The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-01-09
GREAT TRoTTING COMPETITION.
MAY BIRD--BoNNER's STABLE AHEAD
AT ALL DISTANCES TO
ROAD WAGON.

The black mare May Bird, b,
George Wilkes, by Rysdyk's Ham
bIetonian, has become member o
Robert Bonner's celebrated stable. -
She has been on the turf for mum
Der of years, and justly has been re
garded as one of the gamest animal.
that ever trotted down the octolatera
lire. She has not always gone tt
the front when she was able to ge
there, nevertheless she has won some
of the hardest contested races ever
witnessed in the country. Her rec
ord of 2:2l in harness, 2:193.4 tc
saddle, is not the full measure of hel
speed. Weight does not anchor her
On Saturday, November 18th, at 6
season of the year when fast time is
out of the question in the cold eli,
mate of the New England States, she
won a wagon race at Mystic Park.
Boston, and made a record of 2:254
Yesterday gentleman said to US:
sIt lie. rumored that Mr.. Bonner has
purchased May Bird as a mate for
Music. with the view of making a
double team which will eclipse the
2:23 performance of Mr.. W. Fl. Van,
nerbilt's team, Small Hopes and La
DIV Mac, at Fleetwood Park" We
replied at the time that we knew
nothing of the sale of May Bird, but
felt satisfied from what we had seen
with our own eyes that it was not
necessary for Mr.. Bonner to purchase
Mr.. Walkers mare to make q team
which would pull a road!wagon IN
2:23; that he could, with John Tay-
lor, Music, Molsey, Astoria, Welles-
ley Boy, Erie, Pocahontas and Graf
ton at his command, make several
teams which would 60 from wire to
wire in time better than that record
ed by Small Hopes and Lady Mac.
At late hour we met Mr.. Bonner,
and on inquiry learned from him
that he has purchased May Bird for
$4,000, but not for the purpose of en-
tering into rivalry with Mr.. Wander
:bit. Hismotive was the same which
recently induced him to add Centen-
nial, Keen Jim, Lucy Cuyler and
others to :his collection. He ex
planned that his contest had been
with the late Commodore, and that
he did not propose to keep mp the
struggle himself now that the Com
modore was in his grave. Whatever
rivalry existed must be carried on
by the second generation. The in
ference 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 permission to make
public fact that we had known for
nearly two months.
During Mr.. Bonner's absence in
Kentucky, in the last days of Sep
tender, we visited his farm, near
Tarrytown, in. company with several
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 watch on Music In 2:1S 8 4,
and all present at the time considered
the performance of John Taylor
equally as good. This was a rapid
mile for an amateur driver on three.
quarter track. The day was satur.
day. On the following Wednesday,
October Sd, Music and John Taylor
were hooked double for the first time
in their lives, and Mr.. Alley Bonner
drove them full mile TO road
wagon on three-quarter track in
2-23, which is much better perfor-
nance than a mile In the same time
on a mile track. After this John
Taylor was laid up with a shoe boil,
from which he Is now fully
recovered.
This brief statement of facts
should be sufficient to convince
everybody that it was not necessary
for Mr.. Robert Bonner 20 purchase
May Bird in order to beat the great
double performance of Mr.. w. III.
Vanderbilt. The struggle next year
Tor the wagon team supremacy will
be watched with no little interest by
the people of New York and else.
where. In this connection it may be
interesting to state that it is uniyer.
sally conceded that Mr.. Robert Bon
ner himself has made the fastest
time to road wagon at all distances,
from quarter of q mile up to two