view raw text
HISTORY OF MILE RECORD Successive Steps by Which Time for Distance Has Been Reduced Ten Broecks 139 Stood for forThirteen Thirteen Years Sun Briar BriarPresent Present Record Holder Ten Brocck a son of Phaeton Fanny Holton bred and owned by John Harper Xantura Stud Spring SpringStation Station Kentucky was the first horse to run a mile better than 140 in competition and his record of 139 stood for thirteen years He did it at Louisville Ky May 24 187T the third day of the thespring spring meeting at Churchill Downs The best record for a mile prior to that date was 141 by Kadi as a sixyearold at Hartford Conn September 2 1873 It was in the second heat of a race at catch weights that Kadi made this record He had won the first heat in 142V which in it 8elf equaled the time made by Grey Planet in his race against time at Saratoga August 13 1874 and which had stood as the best mile until the three yearold Searcher with ninety pounds up ran the distance at Lexington Ky May 13 1875 in 141 The Kentuckians were in high glee when the record came to them but when Kadi lowered it by a half second the New Englanders had their fling In elation and j ut the people of the Blue Grass conn try in thednmps though swearing to find a horse that would bring the record back They were un successful in wrest ig the honor from Kadi in 1876 liut in September of that year Ten Broeck then a fouryearold had run four miles against time in 715 lowering the record for that distance from 719 During the winter John Harper was persistent in his claims that Ten Broeck was the fastest hoss that ever stood on iron de claring that lie could break the mile record as easily easilyas as he had the four mile record This caused the Louisville Jockey Club to offer a purse of 650 the conditions reading Ten Broeck to beat the time of the fastest mile on record viz Kadis second heat at Hartford In l41Vi It was planned to have the trial on the first day of the meeting but the track was not fast neither was it so on the second day but on the third day every ¬ body agreed that the going was right and so Ten TenBroeck Broeck mounted by Walker weighing 110 pounds whirled around the oval in 139 made good the boasts of his owner and caused the Kentuckiaus to swell out their chests again againWHEN WHEN 140 WAS FIRST EECOEDED EECOEDEDTen Ten years passed before any horse ran a mile as fast as 140 This was accomplished in a race at Slieepshead Bay September 7 1887 by Stuyvesant a threeyearold brown colt by Glengarry Dublin Belle which had been known the previous year as Scott Newman He carried the colors of the late Captain 8 S Brown who had purchased him from Henry Simons Snapper Garrison rode Stuyve itaiit at 111 pounds Favor ridden by Jimmy McLaughlin and Choctaw piloted by Godfrey were tac other starters Stuyvesant won by a head from Favor No niile was run as fast as 140 in 1888 but in a race at Washington Park July 12 1889 P M West Cos Maori then four years old by Poulet Queen of Cypress ridden by Pike Barnes defeated Little Minch Laura Davidson Hindocraft and Aloha a mile in 139 She carried 105 pounds to Little Miuchs 110 and beat him by a head The purse was 000 but part of the conditions of the race read 1000 additional will be given the winner if Ten Broecks time 139 is beaten Al Farrow at San Jose Cat in April and Badge at Slieepshead Bay in June had each run a mile in 140 in races that year yearIt It remained for Itacine the bay son of Bishop Fairy Rose which was brought to Chicago from California by Thomas II Williams in the Undine Stable string for the spring meeting at Washington Park in 1890 to take a quarter of a second off Ten Jiroecks record The race was run on June 28 and was for a purse of 000 and the other starters were Marion C Gymnast Almont Churchill Clark X Cecil B and Jed With Itacine then a threeyear old carrying 107 pounds leuling all the way and winning easily by a length from Marion C the time was 139 Joe Narvaez then called Nar vice was Racines rider Then came the meeting at Monmouth Park where u number of races were programmed at a mile over the straight course but T Puryears threeyearold Kaveloe by Joe Hooker Illusion was the only horse that succeeded in beating 140 July 31 with 107 pounds up and ridden by Covington he won from Druidess Tulla Black ¬ burn and others in 139 This of course was a quarter second faster than Baciues record but the straight course records were no more popular in that day than now and horsemen were not inclined to regard the achievement as more meritorious than had been that of Racine or that of Ten Broeck which it certainly was not Then came the per ¬ formance of Salvator SalvatorIn In a race at Morris Park October 10 1891 P Lorillards La Tosca three years old by St Blaise Continued OB third page HISTORY OF MILE RECORD Continued from first page Toucques ridden by Fred LIttlefield at 105 equaled Racines record of 139 for a mile over an elliptical course The fastest mile In 1892 was 137 by the fouryearold Kildeer with ninety one pounds up running over the straight course at Monmouth Park August 13 This was in a race The fastest mile of that year over an elliptical course was Major Domos 139 at Sheepshead Bay June 28 Major Domo was then six years old and carried 116 pounds poundsAt At Morris Park June 1 1893 in winning the Sea and Sound Stakes James R Keencs three year old Chorister by Falsetto Addle C ridden by Fred Taral at 1121 pounds reduced the mile record for circular iourses to l394 The following year Oc ¬ tober 24 at Harlem track Chicago J G Browns threeyearold Libertine by Loonatus Falaise car ¬ rying ninety pounds ran a mile in a handicap against Cash Day in 138 138This This record stood until James R Keenes horse Voter by Friars Balsam Mavourneen then sir years old in winning the Test Handicap at Bright ton Beach July 17 1900 ran the mile in 138 He was ridden by Harry Spencer at 122 pounds Inci ¬ dentally that was a great day for Mr Kcene In addition to this performance on the part of Voter Unmasked and Outlander each won a race for him giving him half the card Voter however had his glory alone only four days for at Washington Park on July 21 J T Stewarts Orlmar a six yearold horse by Sir Dixon Prairie Queen carrying J Winkfield at 109 pounds ran the mile in 13S 13SAt At Sheopshead Bay June 22 1901 August Bel mouts Brigadier four years old by Rayon dOr St Bridget won the Sheepshead Bay Handicap in l37 He carried 112 pounds and was ridden by Winnie OConnor This stood until T C Mc ¬ Dowells fouryearold AllanaDale by Halma Sudie McNairy ran the mile at Washington Park July 1 1903 ridden by Dick Crowhurst with 110 lio u nils up in 137 At Harlem on the fourteuth day of the following August J B Respess three yearold Dick Welles by King Eric Teas Over ridden by Thomas Knight at 112 pounds in a special race against Grand Opera ran the mile in 137 October 9 1905 the Oneck Stables threeyearold Klameaua by Eiher Reflection equaled this tine at Belmont Park She was ridden by Willie Knapp at 104 pounds poundsThe The Dick WellesKiamesha record stood intact until August 15 190S when at Seattle Fern L ran in the same time under the light impost of eighty pounds In the same year December 22 Centre Shot wiped out this triple tie record by running a mile in 137 at Santa Anita with 105 pounds up This Centre Shot record remained untouched for several years but at Juarez December 12 1913 Manasseh tied it as did the threeyearold Vested RightH a few days afterwards Next at the same track January 18 1914 a new record was mad when Bonne Chance ran a mile In 137 with 98 pounds up This new record did not last long for on Marcli 0 1914 at the same track the three yearold filly Christophine carried 102 pounds nnrt ran the distance in 130 These Juarez records were simply an evidence of the wonderful speed of the track and in no way uu implication oC superior qualities in the platers making them themOn On September 3 of the same year at Syracuse N Y R T Wilsons sixyearold gelding AmalQ carrying 107 pounds ran the distance In the new American time of 13614 The Syracuse track is a hard trotting track and exceptionally fast time was made over It in the running races held there that year In connection wjth the State Fair FairAmalfis Amalfis time remained the mile record until last summer when at Saratoga on August 6 Sun Briar with 113 pounds up ran the distance in 136 the present American record for a mile in a race