St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-05
LoVERING TIE RECORD.

The announcement on Sunday that Van
derbit's mare, Maud S, had beaten the
record of Jay Eye See, and lowered the fast
est record to 2:09I, created more comment
and discussion than would have the state
ment that war had broken out between Eng
land and France. This excitement was in
part on account of the rivalry between Maud
and Jay Eye See, and in part on account
of the reduction of the time to point never
before reached in the record of trotting. The
news also created much comment for the
further reason that it shows that the time is
better than the best hitherto made in pacing
that is, where PAGER has not been ac-
companied by running mate.
Trotting is purely an American feature,
with the trifing exception Of its introduction
to very limited extent in Russia. There is
some trotting in Russia and some in Canada
but it is only in the United States where it is
cultivated or patronized to any considerable
extent. An effort has been lately made to
introduce trotting in England, but with no
success, partly for the reason that it did not
originate there, but mainly because it is an
American institution. Some four or
five years ago some American
trotters were taken over to England,
and an effort was made to interest the people
in the sport. The effort was a failure. An
attempt to collet wager on one of the
matches before court was thrown out by the
presiding Dogberry ON the ground that trot-
ting was not Legitimate sport. For the pres
ent at least there is little likelihood that trot-
ting will be in demand for export to other
countries.
1t must be admitted as compared with
racing or running, trotting is the most civil
lied. The running race has no reference
whatever to utility. 1t dates from periods of
savagery when the use of the horse was in
the chase of the enemy or of game. Trotting
has no suggestion of either; it is utilitartian
in all essential respects, having reference
only to the later and civilized demands +
locomotion. Speed in the trotter
means greater rapidity in travel, and
thus is met utilitarian service.
an increase in the value of the breed of run
ming horses, and in their performances,
does not confer single practical benefit on
mankind. In fact, in England, the matter
of time is never thought of in the results of
a race. People ask what horse won, but
never enquire as to the time in which the
work was done. This is still an evidence of
the barbarion origin of the running race
savages have no time-pieces; it is only a
question of best horse, and the beads and
blanket wagered that interest the owners, and
the spectators. The civilized, and utilization
trot affords an interesting study,
more especially the lowering of records
within the last twenty years. Most
people will recall without difficulty the great
wave of enthusiasm which flowed over the
country when Flora Temple beat 2:20, and
what hero Dexter became when he dropped
the record below 10. When Maud s, on the
track of the Chicago Driving association, in
1879, lowered the record to 2:104, it was
believed that the limit of speed in trotting
had been reached, although the same con-
clusion was adopted when Goldsmith Maid
succeeded iu getting over a mile in 2:14.
Is there to be still further increase in
speed, and shall the present generation or
its immediate successor, witness result in
trotting which shall be designated by a still
smaller single fgurea 1t seems impossible
that there could be further reduction in
time from the latest record, and yet the same
belief was entertained all along the various
drops that were made below the thirties, and
has been entertained at every step of the
marvellous reduction below the twenties.
Now we are below the tens for the first time
in trotting history, and the event marks
an era. But in specializing as
to the future, and basing conclusions
on what has been accomplished in the past, il
must not be forgotten or overlooked that the
increase of speed in late years has not all
been in the horse, but that some of it is in
the track. Tracks are lowering their records
as well as the trotters. 1t may be that Maud
S, if on the same track precisely on which
Goldsmith Maid succeeded in reaching 2:14,
might have been unable to beat either
the time of Jay Eye See or even her own of
five years ago.