Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-04-21
The Turf King.

that the coming horse is Red Cloud /;
and his performances at Buffalo and
elsewhere, last season, furnish good
ground for such belief. Being West
ern horse, he is favorite with West
ern horsemen, who show willingness
to invest IN his future record. A
recent number of Wilkes Spirit of the
Times, referring to this famous ami
NAL, says:
Next on the list of living celebrities
is the bay gelding Red Cloud bred
and still owned by j. S. Wade, of
Edingburg, Ind. He was fold in
1866, was got by the pacing stallion
Legal Tender. now owned by Graves
aud Leorals. u Chicago, out Of mare
OF unknown blood, but showing fine
breeding in every point, and possessed
of unusual endurance. His sire, Le
gal Tender, was got by Moody's Davy
Crockett a PAGER, out of the dam of
Niger Bay, also PAGER 1t will be
seen that Red Cloud is descended from
pacing ancestry on the paternal side;
but in his general conformation. as
we'll as III temperament and gait, he
more closely resembles his dam. One
of the most marked characteristics of
this horse is his wonderful intelligence.
He understands the rules, customs and
signals of the race track, apparently,
as we'll as an old driver, and the cool.
quiet look with which he surveys the
excited crowd in the grand stand as he
jogs past has something almost human
in its expression. He is natural
trotter. and goes without boots, straps
or any other artificial appliance. His
action is of that peculiar, easy, grace.
tul, stealing sort, which seems to re-
qulre but little effort to carry him
alone; but he possesses a large share of
nervous energy, and evidently puts his
will into the work To lover of the
fine horse, it is rare treat to see him
when scoring for the ward in a race.
The energy and intelligence which he
displays on such occasions have rarely
been eqnaled by any horse upon the
turf. He squares himself aud is off
like an arrow the moment his head is
turned towards the ire aud the horse
must be good one that can get off on
even terms with him.
Red Cloud shared the fate Of most
colts raised on Western farm in his
younger days. But little attention was
paid him beyond feeding him mode.
rately we'll, and he was left to enjoy
the freedom of the pastures, and al
lowed to romp and race at his own
good pleasure, until he was about
years old. He was then taken up and
used occasionally on the farm until the
next year, when the boy began to sus-
pect he was trotter. Having no ex-
perlence in training: they handled
him as best they could on the farm,
and the next season, when he was five
years old, they obtained sulky, and
Mr.. Wade's son John began to train
him. His progress was SO rapid that
they were encouraged to put him in
few races, and Notwithstanding the in
experience Of the driver he won first
money in five out of six of his contests.
beating such horeses as Arthur Roy,
John Fero, Pat Ring and Silverside,
and before the season had closed he
had won record of 2:29. It has been
remarked by a noted horseman that
the treatment Red Cloud received dur
ing this season, through the inexperi-
ence of his trainer, would have ruined
any horse not in the possession of an
iron constitution. But he came out
next season in lis six-year-old form
better than before, and met and van
quished the best horses in the West,
including Pilot, Temple, Flora Belle,
Mohawk, Jr., Bodine, Jenny, Kilburn
Jim. Brother Jonathan, Queen Of the
West and Clara G.. He won six good
races that season, all in redhot com
pany, and lowered his record to 2:24a. |
In 1878 he appeared to be slightly off,
and did not come to the expectations
that his previous performances had
warranted, and there were many who
were ready with the prediction that he
had seen his best days. He won eight
races, but not in as hot company as he
had contended against and beaten in
the previous year. But it was in
1874 that he gave the lie to all the
prophets of evil, and marked himself
the peer of the best trotters in the
world. His great performance at Buff
falo, VIII ere he made a record of 2:l8 |
in third heat, and demonstrated his
capacity to trot much faster, was as
proud an achievement as was ever wit
messed on the American turf. The
race was one Of unparalleled interest
and hundreds of thousands of dollars
were wagered on the result. Camor,
had won the first two heats in 2:2O9
and 2:194, aud it looked certain tri-
umph for the graceful black gelding.
They were called up for the third heat,
and Charley Green sat Red Cloud.
Thew oOt the word with Charlou on