Morning journal and courier., 1881-10-06
Fast Teams.
What Horsemen are Looking For. From the Spirit of the Times1

From the Spirit of the Timesl On the eleventh day of September. 1877 Mir. William H. Vanderbilt created an almos. unparalleled sensation in turf circles by driy- ing his famous team, Small Hopes and ladv
 Mac, mile over Fleetwood track. in the
 then unequalled time of 2:23 This Derfor-
 nance has been mark for owners of fast
 teams to aim at ever since, and while it was
 evident that it would one day be beaten. ef-
 forts to that end were, for long time, futile
 Team after team trotted very close to those
 figures, but the performance of the railroad
 kings pair remained imperial Now, howev-
 er, the feat performed by Small Hopes and
 Lady Mac has been fairly consigned to obliv-
 ion, and within few days has been twice
 badly beaten. Friday, Sept. g, there was a
 large gathering at the Morrisania track and
 there were several brilliant double-team per-
 formances, but these were overshadowed by
 the announcement that MT. John Shepard
 of Boston, had driven his team, Mill Boy
 and Blondine, 8 mile over Beacon Park
 course, in 2:22, for 0 small wager, making
 the time record. Metropolitan owners
 felt themselves beaten, and Boston was ad-
 nitted to hold the lead. But Wednesday
 morning, September 28, New Workers were aStounded to read of a performance by
 Mir. Frank Works team, Edward and
 Dick Swiveller, which over-shadowed all
 previous team performances. It had been known in certain circles that John B. Turner
 was to give his team fast trial, but when the trial did take place, it was unheralded, and the team was driven not by Turner, but by Dan Mace. Mir. Work had bet SI OOO with friend that his team could beat 2:25, and Tuesday, Sept 27, was selected for the trial on the Morrisania track. There were but few people present. J. Dunn Walton and two others were in the stand. Dan Mace took the team in hand, warmed them up and found them steady and full of trot, and then nodded for the word preliminary to a performance of the most astonishing char acter. They were sent at top speed from the beginning, and when their heads reached the quarter pole, the watches clicked 334s, q 2:14 gait. The speed was little slackened during the next quarter, and when the half mile pole was reached the time pieces re- corded 1:O74, and it was clear that, barring accidents, all previous performances would be far surpassed There were no accidents. Mace brought the team steadily up the hill, and into the homestretch, at a rate somewhat reduced, but fast enough, and they complet- ,d the mile in the astounding time of 2:19 L-2 beating the Shephard team's by two sec- )nds and half.
 This was naturally enough the absorbing opic of conversation in turf circles on the ollowing day, perhaps all the moro because t unanticipated. The prevailing impress ion was that the team could trot still faster, md this seems likely ln view o1 the time Of he first half mile. They trotted to a top wagon, built by J. B. Brewster & Co.,, of Cwenty-ffth street, that weighed 1G5 lbs, which adds greatly to the merit of the per ormance. Mir. Robert Bonner is committed 0 the opinion that double team will yet trot mile faster than any single horse, and many overs of the turf agree with him. pair of horses not only divide the load, but it is leck and neck strife between them to outfoot ach other and when the ideal team is hitch d together we may see the record of Maud ,. closely approached by two horses in a sin ,le heat. The possibilities of team trotting lave been pretty thoroughly discussed in the 'ast forty eight hours, and we live in the con tant expectation of fresh surprises.