Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-12-29
gRExr rRor--TSG COMPETITION.
May Bird-Mr. Bonn, rs stable Ahead
at Ali Distances 60 ooo agon.
TFronn The T'srf Fed IN,

from tNe 1dff, Fiefd 0f1u ~ ~
The black mare May Bird, by Georse Wilkes,
by Rysdyks Hambietonian, has beco,.r a
member of Robert Bonner's celebrated ssaatS-
She has been on the turf for number of years.
and justly has been regarded as one ct the
gamest animals that ever trotted down the &C.
tclateral line She has not always gone ID the
II ont when she was able TO get there, neyerthe-
less she has won some of the hardest contests
Races ever witnessed in the country. Her
record of 2:2l in harness. 2:l93I To saddle, Is
not the full measure of her speed. Weight does
not anchor her. On Saturday, November 18th,
at a season of the year when fast time Is out of
the question in the cold climate of the New
England states, she won wagon race at Mys-
Tic PARK, Boston, and made record OF 2:2i5&-
Yesterday. gentleman said To us: !" Ii Is rll-
moTed that Mr.. Bonner has purchased May
Bird as a mate for Music, with the view of
2:23 performance of Mr.. W. III. yanderbilt's
team, Small Hopes and Lady Mac, at Fleetwood
Park" We replied at the time that we knew
nothing of the sale of May Bird, but felt salts
ned from what We had seen with our own eyes
that ii was not necessary for Mr.. Bonner 10
purchase Mr.. Walkers mare to make team
which would pull road-wagon in 2:23: that
he could, with John Taylor, Music, Molsey
Astoria, Wellesley Boy, Erie. PocahOntas and
Grafton al his command, make several teams
which would go from wire to wire in time bet
Ter Than that recorded by Small Hopes and
Lady Mac.
AT a late hour we met Mr.. Bonner. and on
inquiry learned from him that he has pur-
chased May Bird for - 5Ia, but not for the pur-
pose OF entering into rivalry with Mr.. Wander
bilt. His motive was the same which recently
induced him 10 add Centennial. Keen Jim,
Lucy Cuyler and others to his collection. He
explained that his contest had been with the
late Commodore. and that he did not propose
20 Keep up the struggle himself now that the
Commodore was i'm his grave, Whatever rival
ry existed must be carried on by The second
generation. The inference we drew from his
remarks was that his son Alley would drive
his horses against the time made by the son of
the dead Commodore. He also gave US per
mission To make public a fact that We had
known for nearly two months.
During Mr.. BonnerS absence i'm Kentucky
in the last days of September. we visited his
farm, near IarTytown, in company with sew
eral other gentlemen, and assisted in judging
contest between Music and John Taylor the
former driven by Mr.. Alley Bonner. The finish
was very close between the two. We held A
watch on Music in 2:lS34 /. and allpreSent at the
time considered the performanceof John Tay-
an amateur driver on a three quarter track
The day was saturday. ON the following
wednesday, October "a, Music and John Tay
l0r were hooked double for the first time in
their lives, and Mr.. Alley Bonner drove them
full mile TO a rOad-wagon on three-quarter
track in 2:23 which is much better perform
ance than mile in the same time on a mile
track. After this, John Taylor was laid up
with shoe boil, from which he is now fully
recovered.
This brief statement of facts should be suf-
fcient To convince every body that il was not
necessary for MIR. Robert Bonner to purchase
May Bird in order 10 beat the great double
udlh VI NIL '" H.
The struggle next year for the wagon-team SUI
premacy will be watched with no little interest
by the people of New York and elsewhere. In
this connection, il may be interesting to state
that ii is universally conceded that Mr.. Robert
Bonner himself has made the fastest time To
road-wagOn at all distances from a quarter of
mile up TO two miles, ever made by any gem
tleman, namely: Startle, a quarter of mile. to
road-wagon, in 32l3 seconds; Dexter, a half
mile, to road wagon in l:0613: Dexter a mile
to ad-wagon; in 2:2ls4: and Lady Palmer and
Flatbush Maid, two miles, to rOad-wagon. in
5:0ll4. Not one of these achievements. as the
annals of the track plainly show, has ever been
equaled. BY way of conclusion. we add that
il is Mr. BonnerS opinion that two horses can
be harneSsed together to beat 2:ls.