The New York herald., 1879-11-16
BATTLING AGAINST TINE.
The Trotters Of 1879 that Successfully Fought
The Old Scyths Bearer.
HORSES WITH RECORDS OF 2:3O.
The Time They Made and the Number Of
Heats Inside Those Figures.

That the attention paid Of late years to the breed
Ing of the trotter is bearing fruit is clearly demon
strated by the brilliant performances of the season
just brought to a close. A little more than thirty
years ago the feat OF trotting mile in ESQ yet
unaccomplished. In 1879 it has become such
every day that no less than two hundred
and seventy-fve different animals recorded
having made their miles in that time or better,
within ten months.
The advance in speed has not only been steady and
sure. but has been general. The records Flora
Temple Dexter. Goldsmith Maid and Rarus in
turn been beaten. and 2:12a are the magical num-
bers that now head the roll of honor.
When the little bob-taiied bay mare Flora Temple
astounded the turf world and brought the small
town of Kalamazoo into prominence by being the
hrst trotter in America to beat 800 any would
have been considered daft who would have advanced
the opinion that in the future four year-old
would equal the performance and a fve-year-old sur
pass it. And yet this is what the figures OF 1879
prove But short five years ago the three year-old
time of Blackwood stood in advance at 2:31; now
Iewett takes off and half seconds. and makes
2:23h as the point at which ambitious aspirants
should aim Then Allie West considered a won
derful fouryear-old with his record of 2:29;
Trinket is in the supremacy with her 2:19A. Then
222I the notch at which the fve-y year-old time
stood now it is 2:1S.
Nor these exceptional cases. for the records OF
the year abound with the brilliant performances of
the young trotters. Jewett and Steinway but
three; Trinket. so-so and william four; Santa
Claus Won Arnim. Annette. Noontide Fanny wither-
spoon. Capoul and Daisy Hamilton five. with
host of remarkable six and seven year -olds.
Certainly the time is not far distant when
2:10 will have been accomplished In fact
the period may be closer at hand than at
present anticipated by even the most sanguine That
two minute gait is within the mechanical capabi-
ties of horse has been time and again demonstrated.
and it only needs the capacity to ego the distance.
We have improved the machinery that it will
stand pressure but the has got to be gen.
Grated.
AS matter of interest and valuable table for ref
we have had compiled list Of the trotters
that have 1879 made public time of 80 or better
Where asterisk follows name it indicates that
the animal made his record previous to this year.
and the figures on the right show how many heats
each horse has trotted in within 2:30. 1t will be
seen that the brown gelding Darby. owned by Mr..
Thomas Wallace. of this city, and driven by Dan
Mace has the greatest number of heats his credit
well the fastest time ever made by seven-year-
old dhorse-216H. During his career this season he
has lost but races-Lis first of the year. beaten
by wildair, when notably out Of condition, and on
his last appearance by Charlie Ford at Lexington
The Western stallion Bonesetter comes next, with
forty winning heats and Charlie Ford and Driver
push him hard with thirty-fve each, while next to
them ranks that old campaigner Lew Scott, con-
sidered one of the fastest halfmile horses in the
country, whose total amounts to twentyseven. This
is leaving out of consideration Mr. Alfred w. Rich
mond's Hopeful, the majority Of whose forty heats
made in exhibition races. and whose record
would have been still better had he not boon "of ut
q most important period.
In the matter of breeding such sires as Strath-
more, Princeps. Almon, George Wilkes, Happy
Medium. Mambrino Patchen, Edward Everett,
Harold, Belmont Alice West, Kings Champion,
Aberdeen. Thomas jefferson and others, each deserve
much credit, though the palm OF superiority, as
testified to by the figures. must undoubtedly. be
awarded to Volunteer, Blue Bull Daniel Lambert
and Green's Bashaw, whose descendants fig most
frequently in the appended list:-