Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-10-24
The Star of the Vest Family as Stqyers

The Star of the Vest Family as StGyers
The Spirit Qfthe Times of the 18th, has al
account of the State fair races, from the pei
of NJ T. Grattan, of Preston, Fillmore coun
ty. Mr.. Grattan, it will be remembered, was
quite painfully injured by collision in one
of the races at the fair, which is his excuse fol
delaying his report. The notable event ol
those races was the victory of the veteran
stallion Star of the West, in the free-for- all
Minnesota stations, which causes Mr.. Grat-
tan to defend the old horse and his get from
the charge so often made against them OF
being quitters. He says
A remarkable race was trotted Wednesday,
one which demonstrated that Star of the
West and his get have been improperly man.
aged, and have thereby uDjustly incurred
much odium, when, with appreclative hand
ling, they would have earned the reputation
of being great stickers. Old Star was twenty
one years old last spring, and has had as
much foolish handling and banging around
as any horse living, has always been regard
ed as quitter, while betting men and breed
ers have always fought shy of him and his
get. During all this time he has had one
staunch friend and advocate, old Norm Fuller,
more ancient in comparison than the horse,
who has always stoutly maintained that in
his hands John c. Cook was grand slayer,
that Lady Groesbeck could stay, that old Star
was an indomitable slayer, but people
thought of their races and kindly pitied the
old mans folly; he once said to the writer
that he could have won with Cook, at Chica-
go, ifallowed to drive the horse he had devel-
Oped and made. took credit to myself then
for great pollteness in not questioning what
regarded as the imbecility of aged egotism,
but the old man was right and the reader will
see it; hs is very heavy. and the betting men
who backed Cook at Chicago must have
light driver. They got one who won the first
heat in 2:29, and was away back after that in
very slow time. No horseman who saw the
race questioned his being a rank qHitter save
old Norm Fuller, and he alone, of all the
great crowd, knew just what has wrong. At
Rochester, on September Z, exactly the same
conditions prevailed, fierce betting race, Full
Ter too heavy, and change for light driver,
who won the first heat and was last in the
second; then old Norm got his horse again as
he was of no account any more; he had got
to hitching, throwing his head, and acting
like Cook at Chicago. He had repeated the
trick of his life and the trick of all his get
Won good heat and quit, but if now he
should go on in his extreme old age and win
with welter weight, in faster time, quit his
hitching, drop his head and straighten out his
nose, would it not be the strongest possible
proof that he and his get have always been.
misunderstood; that their proverbial throw up
after first heat has simply been the inability
of drivers to keep IN accord with a highly
wrought nervous organization? Well, old
Star and his ancient driver, with all his weight,
accomplished just this feat in remarkable
time, considering the weather and track.
The change in the old horse was instanta-
neous, his ears prioked forward, his face was
amiable and good-natured, his every move ex-
pressed satisfaction, said to his driver, as
plainly as it is permitted the noblest of animals
to speak, "Here we are together now and it
is all right" jogging quietly back little
way he would, partly turned, wait for the
Others, wasting no strength, cool and pa
tient, able to trot week II need be, he went
on and won his race. He can, in my opinion,
down any living horse of his age pulling
equal weight, the track to be muddy.