The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1884-09-23
THE GREAT TKOTFERS.
How the Improbable Has Been
Achieved.
New York Herald.

The present trotling season, though
but partly passed, has already been made
in the annals of the turf bv
the fact that The sovereignty of the track
has Twice passed from horse TO hofse !
Never before-at least not in recent
Che hest record been lowe,ei
twice in one year ny two different hof
ses. These notable events we're the
achievements of Jay Eye-See at Provi.
Gence on Aug. l, and of Maud s. ST
Cleveland on the next day. 1t will not
be surprising II the record shall agsia he
lowered bv one or both Of these famous
horses before the seasUh closes
Troiting a mile i6 two minutes and
ten seconds has already ceased to he a
wonder, and yet it is not so many years
since the Achievements was looked upon
as altogether improbable, if not impos.
sibIe. Forty years ago Lady Suffolk
was the most lannon's as we'll as the
fastest OF trot'ers. Yet her best time In
harness. made il 1871, was hut 2 :264
and with this record she be Id her supre-
macy for dozen years i'll 1853. when
Flora Temple made 6rst mile in 2 :251
and then in 2:245 L,dy Suffolk had
trotted in 1925 in lS49, and Tac,ny l.
2:25i i, 1853. hat these achievements
were under saddle.
n'ls59, Flora Temple astonished tn
world By her famous performance OF
3 l94 at Kalamazoo, which su tsined
her title as Q ieen Of the Turf until 1867,
when the honor was won from her bv
Dexter, with 2:174 to his credit. The
same horse made mile two wears be-
fore ing2:ls4 but this was under sad
dl, Dexter was dethroned in 1871 bv
Goldsmith Maid. She then beat his
best time by quarter of a second. and
lowered her own record TO 2 :l64 IN 1872.
and to 2 '16, 2:l5I. 2:l4i, and IA dur
Ing the season Of 1874. The mares
fastest nile-2:l4-was eqnalled by
Rarus in July, 1878, and eclipsed week
later, when he trotted in 2:l3f The
successor of Rsrus was ST. Julien. He
reduced the me to 2:l2i in 1879, and
10 2:lli and 2;l14 10 the following
year.
At this time Maud s appeared on the
track. Her public performances are
comparatively few, but very brilliant
In her second recorded race-Julv.
lSS0-she is credited with 2:l3t. IN
S 'ptembor' OF that year she scored a
nile in 2:l0a which beat st. Julien's
record and made her the Q leen Of the
Turf from that time to this, with the ex
ception of single day. In July, 1881
she trotted in s:l0t and o month later
won her grand acti vement of mile in
2:101. For three years this stood as
the best record It was lowered to 2:l0
nv the recent p rformance Of JAY Eve
See st Providence. This made the little
gelding K'sg of the Turf. but only for
twenty.four hours On the ve,y mex
day, at Cleveland, Mr. Vanlerbilt's noble
mare regained her proud laurels, aud
lowered the record to 2:09i.
This development of speed on the
track is due primarily to the improve-
ment of trotting stock by breeding. Bnt
there are also other very important eau
ses. Horsss are better trained and bet
ter handled than formely. They have
the advantage of improved app iances
for feet anl legs, to say nothing of bit
and rein. Then the sulkies OF to-dav
are the hest for speed ever made; and,
inaIly-wha' is perhaps most telling
there has been steady improvement in
tracks ALI these influences have con-
tributed materially to the lowering Of the
srotting record.