Souped up tracks - Perhaps not a thing of the modern era

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Whisk Broom raced for four seasons in Europe - failing to win every single time when tried beyond a mile in distance.

Owner H.P. Whitney brought him to America and he ended his racing career with just three starts here. He ran in the Met Mile, Brooklyn, and Suburban (the New York Handicap Triple Crown)

Whisk Broom beat a field of 11 in the Met off of a 7 month layoff and took the Brooklyn in track record time giving 26lbs away to 2nd place. He would be asked to carry 139lbs in the 1 1/4 mile Suburban.

Whisk Broom was a determined half length winner - the final time was a record shattering 2:00 flat. A lot of old-timers hailed Whisk Broom the greatest horse of all-time ...




However, controversy would swirl about the offical final time - even firemen who clock races for amusement would be brought into it ....



It's always been believed and assumed that a timing error was made in that race. Columns written 20 and 30 years later give almost no validity to the accuracy of the time.

However, a simple examination of the result charts from that day suggest the final time was almost certainly accurate.

Besides the Suburban - five other races were carded that day - only two of which on the main track...

One race featured a horse name Spring Board who had lost his last five races by a combined 36 lengths running six furlongs in 1:11 4/5 ... just 1/5 off of the legendary sprinter Roseben's eight-year-old track record. Spring Board was 4th at 5/2 odds next out.

The other race - a "selling" race with a $500 purse featured 9-year-old Fred Mulholland missing Superman's 6-year-old track record by just 3/5ths. Freddy Mul was soundly beaten at 4/1 odds or less in each of his next three starts.

I know nothing of what type of equipment or track maintenance tricks could have been used to do so ... but tracks in the old days could - and would - be souped up in my opinion.

As to Whisk Broom ... it would be 40 years until another horse (Tom Fool in '53) swept those three classic handicap races.

If he ran 2:00 flat under 139lbs in 1913 it sure sounds amazing .. but it's far less amazing when you consider the speed of the racing surface that day. As they later say 'horses don't set track records - track maintenance crews do' or something along those lines. True today, true 50 years ago, and it would appear true even 100 years ago.