The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-13
BONNER VISITS MAUD 8.
Has Her Shod and Sees Her DO Some Excel.
lent Work on the Track.

Has Her Siod and Sees Her DO Some Excel.
lent Work the Track.
Philadelphia Times
Robert Bonner OF New York, the owner OF
Maud s., came over to Philadelphia yesterday
morning. accompanied by the farrer VINO shoes
his trotting horses, and drove out to Belmont to
see his favorite In red leather Gladstone bag.
which the farrier swung in hand. a
present for the handsome chestnut mare. a pair
of new steel shoes which her proud owner had
come to see put on They weighed just thirteen
ounces each. The intelligent mare gave
whinny of recognition when Mr. Bonner accom-
panied by William Bair, her trainer and Colonel
A. Loudon Snowden entered the comfortable
room which by habit is termed her STALL Her
old shoes were carefully taken off, and Mr. Bon
balanced them on a scale and found that
one had been worn away in weight equal to two
silver tencent pieces and the other equal in
weight to a quarter dollar. After her new shoes
were put on Mr.. Bonner experimenting each
minute detail of the operation the mare was
taken out On the track for her usual exercise
three mile jog The weather was beautiful. but
stiff breeze blew. from the southeast, and Bair
said the track was little too hard for speeding
more handsome piece of horsehesh could
hardly be imagined than Maud S. when she
walked past the grand stand, where her owner
and Colonel Snowden sat- holding stop watches
in their hands: her chestnut brown coat glis-
tened like silk, two great intelligent eyes looked
from side to side as if their were afraid of
missing something of what was Transporting about
her. and Bair seemed to have all he could DO to
keep her from frsking off into trot The first
mile she made in 2:35. and when Bair came in
and she had been taken to her room to be rubbed
down and he told Mr.. Bonner some of her skit-
fish ways.
1T was All l could do to keep her from touch
inc the fence as she went around the curves"
said the trainer sShe seems to say to herself,
I will see how fast can get around these places,
and she curves her body ard have to use
both hands to hold her out. Then on the last
quarter, where there is little hill, she always
makes rush 70 get over it, and have to hold
her pretty hard
The mares new shoes seemed to ft her very
nicely, although account of their being
lighter than her old ones Bair was obliged to
weight them until she becomes more accus
toned to them. Mr.. Bonner and Colonel Snow
den sat in the grand stand and talked about
horsefesh during the heats. while on the balcony
of the hotel small knot of horsemen, among
whom was David Wallace chatted about Maud
;. and other fast trotters Her second mile was
made in 2244, and when Bair joined Mr. Bonner
he promised to let the impatient mare have
little more of her own way when she came out
for the third mile
During the interim Mr. Bonner talked about
his success in shoeing his fast horses. "Ahorse's
hoof must, first of ALL be perfectly level he said.
land of course the shoe must be made level
To insure that use small slab of marble on
which | try the shoes after they are finished,
then of even surface
Speaking Of his other famous horses, he said
chat he had recently driven Dexter II never
allow any one else to drive him. said Mr.. Bon
ner, land, although he is now in his twenty
eighth year, he is as supple and nimble as colt.
drove him all last year until frost came and
then. as did not like to put corks on him. I
allowed the veteran to remain in the stable all
winter. For exercise | use an enclosed ring,
around which the horses walked" While the
conversation was going on in the grand stand.
Bair brought out Maud S. for her third mile, and
the stop watches were again brought into requi-
sition in wait for her coming Bair walked the
mare half way round the track, and then, as he
let her out before passing the stand, nodded his
head for the time.
The little mare passed the first quarter pole in
thirtv-fye seconds, while Mr.. Bonner remarked,
as he looked after hers You would scarcely
imagine she was going so fast When she fin
ished the half mile in l.06a her owner said she
was making pretty fast time and when the
watches at the three quarter pole showed 140s
Mr. Bonner remarked that Bair was letting her
out. Down the last quarter -stretch came the
mare, her head in the air and her feet moving
like parts of some wonderful piece of mechan-
.ism the horsemen on the balcony of the hotel
had risen up In excitement with their time
pieces held before them, but Mr. Bonner only
smiled proudly as the mare flew under the wire
and then handed out his watch for inspection.
She had made the mile in 2. 1344. All the watches
told the same story and Mr.. Bonner, smiling
with pleasure, walked to her stall to see her
rubbed down. 1T is the best time ever made
by trotting horse at this season of the year."
he said.
The mare appeared as much pleased as any
one else, and it took three grooms to keep her
from skipping about the place in her excitement.
While she was being rubbed with brown Turk
ish towels handfuls of straw first dipped in
bucket of water were given ner.
'She has an awful appetite, said Mr. Bonner,
caressng her, "and it's only natural, for she
has an immense amount of vitality to sustain"
She actually tried to run away on the back
stretch, said Bair, 'and it was no easy matter
to hold her. Maud S. was never healthier in her
life than at present | weighed her yesterday
and she just turned ], 0l0 pounds She is trifie
fat, but that win be worked off in two or three
weeks" Mr. Bonner and his farrier left for
New York soon after. Blair has been instructed
to put the mare in fast trotting condition, but
the owners intentions concerning her are yet
secret. A well-known horseman at the track
yesterday said that Mr.. Bonner had promised to
speed her at Cleveland in public this summer