title: The trotting and the pacing horse in America,
text: 0^ > V f ^ * " V'-^'^-'/ **^--^-,«*^ \.*^'^\o^ \ ^o-V * o5-' 'oK . .* .0 "^ o. .•«.^°-* iP-'* o <l.^ ^<v 0^ THE AMERICAN SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY EDITED BY CASPAR WHITNEY THE TROTTING AND THE PACING HORSE IN AMERICA ip^y^- ^1 THE TROTTING AND THE PACING HORSE IN AMERICA BY HAMILTON BUSBEY Neto gorfe THE MACMILLAN COMPANY LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd. 1904 All rights reserved LIBRARY nf G0N6RESS Two Cooles Received JUL 13 1904 o Conyrleht Entrv bLAdS ft-XXo. No. 9/1 o 5 COPY B -^'^l Copyright, 1904, By the MACMILLAN COMPANY. Set up and electrotyped. Published July, 1904. Nor-wood Press J. S. Gushing 6f Co. — Berivick & Smith Co. Nor-wood, Mass., U.S.ji. PREFACE For thirty-eight consecutive years I was a visitor at breeding farms and a close observer of horses at speed on the trotting tracks of the country, and in this way I gained knowledge of the subject discussed in this volume. I was an unwavering advocate of movements which estab- lished system where chaos had reigned, and it would be mock modesty for me to pretend that my acquaintance with facts is distant. The evo- lution of the trotter took place during the active period of my life. The fortunate owner of a good library on the horse counts his books by the hundred. Whole volumes have been sur- rendered to one family or tribe. It was no easy task to condense, from thousands of letters and printed pages, the facts which I present. I have tried to give a bird's-eye view of the situation, and have not spun yarns in which a pound of fancy paralyzes one little grain of truth. It has been my aim to give a compact history of development. vi Preface Some who idly turn these pages may think that, if I have erred, it is in conciseness of state- ment ; but people of inquiring minds who refer to the book for information, having faith that fiction has been subordinated to fact, will thank me for an error of this kind. HAMILTON BUSBEY. New York, June, 1904. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. The Introduction of the Horse and the Gradual Increase of Speed From 2.10 to Two Minutes and Better. Tracks, Vehicles, and Wind-shields The Two-minute Horses of 1903. Primordial Streams of Speed The Lady Suffolk Era , Flora Temple, 2.19I, and Dexter, 2.17I II 25 36 40 46 51 65 From the 2.13^ of Rarus to the 2.03^ of The Abbot Cresceus : Reduction of StalUon Record and Double Harness Rivalry -7^ The Foundation Horses, Imported Messenger and Justin Morgan ....... 86 Three Energetic Sons of Justin Morgan, Bulrush, Woodbury, and Sherman Morgan ... 96 The Morrill Tribe and Other Descendants of Justin Morgan 105 Mambrino Chief and his Descendants. • Jt^S The Pilot Family 129 Messenger and the Tribe of Hambletonian. 135 Prepotent Sons of Hambletonian, including George Wilkes 152 The Family of Electioneer 173 Vlll Contents CHAPTER PAGE XVIII, Volunteer, Aberdeen, Happy Medium, Dictator, Harold, and Strathmore. .184 XIX. Cuyler, Egbert, Jay Gould, Edward Everett, and Other Members of the Hambletonian Tribe. igg XX. The Star Family 210 XXI. The Clay Family 216 XXII. The Blue Bull, Royal George, and Other Subsidiary Families 225 XXIII. Great Producing Mares: Green Mountain Maid, Miss Russell, and Beautiful Bells. 233 XXIV. Other Great Producing Mares, including Clara, Alma Mater, and Dame Winnie. 249 XXV. The Era of High Prices 270 XXVI. The Dawn of Systematic Breeding: Track Gov- ernment 275 XXVII. The Growth of Discipline : Horse Shows. 285 XXVIII. Road-riding Movements 296 XXIX. Amateur Driving Clubs 301 XXX. The Pacing Horse ...... 303 XXXI. The MultipHcation of the Pacer .... 316 XXXII. Breeding and Breeding Establishments. 324 Index 335 ILLUSTRATIONS Lou Dillon Frontispiece FACING PAGE E. E. Smathers, driving Major Delmar. , 14 C. K. G. Billings, driving the Champion Trotter, Lou Dillon. 14 Pace-maker with Wind-shield ...... 24 Wind-shield and Dirt-shield ....... 24 Major Delmar 30 Dan Patch 34 Prince Alert 35 E. T. Bedford, driving York Boy and Bemay .... 35 Flora Temple 46 Beautiful Bells 46 Dexter 48 Goldsmith Maid 50 Nancy Hanks 50 Maud S 68 Sunol 72 Alix. .76 The Abbot 76 Cresceus. , .78 Kremlin .......... 78 Palo Alto 124 Directum. , .124 Rysdyk's Hambletonian. ....... 144 Mambrino Chief 144 ix X Illustrations FACING PAGE George Wilkes 156 Electioneer 156 Miss Russell 232 Green Mountain Maid 232 Axtell 270 Arion 270 P. P. Johnston 286 William Russell Allen 286 W. P. Ijams 286 J. Malcolm Forbes 290 John E. Thayer. 290 Lawrence Kip 290 Robert Bonner ......... 296 William H. The horse, as shown by fossil remains, existed in America prior to its discovery by Columbus, but the first importation across the Atlantic was made in 1493. These horses were taken to 2 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse the West India Islands by Columbus, and from there the stock spread to Florida in 1527. De Soto was attended by cavalry in the expedition in which he discovered the Mississippi River. In 1604 horses were taken from France to Nova Scotia, and in 1608 the French introduced horses into Canada. In 1609 English ships landed horses at Jamestown, and Bancroft informs us that in 1656 the horse had multiplied in Virginia and through favorable legislation had improved. Speed was especially valued. Horses were landed in Massa- chusetts in 1629, and in the same year were im- ported into New York from Holland. In Virginia and the Carolinas particular attention was paid to the breeding of horses for the running track, while in Pennsylvania, New York, and the New England States the horse of general utility was cultivated. The easy motion of the Narragansett pacer made him desirable for the saddle when road-building was in its primitive stage, and the first speed com- petitions between horses were on level stretches of the country. These saddle contests were far from orderly, but were keenly relished by the little communities v^-eighed down by monotony and craving excitement. All kinds of sharp practices were resorted to for the purpose of beating a rival, introduction of the Horse 3 and there is more fable than actual truth in some of the reports handed down to us from those days. Time could not be accurately taken on these straight stretches of road, and this afforded boast- ers plenty of latitude for exaggeration. The time reported for flights of speed in straightaway ice races and speedway exhibitions is always open to question, and is not officially recognized. It belongs to the realm of irresponsible talk. The early tracks were poorly constructed, and seconds slower than those of to-day. The trainer had to ride as well as drive in contests, a large per cent of the recorded races being open to horses under saddle. The observation stands were roughly constructed, and the entire surroundings were crude. On a half-mile track at Harlem, New York, in June, 1806, a horse called Yankee is re- puted to have trotted a mile in 2.59. The per- formance of Boston Blue, at Jamaica, New York, in 1818, a mile in three minutes, is authentic. In 1827 Rattler trotted two miles under saddle in 5.24; in 1828 Screwdriver trotted three miles under saddle in 8.02; and in 1829 Topgallant trotted three miles in harness in 8.1 1. The dif- ference between saddle and harness for three miles is nine seconds, but the difference in the 4 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse capacity of the two horses is not accurately known. In 1834 Edwin Forrest, a black gelding, trotted a mile under saddle in 2.31^, and in the same year a bay mare called Sally Miller trotted a mile in harness in 2.37. The Lady Suffolk era began in 1845, when she trotted in harness in 2.29I. The same year Moscow, a bay gelding of unknown blood, trotted in 2.30. In 1849 Lady Sutton, by Morgan Eagle, trotted in 2.30, and Pelham, a bay gelding of untraced breeding, trotted in 2.28. In the appended table I give championship records, designating those made with wind or dirt shield with the letter s, and those made on kite tracks with the letter k : — 10.12 12.24 28.02^ One mile, Lou Dillon, chestnut mare, 1903 . . 1-58^ Two miles, Robert McGregor, chestnut horse, 1902 4.17 Three miles, Nightingale, chestnut mare, 1893 Four miles, Senator L., chestnut horse, 1893. Five miles, Zambra, brown gelding, 1902 Ten miles, John Stewart, bay gelding, 1867 Thirty miles, General Taylor, gray horse, 1857 . 1.47.59 One hundred miles. Conqueror, bay gelding, 1853 . 8.55.05 Twenty, fifty, and one hundred mile perform- ances are no longer in vogue. They served no good purpose, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals interfered. Introduction of the Horse 5 The best high-wheel records at one mile are: — Maud S., chestnut mare, 1885 .... 2.o8f Sunol, bay mare, 1891 2.o8|/^ Palo Alto, bay horse, 1 89 1 2.o8|/^ Jay-eye-see, black gelding, 1884 .... 2.10 Mr. Bonner, who owned both Maud S. and Sunol, estimated that the high-wheel record of Maud S. on the oval track at Cleveland was a second better than that of Sunol on the kite track at Stockton. The kite was but a passing fancy and is no longer in use. The first one was built at Independence, Iowa, in 1890, and the one long turn gave it an advantage in point of speed over the regulation track with its two turns, especially when high wheels were in gen- eral use. After the introduction of the bicycle sulky in 1892, this advantage was not so appar- ent ; and as the public objected to kite races on account of the horses going so far from the grand stand, the tracks of this design ceased to exist. The important question is how much Lou Dillon was assisted by the horse immediately in front of her with a dirt-shield. Maud S. trotted without artificial aids. Mr. J. Malcolm Forbes 6 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse estimated the difference between the high-wheel record and the bicycle sulky at five seconds. Only through careful experiment can we deter- mine the difference between shield records and other records. The best records made under saddle are : — One mile, Great Eastern, bay gelding, 1877 . . 2.15 Two miles, George M. Patchen, bay horse, 1863 . 4.56 Three miles, Dutchman, bay gelding, 1839 . . T-Z'^^ Four miles, Dutchman, bay gelding, 1836 . . . 10.51 The harness record of Great Eastern is 2.18, and, taking his two performances as a guide, we fix the saddle as 3 seconds faster than the sulky. Horses are not alike, and some will show a greater difference than this between saddle and harness. Trotting with running mate has also gone out of fashion. It was no proof of merit, because the runner not only relieved the trotter of weight but pulled him forward. The records are : — One mile (against time), Ayres P., chestnut gelding, 1893, 2.03^ One mile (in a race), Frank, bay gelding, 1883 . . 2.08^ The team records for one mile are : — The Monk, brown gelding, by Chimes, and Equity, black gelding, by Heir at Law, 1903 . . . 2.08 Introduction of the Horse 7 Rose Leaf, black mare, by Gold Leaf, and Sally Simmons, bay mare, by Simmons (in a race), 1894 . . 2.15^ The three-abreast record of one mile was made in 1891 by Belle Hamlin, Globe, and Justina, all by Hamlin's Almont Jr., and it is ...... 2.14 The four-in-hand record, one mile, was made in 1896 by Damania, Bellnut, Maud V.,  a half-mile track is that of Cresceus, in 1903 2.08 The best undisputed record of Cresceus on a mile track is 2.02|, which would fix the difference between the two tracks at 5J seconds. The fastest half-mile record on a mile track is that of Major Delmar, made in 1902 . . . . i.oij The records to wagon are : — One mile, Lou Dillon, 1903 .... 2.00 s One mile, Major Delmar, 1903 2.03! s Two miles. Dexter, 1865 .... 4.56i Three miles. Prince, 1857 .... 7-53^ Five miles, Fillmore, 1863 .... 13.16 Ten miles, Julia Aldrich, 1858 29.041^ Twenty miles, Controller, 1878 58-57 The wagons of to-day are but mere feathers as compared to those of 1865, and this fact should be taken into consideration in estimating the difference between performances. 8 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse The best trot of a pair to wagon on a half-mile track was that of York Boy and Bemay at Parkway, in in 1902 ........ 2.12^ The best trot in single harness to wagon on a half-mile track was that of Cresceus, in 190 1 . . . 2.12 It is not possible in the space to which I am Hmited to give all meritorious performances, but the reader will gain a clear idea of progression in breeding and development from the chapters which treat of epoch-making horses. Nevertheless, at the risk of being charged with repetition, I introduce a compilation which will enable the reader to see at a glance the progress of development. It took years to increase har- ness speed from three minutes to two minutes. Boston Blue, black gelding 1818 3.00 Bull Calf, bay gelding 1830 2.47f Edwin Forrest, black gelding. 1838 2.36! Dutchman, bay gelding 1839 2.32 Lady Suffolk, gray mare 1845 2.29^ Pelham (converted pacer), bay gelding 1849 2.28 Highland Maid (converted pacer). bay mar e 1853 2.27 Flora Temple, bay mare 1856 2.24^ Flora Temple, bay mare 1859 2.19! Dexter, brown gelding 1867 2-I7i Goldsmith Maid, bay mare 1871 2.17 Goldsmith Maid, bay mare. 1874 2.14 Rarus, bay gelding 1878 2.i3i St. Julien, bay gelding 1879 2.12f Introduction of the Horse 1880 2.10| I88I 2.10^ 1884 2.10 1884 2.09^ 1885 2.o8| I89I 2.08^ 1892 2.04 1894 2.03! 1900 2-03i I90I 2.02^ 1903 l.s^s Maud S., chestnut mare Maud S., chestnut mare Jay-eye-see, black gelding Maud S., chestnut mare Maud S., chestnut mare Sunol, bay mare Nancy Hanks, brown mare Alix, bay mare. The Abbot, bay gelding Cresceus, chestnut horse Lou Dillon, chestnut mare The bicycle sulky came into use in 1892, and Nancy Hanks and all subsequent record-breakers had the advantage of it. The 1.58 J of Lou Dillon was made with a pace-maker and dirt- shield in front of her. The first record up to the present standard was made in 1845 by Lady Suffolk. Now there are over thirty thousand trotters and pacers of stand- ard speed rank. The steady advancement of the light-harness horse was not due to chance. It was the result of earnest thought and per- sistent effort. The man who was able to show a higher rate of speed than his neighbor in a brush on a country road felt a thrill of elation, and the desire grew in him to breed a still faster animal. His neighbor was ambitious to excel, to lead instead of follow, and he also turned his lo The Trotting and the Pacing Horse thoughts to breeding and development. Year after year a greater number of mares were bred, and who can tell of the anxious days of anticipa- tion ? After the safe delivery of the colt hope began to expand, and every change of form from babyhood to maturity was followed with deepest interest. The disappointments outnumbered the successes, but they stimulated the breeder to try again. He was determined to rise above failure. If he sold a promising young horse, he did not lose interest in it. He kept in touch with it through reports in journals which chroni- cled events of the track, and each victory brought a glow of pleasure to his face. Thousands of foals pressed with tiny hoofs the clover blossoms of spring and summer, which never trotted or paced a mile in 2.30, but the motto was to per- severe, and the dream was nursed of finally producing championship form. The long road from three minutes to two minutes ran through shadow as well as sunshine, but the accomplish- ment was worth millions of heart-beats, because the light-harness horse is recognized the world over as one of the greatest triumphs of the industrial life of America. CHAPTER II FROM 2.IO TO TWO MINUTES AND BETTER. TRACKS, VEHICLES, AND WIND-SHIELDS For years after the trotting record had been carried down to 2.10 by Jay-eye-see, August i, 1884, there were discussions as to the ultimate speed of the trotter. Pages were written to prove that the two-minute horse was an impossi- biUty. The early arguments were based upon the assumption that there would be no improve- ment in tracks and vehicles. Five years after Maud S. had trotted to a record of 2.o8f at Cleveland the kite track came into use, and on it Sunol beat the record by half a second. It was September 28, 1891, that Sunol trotted to a record of 2.08J. Seven years after the 2.08J of Maud S. at Cleveland the ball-bearing bicycle sulky was introduced, and it enabled Nancy Hanks in September of that year to trot to a record of 2.04. Nancy Hanks tried to equal 2.o8|- to high- wheel sulky and failed, 12 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse as did Alix, who in 1894 trotted to a record of 2.03J. These are impressive facts to every thoughtful man of experience. The advantage of the 28-inch wheel with pneumatic tire is that it reduces friction, especially around the turns, and enables the horse not only more fully to extend himself, but to carry the speed over a longer dis- tance. Year after year the regulation track has improved, particular attention being given to angles, grades, and elasticity of road-bed ; and the sulky and wagon builder has turned out vehicles of lighter and better design. A special aim has been to overcome as far as possible atmospheric resistance. In 1900 The Abbot reduced the world's record to 2.03 J, and in 1901 Cresceus car- ried it down to 2.02 J-. Here it stood until 1903, when another striking innovation was introduced. Vehicles and tracks had continued to improve, and a shield was brought into use. After Lou Dillon had trotted at Readville, Massachusetts, in two minutes, Mr. Albert C. Hall addressed a letter to me at Colorado Springs, where I was engaged upon this work, in which he said : — " I was pleased to hear from the lips of Mr. Billings how well the mare finished the From 2.10 to Two Minufes and Better 13 mile, going the last quarter in 29 seconds, and the last eighth in 14 seconds. He told me that she went without check, with 4^-ounce shoes forward and 2|-ounce shoes behind, and with very few boots. Now that the trotting horse has reached the two-minute mark and within one second of the pacing record, what does Mr. Busbey think will be the limit of speed for a mile 1 " The shield innovation looked so dangerous to me that under date of September 22, 1903, I addressed a formal letter to William Russell Allen, President of the American Trotting Register Association : — " Previous to the conference between the National Trotting Association, the American Trotting Association, and the American Trot- ting Register Association, which led to the pres- ent rules governing performance against time, the validity of many so-called time records was questioned. There were heated controversies in the public prints over trials against the watch, and but little faith was reposed in some of the stated efforts. As the official head of the Ameri- can Trotting Register Association, and as a member of the Board of Appeals of the National 14 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse Trotting Association, you were in a position to bring about a much-needed change ; but if my recollection is good, no suggestion was made by you that a horse in going against the watch should be more favored than a horse competing against a hostile field. The desire was to remove a prejudice against time records, and to place them on an absolute equality with race records. In actual races no artificial aids are allowed, and the logical presumption is that this is true of performances against time. In a race where every heat must be contested by every horse in the race, and every horse must be driven to the finish, there is no room for a foreign factor like an automobile or a wind-breaking runner, and I should like to be informed what position the Register Association is likely to take on this question. You will note the rule says may 'accompany.' As the rule allows a horse, it is presumable that it was not intended to allow an automobile to 'accompany,' or it would have been so worded. Does the word ' accompany ' mean that the any other horse may precede the performer.? A horse alone, immediately preceding a per- former, would act as a wind-shield to a certain degree. A horse with a man in a cart would act in the same way in a greater degree. No horse not actually a participant in a race is allowed to precede any horse in a race, but a participant in a race may precede other horses, and other horses may use him as a shield or wind-break at pleas- ure. So that we have or can have in races, pace-makers and wind breaks or shields. I can- not tell you in answer to your question what position the Register Association is likely to take. It is a matter for careful consideration. 1 6 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse and I have no doubt it will come before the Asso- ciation for determination before the next Year Book is published." October i, 1903, I replied to President Allen : — " It is true that Rule 58 makes it proper for a horse to accompany a contestant against time, but when it declares that this horse shall not in any way be attached to said contestant, the im- plied understanding is that no agent shall be used to overcome natural elements. Atmos- pheric pressure is one of these elements, and the idea of sending a wind-breaker in advance of a competitor was never contemplated by the rule-makers. " In some parts of a race a horse may trail another, and thus be materially aided by the shield ; but should his driver persist in these tactics from start to the head of the home-stretch, the judges would fail in the performance of their duty if they did not admonish him. If one horse is permitted to trail, why not another, until we have an absurdly long line of trailers } At the head of the home-stretch each horse shall select his position and swerve neither to the right nor the left. Here, at least, there is no place for a wind-breaker. What is called ' helping' is strictly From 2.10 to Two Minutes and Better 17 forbidden in a race. Unless every heat is con- tested by every horse in the race and every horse is driven to a finish, the race degenerates into a farce. The chronic trailer, according to my way of thinking, invites suspension or expulsion. I regard it a mistake to make time records easier of accomplishment than race records. Time is the basis of the standard, and care should be taken not to revive the old prejudice against horses that obtain records in competition against the watch. If the two-minute horse is allowed favors in a contest against time, why not the 2.31 or 2.32 horse? And then we may look for shoals of the newcomers, until the speed standard is debased. I am not opposed to progress ; I have never proclaimed the impossibility of the two- minute horse ; I should rejoice to see the trotter equal the runner, — but we cannot make rules for one performer which do not apply to all performers at the same gait. This fact must be clear to every intelligent mind, and I have asked a few questions of you because you occupy official position and have established a reputation for clearness of thought and terseness of statement." I received an invitation by telegraph to come to the October meeting at Lexington and discuss 1 8 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse the question with official heads of governing asso- ciations, and took the train from Colorado for Kentucky. At Lexington I met President John- ston of the National Trotting Association, Presi- dent Allen of the American Trotting Register Association, and Secretary W. H. Under date of December ii, 1903, the sons of Robert Bonner addressed a letter to William H. Knight, Secretary of the American Trotting Reg- ister Association, protesting against the accept- ance of the 2.05 of Lou Dillon at Cleveland, September 12, 1903. The reasons given were that the announcement was made that Lou Dillon would trot to high-wheel sulky to beat the 2.o8f of Maud S. ; that the performance was invalidated From 2.10 to Two Minutes and Better 19 by the use of a wind-shield, and by resort to ball- bearing axles. When Mr. R. E. Bonner sent the protest to me for an opinion, I, in substance, replied that I did not believe that Mr. Billings was a party to the concealing of the use of ball-bearing axles on the sulky of Lou Dillon ; that unreflecting employees of that gentleman should be held responsible for this action ; that the major point at issue was not ball-bearing axles, but the use of a dirt-shield and a pace-maker in front. The judges of racing can- not discriminate between high- wheel and low- wheel sulkies. Each manufacturer has his own ideas, and competition is open to all builders. If one high wheel is lighter and less friction-produc- ing than another, you cannot impose a handicap on the man who is shrewd enough to take advan- tage of it. There is a marked difference between the speed-contributing power of an old-fashioned high-wheel sulky and the up-to-date bicycle sulky ; but if a man has a horse properly entered in a race and is not so fortunate as to own a ball- bearing bicycle, you cannot refuse him the privi- lege of starting to high wheel, unless you take the ground that the handicap is self-imposed for a fraudulent purpose. Under registration rules 20 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse high-wheel and low-wheel records are treated alike. January 5, 1904, a joint committee, composed of three representatives each from the National Trotting Association, the American Trotting Association, and the American Trotting Register Association, met in New York and one of the things discussed was shield performances. The validity of irregular performances against the watch was formally disputed by the American Trotting Association, and this brought the ques- tion before the official board, the three presidents of the governing associations. On January 7 there was a public hearing before the board, com- posed of Presidents P. P. Johnston, W. P. Ijams, and William Russell Allen, and the fact was established that the official announcement at Cleveland was that Lou Dillon would start to beat 2.o8f to high-wheel sulky. The report telegraphed over the country that the mare started under the precise conditions that governed the record-breaking performance of Maud S. lacked the important element of truth. The fact was also established through the testimony of Charles Tanner, an employee of Mr. Billings, that the sulky drawn by Lou Dillon was fitted with ball- From 2.10 to Two Miimtes and Better 21 bearing hubs. After a patient hearing the board handed down this decision : — " We find that the performance of Lou Dillon at Cleveland on September 12, 1903, to high- wheel, ball-bearing sulky, with a pace-maker with dirt-shield in front, was not a record, because the mare had previously performed in faster time, which performance was her record and precluded a slower performance being a record. " We also find the performance of Maud S. at Cleveland in 1885 was to high- wheel, plain-axle sulky, according to rule ; that the time, 2.08J, was not only her best time, but the best time ever made up to that date, and was a record. " No record can be made with a wind-shield other than an ordinary dirt-shield and pace-maker in front. A performance with pace-maker in front with dirt-shield shall be recorded with a distinguishing mark referring to a note stating the fact." This decision gives Maud S. the place of honor during the period that the high-wheel sulky was in general use ; her 2.o8|- is the best high-wheel record over regulation track; but no sharp line of distinction, for handicap and registration pur- poses, is drawn between sulkies. 22 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse Seven days after the decision Mr. W. R. Allen, President of the American Trotting Register Association, favored me with his views : " There is no such classification in the Year Book as record to high wheels. No horse holds such an official record. No distinction was made when the bike wheels came in, in 1892, and there is no reason why there should be now. A horse having a record of 2.02J to harness cannot get a record of 2.05 to harness. Maud S. has no official record to high wheel. No horse has. But Maud S. held tke record to harness for a long time, and it is well known that the performance was to high wheels. Palo Alto also performed to high wheels equally as fast. Sunol performed to high wheels faster. That Lou Dillon can pull the same sulky that Maud S. did in better than 2.o8|- on the Cleveland track, no one doubts. Maud S.'s performance was a great one and was conceded to be the best for the period, but many horses have since performed greater feats than she did at the trotting gait." In a letter to me concerning the same matter Mr. R. E. Bonner says : " The decision, when I consider the limited position in which the com- mittee were placed, because they felt that the From 2.10 to Two Minutes and Better 23 custom, rule, or precedent that a horse having a faster record could not start to obtain a lower record, is satisfactory to me. The inference, however, that in the future no horse having a faster record than 2. 08 J could start against Maud S.'s performance and obtain a record is not pleas- ing or satisfactory. If the owner of any horse should wish to make a thoroughly honorable and upright comparative test and succeed, both my brother Frederic and myself would gladly ac- knowledge Maud S.'s performance surpassed with- out regard to the fact as to whether or no such a performance was a technical record." From a letter written to the New York Sun, by Hugh E. McLaughlin, giving the mathe- matical side of the question, I take the follow- ing : " The two-minute horse on a dead calm day, facing a thirty-mile wind created by himself, meets an opposing force of ^ of 5 pounds per square foot, or 2 J pounds ; and the section of the cylindrical surfaces in this case being 12 square feet we find by multiplying 12 by 2^^ a pressure of 30 pounds against the unshielded trotter. " Behind the shield the horse benefits most when close up, but benefits some if within any reasonable distance. The partial vacuum and 24 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse suction, so called, behind the pace-maker cer- tainly withdraw a large part of the 30 pounds' pressure that would otherwise oppose the horse. The dirt-shield pace-maker shields the horse behind in the same way that the Reliance in the windward position effectually blanketed the Shamrock, though the two were more than 20 lengths apart ; and yet some horsemen claim that only when the pace-follower is less than one length behind is he assisted to any extent." The truth or falsity of these conclusions can easily be demonstrated in 1904 by Lou Dillon, Major Delmar, Dan Patch, and other horses who performed with shields in 1903. PACE-MAKER WITH WIND-SHIELD WIND-SHIELD AND DIRT-SHIELD CHAPTER III THE TWO-MINUTE HORSES OF I903 Sensational performances were numerous dur- ing the summer of 1903. The trotter crossed the two-minute line, but in a way not commended by thousands of thoughtful observers. In 1 88 1 the bay mare Sweetness, record 2.21 J, by Volunteer by Hambletonian out of Lady Mer- ritt by Edward Everett by Hambletonian, was one of the five mares bred to Santa Claus, son of Strathmore by Hambletonian, and the outcome was Sidney, who paced to a record of 2.19J. Octo- ber 29, 1889, I was at the Valensin Stock Farm, Pleasanton, California, and from a note-book used on that occasion I copy : — " Sidney, bay horse, eight years old ; straight hip ; plenty of substance and length. Left fore- leg was hurt when he was a colt. Trotted a quarter as a yearling in 37 seconds and then went to pacing. Very quiet in disposition. Good head and neck. Stands 15.2^; breeds large and is a good feeder." 25 28 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse struggles against the steady beat of the watch. She was the star of 1903, trotting in 2.02 J at Cleveland, July 11; in 2.00 at Readville, August 24; and in 1.58 J at Memphis, October 24. It is a pity that the rules governing performances against time were not more strictly observed, for then a bitter controversy would have been avoided, and the 1.58 J would not have been entered in the Year Book with a note of ex- planation. A pace-maker in front with a dirt- shield is something not looked upon with favor by those who make and execute the laws of the trotting track. It was a mere coincidence that Sidney and Venus, who were responsible for Sidney Dillon, sire of Lou Dillon, were at one time enrolled among cripples. The infirmities were not so deeply seated as to be transmitted. Fly, the dam of Lou Milton, the dam of Lou Dillon, is down in the books as a mare of un- traced blood. Her appearance, however, was that of a thoroughbred, and it is stated that Lou Milton was a fleet runner under the saddle. The nervous disposition of Lou Dillon, coupled with her astonishing bursts of speed, suggests a race- horse strain. She trotted to high-wheel sulky at Cleveland in 2.05, but the performance is not The Two-minute Horses of i^o^ 29 officially recognized. At Cleveland, September i, she trotted to wagon in 2.04 J; and at Lexing- ton, October 10, she reduced the wagon record to 2.oif. Previous to her start that afternoon Mr. E. E. Smathers drove his horse, Major Delmar, to a record of 2.03^; and the friends of Mr. Billings were apprehensive that he would fail to equal this mark. There was suppressed excitement when Mr. Billings took the word and was at the quarter pole in 31 seconds, and the half-mile post in i.oi. The question now was to sustain the flight of speed. There were cheers from the grand-stand when the watches split on the nose of the chestnut mare at the three-quarter pole in 1.30J, because it pointed to triumph. Mr. Bil- Imgs held the great mare together down the home-stretch, and when the official announcement was made that the time of the mile was 2.0 if, the driver and horse were the recipients of a great ovation. I was sitting with the president of the National Trotting Association and the president of the American Trotting Register Association ; and when we three joined the throng around Mr. Billings and offered our sincere congratulations, there was a glow of pleasure on his face that told 30 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse of the inward joy of the moment. Lou Dillon went from Lexington to Memphis, where she reduced the harness record, October 24, to 1.58J, and the wagon record, October 28, to 2.00. She is a phenomenal trotter, and her future cannot be foretold. The unknown quantity in her comes from the dam of Venus, dam of Sidney Dillon, and Fly, dam of Lou Milton. It is fitting that the champion trotter of the world should carry so much of the blood of Hambletonian, the great progenitor of trotters, who lived and died within the shadow of Sugar Loaf Mountain. Major Delmar The second trotter to cross the two-minute line in 1903 was Major Delmar, and his record of 1.59J is relegated by official decision to the special class headed by Lou Dillon. His fastest efforts are questioned because of the use of a pace-maker in front with dirt-shield. Major Delmar is a bay gelding, bred at Suburban Stock Farm, Glens Falls, New York, by William E. Spier; foaled in 1897, and as a three-year-old he trotted to a record of 2.15. He was not raced as a four-year-old, but having changed owners was prominent as a five-year-old, trotting to a record The Two-minute Horses of i^o^ 31 of 2.05 J. In 1903, as a six-year-old, he was the determined rival of Lou Dillon, especially after Mr. E. E. Smathers had paid ^40,000 for him. The blood lines of Major Delmar are of approved merit, and the critic who objects to missing links in a pedigree has no fault to find with him. His sire, Del Mar, trotted to a record of 2.16J, and was descended in the male line from Electioneer and in the female line from the great producing mare, Sontag Dixie by Toronto Sontag, son of To- ronto Chief and Sontag, 2.31, by Harris's Hamble- tonian. Expectation, the dam of Major Delmar, was got by Autograph, 2.16^ (son of Alcan- tara and Flaxy by Kentucky Clay), out of Miss Copeland, who obtained a pacing record of 2. 2 5 J, and who produced the celebrated trotter. Cope- land, 2.09J. Miss Copeland was by Almont Star, 2.28f (son of Almont 33 and Blanch Star by American Star 37), dam Copeland Maid by Prophet Jr. by Prophet, a descendant of Justin Morgan. Alcantara was the son of George Wilkes and Alma Mater by Mambrino Patchen, and Flaxy was out of Young Flaxy by Telegraph, a descendant of Justin Morgan. Kentucky Clay, sire of the dam of Autograph, was by Strader's Cassius M. Clay Jr., out of the Rodes mare, dam 32 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse of Lady Thorn and Mambrino Patchen. Expec- tation has no record, but as a three-year-old she trotted a trial in 2.28. Major Delmar carries the blood of the foundation families, Justin Morgan; Messenger, through Hambletonian and his two great prepotent sons. Electioneer and George Wilkes ; Clay, through its best source. Green Mountain Maid ; Mambrino Chief through Mam- brino Patchen and Almont ; and American Star: and all who believe in close adherence to demon- strated trotting lines in breeding point to his achievements with satisfaction. It is to be re- gretted that he was not given an opportunity at Memphis, where he made his shield record of i.59f, to see what he could do to establish a record without the aid of a pace-maker in front. I do not believe that he has reached the limit of his speed. Cresceus The third trotter who was reported to have crossed the two-minute line in 1903 is Cresceus, a chestnut horse of powerful build, foaled in 1894 and sired by Robert McGregor, 2.17I, son of Major Edsall, 2.29, by Alexander's Abdallah, the prepotent son of Rysdyk's Hambletonian ; dam Mabel by Mambrino Howard by Mambrino The Two-mlfmte Horses of ipo^ 33 Chief; second dam Contention by Allie West, 2.25, by Almont, son of Alexander's Abdallah and Sally Anderson by Mambrino Chief. Fanny, dam of Allie West, was also by Mambrino Chief. Nancy Whitman, dam of Robert McGregor, was by Seely's American Star, and Mabel is the dam of the famous campaign trotter. Nightingale, 2.10J. Cresceus carries foundation blood, but not so profusely as Major Delmar, and it was on Friday, July 26, 1 90 1, at Cleveland, that he dethroned The Abbot by trotting to a record of 2.02|-. The stallion was accompanied by a running horse during the first half of his journey and by two runners during the last half. There was no pace- maker in front. At Columbus, August 2, 1901, Cresceus reduced his record to 2.02J, and he failed to beat this performance in 1902. Octo- ber 19, 1903, the startling report was telegraphed from Wichita, Kansas, that Cresceus had trotted in i.59f. The accuracy of the timing was ques- tioned, and under date of January 14, 1904, the president of the American Trotting Register Association wrote me : " The Cresceus perform- ance at Wichita is held up in the court of the American Trotting Association and will not be decided until May next, consequently the record 34 The Trotting and the Pacing Horse of the stallion in the new Year Book will be as it was last time, 2.02J." Controversy over the coming of the two-minute trotter, which raged for some years, has not been satisfactorily settled. Those who maintain that a mile in two minutes at a trot is an impossible performance will not surrender their views until the fact is established without the aid of pace- maker and dirt-shield. Dan Patch The only pacer officially recognized as across the two-minute line in 1903 was Dan Patch. He is a brown horse, foaled in 1896, and got by the great pacer, Joe Patchen, 2.01 J, out of Zelica by Wilkesberry by Young Jim by George Wilkes ; second dam Abdallah Belle by Pacing Abdallah. As Joe Patchen is by Patchen Wilkes, son of George Wilkes, Dan Patch carries a double infusion of the famous Wilkes blood. Dan Patch is a handsome, substantially built, dark bay horse, and August 29, 1902, he paced at Providence to a record of 1.59I. He was busy against the watch in 1903, and I was one of the judges at Lexington, October 16, when he paced to a wagon record of 1.59J. The pace-maker with dirt-shield PRINCE ALERT The Fast Pacer, whose wind-shield performance was rejected. E. T. BEDFORD Driving York Boy and Bemay to a record of 2.I2V4 on a half-mile track. The Two-minute Horses of 190^ 35 was in front of him and close enough to break atmospheric pressure. At Memphis, October 22, he paced in harness, with dirt-shield in front, in 1.56J, but in one sense this does not displace Star Pointer, whose record of 1.59J in 1897 was made in the good old-fashioned way. The Register Association classes shield records lower than those made without its assistance. The 1.59J of Dan Patch, made in 1902, is given preference over his 1.56J of 1903. The wagon record of 1.57 at Memphis, October 22, 1903, goes into the shield class. Prince Alert The bay gelding. Prince Alert, by Crown Prince, paced in 1902 to a record of two minutes, and this is his best credit mark. His 1.57, with the shelter of a big wind-shield, at Empire City Park, September 23, 1903, has been rejected by the proper authorities. Unless the rules are changed, judges hereafter will refuse to start horses behind wind-shields. 