Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-05-11

up here, and if Lambert had access to
better mares (he had Morgans enough,
by the way and if the year did not be-
gin to count on January 1st, and if Yer
monters cared more for trotters than for
roadsters and if they had mile track,
and so on ad intinitum, then Lambert
would have done better" These postu-
lates vermont subjects to his ridicule.
But in good earnest, is this not attempt
ing to argue "the seal from off the bond?'
Is it not significant that George Wilkes
produced but two trotters from all his
service in the North, where he was kept
till he was Is years old, when he went to
Kentucky and met with phenomenal sue
cess? And is it probable that he would
have met like success if he had gone in
stead to Cream Hill, Shoreham, VT?
Ought the fact that Victor Won Bismarck,
son of Hambletonian, from daughter of
Harry Clay, stood some years in Vermont,
a complete failure, unnoticed and forgot
ten, while now a wealthy breeder goes to
Kentucky and pays $4,000 for two
years-old colt by him which he brings
here ''for the benefit of Vermont breed
ers''-ought this fact to be suppressed?
And when such horses as Dean Sage by
Hambletonan, dam by Seely's American
Star, and Vermont Messenger by Ham
bletonian, dam Lady Lockwood, record
, 25, by Neaves' Cassius NJ Clay, are
brought to this State by wealthy and in
fluential gentlemen, and do service for a
long term of years without getting from
a native mare the most distant approach
to a trotter, or scarcely a colt deemed
worthy to be kept entire; do these facts
contain no hint for breeders? If we were
a horseracing people, if we had first
class mile tracks upon which producers
were to train their colts, developing ev-
cry one that showed trotting, speed, would
these things not help the trotting sire to
increase his list? And if, instead of the
general run of mares to be found on the
farms about any locality, the choicest
trotting and producing mares of the land
prise of the owner, brought to a given
stallion, does not that circumstance in
crease his chance to get trotters? 1t
seems to me that these matters are the
very marrow of the problem, and that
one who would turn breeders from line
that is successful in a given locality to a
line that is dead failure there, is blind
leader of the blind, whatever might be
the success of the latter line in other la
titudes and different circumstances.
"Vermont" says further: "You say
Daniel Lambert is the greatest living
sire. How about Harold, sire of Maud
S., 2:0Sa, and IS more in the 2 80 list !;
Belmont. sire of Nutwood (sire of Felix,
isl, and two more in the 20 list and
II in the 80 list, and he sold at auction
for 49,, 000) record pisa; Wedgewood
(sire of one in the 2 20 list and about six
in the 230 list, and sold for S25, 000),
winner of every race in his class through
the grand circuit of 1880. performance
never equalled by any other stallion
record 2:l9: Viking, 2:204, and Is others
in the 2 80 list, including one near us,
Meander, 2 :261. Or Dictator, sire of
Jay-Eye-See, 2:l0: Phallas, 2:13a; Di-
rector, 2 IL, and II others in the 2 30
list. Are these stations not greater than
Daniel Lambert: Electioneer is incom-
parably greater than Daniel Lambert,
for he is the sire of at least % in the . 80
list, nine of which have records of , 20
or better
If one were TO try to answer these
questions he would first have to settle
two things, viz. : What is racing quality?
And how much of it must horse have to
be fairly deemed race-horse? As to
the first, it will probably be agreed that
racing quality as applied to trotters does
not consist in the capacity to 90 a single
mile against time very fast; because a
horse might be able to do that and never
win race. Racing quality is the capac-
ity to win races. And as the tree is known
by its fruit, so the racing quality of a
horse is demonstrated by the number Of
races he has shown himself capable of
winning by going out and actually win
ming. And as to the second question, it
will not be questioned that a horse that
has won 20 races may fairly be deemed a
race horse. And probably buyers would
not often want to purchase trotter at
the prices which they command that was
not believed to be capable of winning 20
races IN his classes. But if vermont
applies this test to the sires which he
names as greater than Lambert. he will
be not little startled at the result. Har-
old never got winner of 20 races. Maud
S., winner of four actual contests and IL
matches against time, is his nearest APP
proach to it. Electioneer never got a
winner of 20 races. Albert W., winner
of IL, is his nearest approach to it. Bel
mont is in the same plight; Wedgewood,