this year. The first one came in the Withers Stakes at Belmont Park, when he established a new r.ecord of 1:35 4-5 for one mile. Sun Briar held the previous record, 1 :36 1-5, made during the running of a race. Roamer holds the mile record of 1 :34 4-5 against time, which he made at Saratoga on August 21, 1918, shattering the long-standing mark of Salvator. The next mark to be set by Man o War was in the Dwyer Stakes, one mile and an eighth, 1 :49 1-5, at Aqueduct. In this race the son of Fair Play not only broke the American record for the distance, held jointly by Borrow and Boots, 1 :49 2-5, both made in 1917 at Aqueduct, but set a possible worlds mark for the distance. In the Belmont Stakes, at Belmont Park, one mile and three-eighths, Man o War smashed the American record for the distance into smithereens, running the distance in 2:14 1-5, the previous mark, 2:17 2-5, being held by Sir Barton.. The table here presented shows the American time records from three-eighths of a mile to four miles as they stood in 1880, 1890, 1900, 1910 and as they are today, forming an interesting exhibit of the gradual cutting down of records as the art of track-making became better understood. Students of speed figures will find food for reflection in the following tabulation : Present Present American Rec. Rec. Rec. Rec. Dist. Rec. Holder. A. Wt. Track. Date. . Recd. 1889. 1890. 1900. 1910. 3-8 Atoka G 105 Butte, Mont Sept. 7, 1000.. :33A :34 :31A :31 :33A 3 1-2 f Joe. Blair 5 115 Juarez. -Mex. ........ .Feb. 0, 1916.. :39 .fJt, Tmaur..T.r2153art Anion ......... 2 115 Juarez, Mex.T. Feb. 9, 1911.. :46Jfe 5-S Pari Zareta 5 120 Juarez, Mcx Feb. 10, 1915.. :57 1:00 :B0 :50 :58 5 1-2 f Iron Mask 0 150 Juarez. Mex Mar. 8, 1914.. 1:03 1:05 1:01 3-4 Iron Mask ..... 0 115 Juarez, Mex Jan. 4, 1914...1:09 1:14 1:14 1:12 1:11 0 1-2 f Brkdale Nymph 4 124 Belmont Park, N. Y. . Oct. 14, 1907.. 1:17 .: 1:19 1:17 7-8 Roscben 5 120 Belmont Park. N. Y...Oct. li, 1900.. 1:22 1:20 1:25 1:22 7 1-2 f Restigouehc ... 3 107 Belmont Park, N. Y...May 29, 190S..1:31 .... 1:32 1:31 1 Roamer 7 110 Saratoga Springs, N. Y.Aug. 21, 1918.. 1:34 .1:33 1:35 1:35 1 Man o War... 3 118 Belmont Park. N. Y...May 29, 1920.. 1:35 1:39 1:39 1:38 1:37 lni20y Froglegs 4 107 Louisville,Ky.C.Downs May 13, 1913.. 1:39 1:40 1:39 Senator James.. 8 103 Havana, Cuba Feb. 15. 1918.. 1:39 lm70y Pif Jr 0 120 Louisville.Ky. D.Park May 20, 1918.. 1:41 .... 1:45 1:43 1:42 l 1-10 Celesta 4 108 Syracuse, N. Y ..Sept. 3, 1914. .1:42 1:40 1:45 1:43 11-8 Man o War... 3 120 Aqueduct, N. Y July 10, 1920.. 1:49 1:54 1:52 1:51 1:50 11-4 WhiskBroom II. C 139 Belmont Park, N. Y...June 28, 1913. .2:00 2:08 2:05 2:04 2:02 1 3-8 Man o War... 3 120 Belmont Park. N. Y...June 12, 1920. .2:14 2:21 2:20 2:18 2:17 11-2 Thunderclap ... 3 10S Laurel, Md Oct. 11, 1919.. 2:29 2:34 2:33 2:30 2:30 15-8 Fitz Herbert... 3 122 Sheepshcad Bay, N. Y.. July 30, 1909.. 2:45 2:49 2:48 2:48 2:45 13-4 M. Daingerfield 4 120 Morris Park, N. Y.. ..; Oct. 3, 1903.. 2:57 3:02 3:01 2:58 2:57 2 Everett 3 107 Baltimore.Md. Pimlico Oct. 31, 1910. .3:25 3:27 3:27 3:20 3:25. . 2 1-4 Ethelbcrt 4 124 Brighton Beach, N. Y..Aug. 4, 1900. .3:49 3:50 3:50 3:49 3:19 3 Mamie Algol 5 105 NewOrleans.La. C.Pk Feb. 10, 1907. .5:19 5:20 5:24 5:24 5:19 4 Soteniia 5 119 Louisville.Ky. C.Downs Oct. 7, 1912.. 7:10 7:15 7:15 7:11 7:11 Against time.
