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On the Trot 1 By MORRIE KURLANSKY 1 Fans Turn Out for Name Horses Irish Hal in Excellent Showing Mel Hdrmening Driving at Tops SPORTSMANS PARK, Cicero, 111., Aug. 18. The peak of the Chicagoland harness racing season was reached Saturday night when a field of eight select pacers met in the 0,000 Invitational Pace here. While the race lived up to all advance notices, Saturdays program proved conclusively that Chicago harness fans will be on hand in large numbers to see name horses which promise exciting contests, and that pacers or trotters are as good a wagering medium as run-hers, and in many instances race truer to form than the galloping equines. The at-i tendance figure Saturday was 9,244, best turnout of the current season, and two mutuel records were broken first, a new betting mark was established for a single ! race when the fans wagered 5,172 on the i Invitational Pace, and, second, the total 1 mutuel pool of 52,752 for the nine-race ftrd was the highest ever counted at a Chi-Hfgo Downs meeting, and also the highest of the current season. K. D. Owens Irish Hal, six-year-old x stallion by Hal Dale Lassie Mack, went to the post as a heavily backed 3-5 choice, with popular Harry Burright in the sulky. As the race was run, Burright most probably saved the race for Irish Hal partly through his own cold blood, exact appraisal of any given situation during the race, and partly through the mistakes made by two other drivers in the rich race. On the other hand, nothing shall be taken away from Irish Hal, who gave an excellent showing, pacing the mile in the fastest time of the meeting, 2:04, displaying a great burst of speed and indomitable courage, qualities that have carried him to a mile record of 1:59 over a regulation oval and a mark of 2:006 over a two-lapper, and earned his owner over 25,000 in four distinguished campaigns. fj Mrs. Virginia Hensons Chicago-owned pacer, Sheldon Pointer, enjoying his best season, and driven by Billy Rouse, wrested second place in the last strides from Chief Mite, while another locally campaigned pacer, Dale Wingay C. F. Rumley, also shared in the biggest chunk of money offered this season on a Chicago harness track. Chief Mite, six-year-old pacing mare owned by W. E. Farmer, of Findlay, Ohior one of the stars at the Detroit tracks, but somewhat of a disappointment in her Chicago appearances this year, gave an excellent account of herself, but probably became a victim of her pilots Jerry Nei-kirk driving tactics. The Chief Abbedale, having drawn the favorable rail position, left the gate in flying manner and reached the first quarter in :29 seconds, fastest quarter ever shown hereabouts, and was timed in 1:00 for the first half. She also had the lead at the three-quarters 1:33, but that terrific pace began to tell on her when they straightened out for the stretch drive. Although still having the rail and saving all possible ground, .Chief Mite could not withstand Irish Hals mighty drive, and Sheldon Pointer also passed the mare, while Dale Wingay was but a neck behind Chief Mite at the fin-ish. John Lee was a close-up fifth and Mr. Dean and Armstrong Abbe, having been forced to lose much ground by going on the outside, finished with good speed without threatening any of the horses in front of them. My Volo was the only horse to finish far behind and this was only the fault of his reinsman, who shot from his sixth . post position to get alongside the leading Chief Mite, and raced on the outside of the mare for about five-eighths to drop out of contention on the backstretch utterly exhausted, after having missed a chance to drop into the second hole the first time around. It was a wonderful race and most everybody was happy that the favorite won and that local talent also was in the money. More of these races and Chicago would undoubtedly take its rightful place among the nations harness racing centers, second oniy to New York with its three times greater potential. About the hottest driver here these days is Mel Harmening, who annexed Saturdays AA pace with Mrs. Ruth Berrys Iowa-owned Earl Widower in one of the tightest finishes ever seen here. With exception of the outclassed Trusty Key, who made a break during the race, less than one length separated the winner from the fifth horse, Miss Shine-A-Mite, in the six-horse field Recently we told readers about the high-class pedigree of Mighty Duke, full brother of Duke of Lullwater 3, 2:00, and earnings of over 00,000, and Dutch Dandy, a recent stakes winner in the east. Well, Mighty Duke made good in a spectacular way, twinning his race Saturday by eight Tony Hal, ten-year-old pacer owned by Henry Nehlig of Harvard, 111., dropped dead the other morning during a workout. The gelding was very popular here the past few seasons, making an average of 50 starts per season and earning close to 5,000 in his strenuous career. A season or two back, Tony Hal probably was the fastest horse from the gate in Chicago and most of his victories came in sprints at 916s and three-quarters of a mile... Three drivers were fined during the last few days. Don Clary was fined 5 for causing interference, Billy Rouse 0 for careless driving in the stretch and Jack Leonard 00 for violation of the starting rules. Highlight of the Boone County Fair at Belvidere, 111., Sunday was a special match race between Little Steve and Gene Long, two veteran trotters. Hugh K. Funderburgh and Mrs. Vincent Spencer, as owners of the two contestants put up 00 each and the total purse was presented to two polio-stricken kids of Belvidere after Little Steve won the race easily. Other winners at Belvidere were Doctor Y Art Shaw, Chief Tomah C. Powers and Easter Grattan Dr. Maher, who had raced here the night before. The victor of the two-year-old pace, Show Down, purse ,040 who won both heats in 2:10 and 2:09, respectively, was reported to have been sold to Theo. Kupper, Wisconsin patron and owner of Doctor Y. for 0,000 after the race.
