Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-01-22
DEXTER, THE Bksr TRIO TIER.
The Successive HetOres Of a Sieed Without a Peer.
Hon He Broke the Hearts of Infy Thorn,
GotdsD'itb M@if. and all the Other Circuit
Trotfers Of His DG1-4 Harrei ,as bnt
1erTecUy Truthful Re ord Of speed.


Troffers Of His Da9-4 HarreI BssS bn
PerTeeHy TrH'hfiH Re ord Of speed.
We copy the following sketch OF Dsxte-
from the last number Of Wallace'| Monthly
IL Is from the pen OF Charles j. Foster. one
OF the best informed turf writers in the coun
try:
This famous horse is now seventeen years
old, and / was surprised To ind that he still
retains all the DIRE and vigOr which so emil
nently distinguished him when he was per
forming hts grand exploits upon the turf.
His legs are sound and clean, mis- muscle is
bold and prominent, ami his eye is bright
and clear. lu my mind. Dexter is always
more associated with Hiram woodruff than
with any Other man, for he was the last as
well as the best Of those famous trolters
which took shape AID form from the brain
and hand OF that great man. Long before the
horse had achieved much distinction. Hiram
took me 10 his box at the old place near the
Union Course, and, stripping him, said,
"Here is a horse that will make the best trot-
ter We have ever seen-the King of the
World How this was completely verified
IL would take long to tell. That he was aud
perhaps st II Is, the best trotter / have ever
seen, Is TO my mind certain. Others have
surpassed his time for a mile, but his great
performances were made over tracks which
were slow when compared with the fastest
nowadays. Moreover L do not regard the
time test with that superstitious reverence
which some have for it; and pronounce
Dexter the best trOtting horse / have ever
seen, because when he was on the turf he
could beat all other horses, including Lady
InOrn ana 0rOltsm1t0 MAID, any distance.
in any way of going. aud with very great
ease. To say that these mares improved
afterward Is not 10 the purpose. Dexter inn
proved afteTward himself, and IL he had been
continued on the turf and suitably handled
i am satisfied that he would have trotted in
min- Il sec. before now, and thin K that at
Rochester he would most likely have made
his mile in min. 10 sec.
The real truth is, that when Dexter was at
his best. although he was a young horse, he
never met one that cOuld trot with him, head
a h-.Nt F,ns-
Pnfer, the trainer OF Lady Thorn said to me
years ago, HE sets them aswimming before
they have gone a quarter of a mile" Seeing
mat regard Dexter as the best trotter for
speed and bottom combined that ever was
bred, IL will be proper TO look into the pedi
gree and see what elements entered into the
enough 20 say that he was got by Hamble-
tonian and bad one cross OF Messenger
through his dam.
THE STUFF IN DEXTER.
There is In Dexter, and in most, If not all,
the other real good horses of the Hambleto-
MAN line large amount of thoroughbred
the case with those Of the Mambrino Chief
line. In Dexter, however, il manifested it.
self with particular strength. He has the
shape and contour of a distinguished horse
Of high type, and in his head neck shoul-
ders, and depth through the heart, he does
not take after his sire. He Is altogether
more wiry and racing-like, and has more of
The hickory and live-Oak look than any of
his relatives in the male line. He was always
a downright sticker for any distance and at
any rate OF speed, and in this he differed
vastly from many OF Hambletonian's get.
Finally, he possessed, and still possesses
that indOmitable, invincible spirit which
distinguished English Eclipse.
Dexter was never thought to be vicious
horse. but he always had a riotous, uncon-
Querable spirit, and OF all those who have
driven him at various times there was never
one whose cheek and lip did not pale when
the horse took hold in real earnest and
darted away. This sort Of spirit in horses
and in men is as rare as tt is valuable.
Eclipse had il in perfection. 1t was always
manifest in Dexter. He knew when a race
was coming on, and he rejOiced in his
strength When his harness was handled
II kindled his fiery spirit and made him
eager and alert. 1t was TO him like the blast
Of the trumpet 10 the ancient war horse-like
the cry OF the hounds to the old hunting
mare In her paddock. do not believe that
Dexter got all or the most part of this irwin
chile spirit and determination from the
Messenger line. The grand sire OF Dexter in
the male line was AbdalIah, aud he was the
grandson OF Messenger in the male line.
American Star, grand sire of Dexter on
the dams si1e, was got by American star,
son OF Duroc. out of mare BY Henry, gram
dam by Mes -enger. These Stars were noted
as horses OF uncommon game and bottom.
hold that large amount of the excellence
OF Dexter was derived from his dam, and
that IL came through the close in-breeting OF
her sire 10 DiOmed. She may have been the
result of an out-cross from the inbred stall
lion, while IL may be that her dam had some
does not imDeach
THE MERIT OF HAMBLEroyIAy
at all; 10 exalts II; for it shows that the
horse got the best trotter in the world from
q mare who had the blood OF Diomed four
times 10 one OF Messenger, and had that of
his grandson by both lines, Henry closer
than that of Messenger. The fact that Dex-
ter is grand trotter and hard sticker must
be considered. coupled with the fact that his
graDdsire, Star, was 8 great trotter and a
hard sticker too; and that in him the blood
..a-<l - ~
and Henry's dam, largely preponderated
over the one cross OF Messenger.
Dexter was bred by Mr.. Jonathan Haw-
oaed a IN Ssua aSd bous as x siste ae
years old, by Mr.. Geo. b. Alley for 800. On
the 4th day OF May, 1864, when six years old,
Dexter made his nrst trot. 1t was on the
FishiOn Course, where he beat Stone wall
jackson, Of New York, General Grant and
Lady Collins on the Union Course. On the
18th OF May he beat Doty's mare to wagon
on the Union Course. On the 18th, at the
Fashion Course, he beat Shark and Lady
Shannon, and logged out the third heat In
Two minutes and thirty seconds. On the Sd
Fashion against Shark and Hambletonian.
1t was 1ve to one on Dexter. There was q
great deal too much scoring, Dexter mad,
heat, which made Hiram mad, too, and he
drew him. After the swelling OF his knee
was reduced, the horse was turned out for
Two months. He was then taken up and
driven by Mr.. Alley until Oct. l, when ne
was sent 10 Hiram Woodruff again. He
gave him two weeks work, when ne trotted
In minutes - seconds. He mad three weeks
more work, and then on a damp, cloudy day
In November, be went a mile trial on the
Union Course, Mr.. Alley and Mr.. Sheppard
r. Knapp timing him. At the end OF IL,
when Hiram brought Dexter back to the
stand, he threw up his hands and exclaimed
son! what a horse!" The time was min
utes q seconds, and that on the Union
Course on that day was about as good as 2
minutes 20 seconds on the fastest courses we
nave now. So much for the king among
horses In his frst season on the course Hi
ram woodruff had now made up his mind
concerning Dexter, and that winter he
matched him, three-mile heats to go as thew
pleased, rain or shine, against StonewaiI
jackson, OF Hartford. That horse had a
great reputation. Meantime.
OEXTER BEAT GEN. BUTLER
In harness, on the Fashion course, and
trotted the third heat In min. PAX sec, on
The preceding day Lady Thorn had trottei
min. "a X sec. on the Union, and these two
were now matched for the Union course, To
Irot riday, June 9. On that day there was
q great storm, and the race was postponed
An Immense crowd .of people assembled at
dlrams, and many OF them insisted upon
seeing the horse. The latter was excited by
me visits OF SO many strangers, aud lost con-
ultion. They trOtted on the following Mon
DAY, and the mare won In four heats the best
OF which 2 min. This raS tire