Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-08-26
THE TROT7TNG HORSE.

The recent remarkable performance
of Goldsmith Maid in trotting mil,
in the unprecedented time of 2.l4s; tn,
lowering of the fastest record for stal
lions to 2.20i by Smuggler, who hal
thus snatched the laurels from til,
brow of Jay Gould only to lose then
TO Mambrino Gift and the third hea
accomplished by Lula in 2.16i, have
served to call public attention 10 tn,
vastness Of the horse interest in Ameri
ca, and the capital and talent that ar,
devoted to the development Of the per
feet equine. The trotting horse is al
American institution of American crea
ton, tracing his pedigree of course tc
the imported animal, but owing hii
peculiarity of gait and immense speed
to the cultivation which has been Law
Ssoroas sess S% h habits Rs'' q s'aS The ngYE 'o'
their love for rude out-ofdoor sports
and fondness Of display, the trottinq
horse was necessity Of our country
Our young men drive instead Of ride
and twenty years ago there was a popu
lar superstition to the effect that the
possession of 2.40 horse ON a plank
road was the acme of earthly bliss
Immense premiums were put npon
speed by the offering of large purses
to the winners of races by associations
in every city, and even every county
at its agricultural fair encouraged the
breeding of fast horses. A fast horse
became a fortune TO its owner, the
winnings Of first-class one in Il season
say one of the ability to trot in the
Notwithstanding to many thou
sands of dollars. Goldsmith Maid must
have earned half million of dollars
during the last six years. Almost fab
ulous sums were paid for fast animals,
and there was popular fiction that
Mr.. Bonnor would give 100000 for
the horse which eclipsed the time Of
his magnificent Dexter.
The breeding of the trotting horse
was thus made business, and an ex-
trcmely profitable one. And men
went into IL, as they did in other en-
terprises where large amount of cap
ital was involved and great profits
were at stake, with judgment and care.
Where everything had been before lett
to accident or trusted to hazard, scien-
tific rules and regular modes of train
ing were introduced. Strains of blood
were studied and compared, and the
trotting stock enriched with an infu-
sion from the noble veins OF the native
and foreign thoroughbred. The sense
less prejudice which had opposed the
pure blood and untainted lineage of
the running horse gave way before
the performances of the animals inher-
iting larger proportion of the precious
strains. The result has been the won
derfhl development Of speed recently
witnessed.
OF the capabilities OF the trotting
horse it is too early yet, and the recent
performances have been too brilliant
and astounding, to permit of calm
and judicial opinion. During the last
two weeks we have seen the fastest
time for one mile beaten and beaten
again the fastest FIVE consecutive
heats trotted, and the fastest stallion
time beaten and rebeaten. In two
weeks the trotting horse has accom-
plished more than his predecessors did
in twenty. And he has improved in
beauty, strength, and stamina, as well
as speed. Goldsmith Maid is as much
a handsomer animal than Flora TEN
Pile as she is feeter-footed than that
venerable Queen of the Turf And be-
hind her is whole army of younger
horses of better blood and more royal
lineage. But it is not probable that
the records will be materially lowered
during the next decade. The improve
ment of the horse, like that Of man,
is thing of slow growth, and the re-
suit of culture. For more than thirty
years Dutchmans time of 1924 for
three miles, made on Long Island,
stood unbeaten until Huntress, in 1872,
reduced il nearly ten seconds. On the
turf Lexington's four miles in
7.19i has stood for twenty years, and
there is no living horse to-day that is
capable of beating it.--Phiid Press.