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CENTURY OF ONE -MILE RECORDS 1 COMPARATIVE TIMES MADE BY RECORD SOLDERS SHOWING STEADY REDUCTION FROM 1825 TO 1921 The practice of liming horse* 1n races is almost K as old as the American turf, hut measurably ac- fi curate timing may be said to late from the first I a great sectional match between tlie North and the it South at tile 1nion course, near Jamaica. I.. I., in h 185S, Byjhert Stevens of Hoboken having imported g the first stop watchs ever seen here for the express q purpose t,f taking the time of American Eclipse and * Sir Henry in that memorable race, according to the V i.l.l Spirit of the Time-. The circumstances may * h:ive inllnemed Henry William Herbert Prank Forester to fix upon this dale as the beginning of an- a thentic turf history, and led him to say in the 1 ••Horse and Horsemanship of the Halted States": f "I esteem nothing positively authentic in the shape l of performances and I bold nothing as on record I prior to tlie races of American I.clipse and his com- -petitors." in i The avenge time of the American race horse for S MM mile at this period was little faster than that I of the best trotting horses in the Crand Circuit of I today. On some of the minor race tracks a mile in • two minuter .r better was rather the exception than li the rule for many years after 1823. But conditions f were vastly different for the running; horses of those t early days, most of tin- tracks being little more , than paths, while the footing on some of them was t almost as deep as plowed ground. Instead of being I thrown up at the turns they were usually flat, and Ike best of them was never worked and watered like t the fas* tracks of the present lay in New York and , vicinity. ] American race horses of a century ago. and even i those of half a century ago. had, however, one ; great advantage over those of the present lay in ] the matter of making fast performances, as m.-i- i nred by the watch. Tlie younger ones in particular | carried far lighter weights then than now. the scale t of the South Carolina .lockey club being in lSlfl MS 1 pounds for four-year-olds. J 0 pounds for three-year-o.ds and a leather for two-year-olds in weight -for- , age roes. Still lighter weights were in vogue at a mm h later period in the South and West. Lexington , having carried only 80 pounds in las first four-mile ] lace with Iecomto as a three-year od at New Or- i bans in lsr, while his great son. Kentucky, took , up only 100 pounds when he won the first Travels , Stakes in ISM. Seveial of the later-day winners of the Saratoga feature have shouldered 129 pounds. TIME TEST NOT CONCLUSIVE. Ability to carry high weight at high speed is one of the main things that distinguish He slake horse from the selling plater or second later. The records of racing are full of testa urea in Which hataea of no pretension to class have run ex ceptionaliy fast nnies. hat it was always with light weight up. Only the high* lass thoroughbreds m.ke fast time under heavy burdens. Because mere speed is nut by any means eon-clu-ive proof .if what turfmen call class. Oie time made in rices has never been considered impoitant by tlie genera lily of hoi-semen, some of whom, like John K. Madden, will tell ou today that you must distegard tlie lime teal altogether ill judging a runner. Lut it would bother Mr. Madden or anybody else to name many, if any. selling platers that have run fast miles with stiff weight up. And in actual practice nearly everybody relies target on lhe stop watch in buying or backing racehorses. Tradition -ays that Timoleoti. the son of Sir Archy and the sire of Boston, was the first race hoi sp in America to tun a mile in a race in 1 :M or better. This he is said to have done in the spring of ISIS at the Newmarket cour-o. near Petersburg, Ye., in a race fo.- three-year olds. If the time was accurately taken and remembered Tdnoleon raa tlie first heal in 1:47 and distanced the field in 1:48 in the second heal. One of the first, if not tlie first, authentic records ] faster than 1:.~ 0 was m tele in a race at l he I i:ion course in 1and28 by the gray fitly Ariel, then j three year- old. .and afterward celebrated as probably I the greatest campaignc- the breed of race-1 I horses every produced in any I— all J Her owner, i Henry Lynch. Matched her against Colonel William ! it. John -tons Lafayette for So. 000 a side, and she , I : j won tlie first heai in 1:49. Ariel was bred l.y Gerrit , I Vandexeer of I.rooUyn and was a daughter of ■ j I American Eclipse, winner of the 0,000 race- at | | ■ I the Inion couise in 1823. She was barely fifteen lit! i ds high, yet she ran more than S4S miles in i c fifty-seven races, of which she won forty-two. and 1 j of these seventeen were at four-mice heats. LOWERS ARIELS RECORD. Ariels record seems to have stood five years g unbeaten. It was lowered in another memorable p race for three-year-olds over the Inion course in n ISSS by an unnamed call owned by James J. Hani son of North Carolina, and afterward known as s 1ilot and Wild Bill. He was by Sir Archy— Wests s Maria, by Oallatin. In a sweepstakes for $.100 a ■ coiner, which brought together breeders and colts s from all sections of the country, he won the second of Ihree heats in 1:48. but the race went to the e famous gray mare Bonnets o Blue, bred and owned d by Colonel Johnston, "the Napoleon of the Turf." " and by Sir Charles, the son of his ojd champion. i, Sir Henry, dam Sir Archys best daughter. Reality, of which he once said she was the greatest nag he e ever saw. Bonnets o Hlue in after years became e the property of William Olbhoaa of Madison. N. J., and produced Fashion, the conqueror of Boston in B another of the great sectional Match races between n tlie Neath and South for 0,000 stakes at the i Inion course in 1S42. Pilots performance was not beaten until 1840, , and then for the first and only time an English h thoroughbred held the American record at one mile. » The imported runner was Uouii. owned by Duncan n F. Kenner of Iouisianua, for whom the Kenner r Stakes at Saratoga was named. In a race over the ie Eclipse course at New Orleans, in March, when she ie was technically a two -year -old under southern ■n racing rules, she ran a mile in 1:47, with three-year-old weight, eighty-five pounds, up. This performance was the first of a series which 1, gave continued supremacy to New Orleans tracks for ,r more than twenty years in the matter of speed, j not only at one mile but at all distances up to ,, four miles. Not until after the Civil War. when the southern turf had been wrecked, did the ,e tracks of Kentucky and the North regain tin- a-Tendency. .. It was over the famed Metaire course -e at New Orleans in 1850 that Prioress set the record ■j at 1:4.1 before going to England to win the Cesare-witch Stakes at Newmarket the following year. She ,p Z was bred and owned by General T. J. Wells, owner of her ill-fated half-brother I/ecorate. the only |j horse that ever defeated Lexington. While she was ,,s still a two-year-old under southern rules, she won n lhe Lipids Stakes, at mile heats, on April 3. running .„ ,fl her miles in the unprecedented times of i.W-t and 1:4.1, which led to her purchase on the spot by 1V Richard Ten Breech id his pioneer invasion of the ,;. British turf. Leeomte. Starke winner of the Goodwood |. Cup, by Wagner, and Prioress, by Sovereign, „ were all members of Mr. Ten Broe«ks English ulJ stable, and all were foals of Glencoes great at daughter Keel, the masterly portrait of which by Troye hangs in the board rooms of the Jockey Chili uh in New York. The Sovcreign-Glencoe cross which produced ed Prioress was responsible for two other record breakers k- of the Civil War period in Price ItcGrathl is four-year-old filly Manieena, that ran a mile in in 1:44 ■, in the Phoenix Stakes at Icxington in 1802. S, and in Dr. Weldons six ear-old horse Legal al fender, that ran a third heat in 1:44 in a race a! Cincinnati a few weeks after the war ••iuled. [883 ;.-,. Ilerzog. the three-year-old that first beat 1:44 44 by running a aaCMki heal in 1 :4:$ over the Baa* track four years afterward, was out of a BoVeKCigl g,i mare. He was one of the best three year olds ol of his day and would have- been one of the hanilsomc-bnt st for the fact that the tips of both ears hac ad lieeii frozen off when he was a foal. The blood el eif Sovereign was in eviitence again when HerzogV ;s record was lowered to 1:43 by George Cadwal li- laders four year c. id celt Fadlauc n in a race a .ii Lexington in U-.71 . Mahomet, the sire of dam, beinj ng a son of that horse Salina. a three year-old sister to Nevada, the dan im of Luke Blackburn, and herself the dam of tin he great Salvator in after years, equaled Kadladeen ns lime the Jiext el.iv. and they were joint holclrs o of the record until Alarm at the Saratoga meeting o of MS reeled oif a heat in 1:44%, With Fadladeen ii, K fi I a it h g q * V * a 1 f l I in i S I I • li f t , t I t , ] i ; ] i | t 1 , , ] i , , ] j I I i ! , : I j , I ■ j I | | ■ I i c 1 j g p n s s a ■ s e d " i, e e in B n i , h » n r ie ie ■n 1, for ,r j to ,, the ,e .. -e ■j Z ,p |j ,,s n .„ ,fl by 1V the ,;. |. „ ulJ at by uh ed k- is in in S, al a! ;.-,. 1:44 44 g,i ol of st hac ad el eif ;s li- a .ii ng dan im tin he ns o of o of ii, Kingfisher and other good ones behind him. Kingfisher had won a race in 1:43.,. pulled double, only . few days previously, with a prize of ,000 await- J ing him if he- hail beate-n 1:41,. Alarm, the first horse to beat 1:43. is noteil in turf history as the grandsire of Deeiuino. and all the tribe of modern sprinters descended from the fleet, but flashy. Hack -on of Himyar and Mannie Gray, He was bred in Westchester County by the late John Hunter, in whose colors he ran at Saratoga. The first attempt to lower the record in a race against time took place at Saratoga in 1ST4. when August Belmont backed his five-year-old horse Cray Manet for .fl.ooo to run a mile in 1:43.. or better. -Louis L. Ixirillarel backing time. The son of i Planet won the match with a second to spare, j setting the record at 1:42. This time was beaten a selling race at Lexington the next spring. Searcher, a three-year oh] colt by Enquirer, lis- lancing his opponents in the first heat in 1:41 aj. He was entered to be sold for ,500. and his owner I Mi in a dilemma when it was seen that he had beaten all records, for the well-bred colt was worth far more money The only thing that saved him was the ruling of the judges that, having distanced all competitors, tin- money he might sell for would go i.i his owner, there being no second horse to take it. He wa- bill up to $.1,000. but did not change hands. Starting in a race at catch-weights over the fast trotting track at Hartford during the Grand Circuit meeting of 1879c, Bob Cathcarts hay gelding Kadi, by Lexington — Kalona. the dam of Tom Ochiltree, beat Father Bill Dalys Lorena. Colonel S. D. Brnces Warrior and others in l:42 i and 1:41 i. thus setting the record half a second nearer the goal of 1:40. which looked about as far away as 2:10 was for the trotters. St. Julien, Rams. Goldsmith Maid and other champions among the li::rness horses raced at this meeting. It was Kadis performance which brought about the memorable race of fen Broeck against time at Louisville in the soring of 1ST". Frank B. Harper. • Who owned him. declared during the winter that his I imr-e could beat the record at ..tie mile as easily as I he had beaten Lexingtons long-standing four-mile record, and the Louisville Jockey Club hung up a purse of .fli.lO as an imliu -ement for him to make the j trial. Tea Broeck made his name almost as well known as that of GoIdaMfth Maid when he tinisbid the mil" in 1:30:,. carrying 110 pounds. This record stood as the limit of speed for thirteen yeara, though Maori, a foreign -bred four-year-old. carry-lag * 10.1 pounds, nearly equaled !t in winning a race at Washington Talk in Chicago in lss . And in 18M, OB tile -ame track, the California three-year-old . Bacine. hreei by Oovernor I.eiaud Stanford at the Palo Alto Stock Farm, clipped a quarter of a second off the Mark la ■ race easily won from Marion C and other fast ones. ON STRAIGHTAWAY TRACK. This performance tcok glace in June, and in July preparations were made to wipe it out on the new straightaway track at Monmouth Park, near Long » Branch. Several races at • mile were run over this toboggan Utile, and in one of llie-m. on July 31. Thomas Iuryear.s three year-old bay colt Paveloc. . another Californian. by Joe Hooker, dam a mare by J Alarm, ran the distance in l:39i. with 107 pounds K up. One month later came the sensational performance e of Salvator against time, lopping nearly four seconds s olf lhe record over lhe same cou.se. Ho. semen a never expected to see this mark equaled after the straight course at Monmouth Park disappeared, but j some of th.se who aw Salvator make it lived to o slop their watches la-t year on two horses, one of ,f then a three-year-old. in faster time, and on a a track with a turn. Koamers mile against time in ■ 1:34 £ at Saratoga stands as the American record. I. but it is well known that Sun Briar ran a mile in ii 1:34 over the same irack in the presence of ef judges and timers, who, however, were not appelated d in the- regular way and approved by the Joe key Club. i. he ue-e tile performance was not a technical record. The record of 1:31.-. for a mile ill actual competition Which was set up by Man o War at Bidmont ,l Pat* on M.tv JO. 19JO. was shattered at the same e track on June 1. M21, by the five-year-old Auda- " cious. which ran the distance in 1:31".,. Both horses carried US pounds in their record performances and hot! were i oleic u by C. Rummer. P.elow is the compilation of the successive record holders from Ariel to Audacious. It covets a period 4 of ninety-eight year- and has involved a careful " search of the most authentic extant: Ariel. Henry Lyn.hs gr. f. 3. by American Eclipse -Young Empress, by Financier: Inion Course. L. I.. October 3. IBS; M pounds BMCk Hairy 1:40 Piled. J. J. Harrisons b. c. 3, by Sir Anhy — Wests Maria, by Gallatin: Inion Course. L. I.. May li4. 1S30: 83 ]xiiinds unknown l 1;48 Baari, Duncan F. Kcm-.c-rs ch. f. 3. by I.an-d gar — Annot Lhr. by Ask too; Eclipse Course, Sew Orleans. La.. March is. IMP; S3 pounds i unknown 1:47 Creath, VCrgaa Daplaatiera h. e-. I. by Tranby, dam of Big Archy: Metaiie Cemt-s... Ne-w Orteaaa, La., March L7. 1842; SO pounds t unknown I IjSI Flying Bute hnian. A. W. Smalls b. h, .1, by Gray EAgle- Blinkcy. l.y Muokle John; Bir.gainin Course-. New Orleans. La., March 4. 18Sv; sti pounds unknown 1:4.1!- Prioreak, T. J. watta b. I. 3. by Sovereign — Beel, by Oktacoe; Metaire Cearee, Now Orleans. La.. April 3. I8SB; S3 pounels Charles Tucker 1 :•*•" Allendorf. W. 1. Cheat hams ch. g. 5. by George Elliott -Miss Peyton, by Amciicau Eclipse: Metaire Course, New Orleans, La.. April -!. 1st",!: so poind* umkaowa. 1:44% Maiiiona. H. P. Mel, laths b. f. 4. by Bar- ereign — Miriam, by Gleucae; Lexiagtoa, Ky.. June it. lsil: 101 pounds unknowin. 1:44U , U Legal Tender. J. W. Weldons b. h. 0. by Sovereign - Florine. by Gleacoe: Cinein- iiati. O.. June 2S, 1SSB; 104 pounds tun- known 1 :41 He rzog. John Jackapua b. C, 3, by Yau-r dal — Dixie, by Sovereign: Cineinnati. 0., May 23, ISSi; M pounds unknovvni l:43-j : Fadladeen. George CaarwaUhSeta ch. c, 4. bj War Dane-e — Nora Creina, by Mnho- niet : Ivexington. Ky.. May -2. 1S71 : NO pouniis unknown! 1:43 Alaim. John Hunter and William B. Trav- are* b. e, B, by Bclipae— Maude, by Btock- well: Saratoga Springs. N. Y.. July 17. 1S7J: M p I- !. Gray 1:421 1% Gray IMii.ct. August Belmonts gr. h. .1. bv Plaael -Eagles, by Gleacoe; Saratoga Springs. N. Y.. August 13. 1ST* 110 paaadh Braaa *i:4-V ./j Searcher, Leander, J. i:. Bodea b. e, 3. by Baaairet Bonnie May. by Bonnie Seot- hind: Lexlagtoa, Ky.. Ma] IS, ISIS; BS i.o iiuls Colsion 1:41*, 1% Kadi. Kobe; t Catbcarta b. g. S, by Lexing-t,v toll Katona. by Voucher; Hartford. Conn., September . 1875; ahoal SO pounds Cochran i 1:41 114 Tea Br k. V B. II. c i pel, b. h. 1. by Phaeton Paaay Boltoa, by Leiiagtoa; 1/juisville. Ky., May LM, 1S77; no pouneis Walker 1:39* 9% Baclne, Thoma- II. Williams b. c, B, by Bishop- Iaiiy Roue, by Kisser; Washing -at ton Park. Chicago. II.. June- 28, ispi: 107 pounds i.loe Narv./.i 1:39 Bi B.lvelee. Thomas Iur.vears b. C, :.. by Joe-lie Booker Illusion, b Alarm: M.e. mouth Park. Lcogg Braack, N. .1.. July 31, 18BS; 107 poumls H ..vington •fl:39, 9U Salvalor. .lames B. Ilaggins ch. c. I. by Prine ■•• Charlie Salina. by I.e-xington; Monniciith Park. I .ng Braneii. N. J.. August -s. I8ha; 1 lit pounds Mai lin I . . .»1:3.1 .ia Chorister. Janie.s K. Ke-enes li. c. 3, by falsetto Addle .: Morris Park. June 1. 1 BBS; 11L1- paaada circular track Fred Tarali 1:39 ;9,4 Libertine. J. G. Browns lhiec year-old by l.eonatus Falaise: Harlem trail;. Chicago, Oeiober L4. 1894: 90 pounds nnknowrti.. 1:38" 8% Voter, .lame - I; Kcencs b. h. 0. by Friars Balsam — Mavourneeti; Brighton Beach, July 17. 1000; 122 pounds Harry Speue er 1:38 8 1% ./j 1% 114 9% Bi 9U .ia ;9,4 8% 8 _ Orlahtr, J. I. Stewart* b. or br. h, c. by Sir Dixon — Prairie Queen: Washingtoa Park. Juiv 21. 1!I00: 109 pounds J. Wi-ikficdd 1:38 Brigadier, August Belau»t*s c, 4. by Bayou dOr St. Bridget: Bheepahead Bay, June ._. 1901; 112 pounds W. OConnor l:37i !i Allan -a-Dale. T. C. McDowells b. or br. c. 4. by Ilalnii Siielie MeNairy: Washington Pgrk, July 1. 1903: 110 pounds P. Crow-hurst | l:o7"ii Dick Welles. J. B. Beapaaa three year-old by King Kric Uca- Over; Harlem track. Chicago. August 14. 1903; 112 pounds iT. Knight 1:37% " Kiainisha. Oneck Stable- three-vear old by Rshet Beflec-tion; Bedmout Park. OctafeCf I. l»«i; 104 pounds iW. KuapiD l:37/s k Centre Sheet. De e-ember L. 1MB; Santa Anita: 10.1 pounds l:37.r, ■ •"• Manass.-h. Deceatbet 12. IBIS; Jttarea 1:37.. Vested Bights, Baceaiber ici. ISIS; Jhairex.. 1:39.. ,- Bonne- Chatice, Jauimry IS, l.ni; juares. ... 1:37 hrisioplnue. Mar.h 8, 1914; .luar.z IM% 4: Amain. September 3. 1914: Syracuse 1:30 , i Sun Briar, Augu-l B, ISIS; Saratoga 1:36.-. .. Boat Andrew Mlllera 5. g, 7. by Knight larant Ib.se Tree II.. by Poiia Visla; Saialoga Spriigs. . v.. August 21. 191S; i:u paaada i Andrew Bchattiager 1:34% 4, Man o War. lilen Riddle Farms eh. c. 3. by Fair Play - Mahuhah. bv Pim k Sand; Belno.nt Park. N. V.. May 20. 1920: lis pounds C. Kummerl l«eHf| 4.. Alulae ions. Foreign Stables ch. h, .1. by Star Shoot— Bold Oiil. by Ogden: Bei- iiii.nl Paik. N. V. .Itliie- 1. 1921: US pounds C. Knmmer l:35r!a at • Against time. t Slraighl Hack.
