Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-09-09
HISTORY OF TWO COLTS

of Deep Study-Value of tho Wilkes Blood Their Records.
 c. w. Williams, of Independence, Ia, the l owner of the two greatest three-year-olds the trotting world has ever known, Axtel and Alerton, Is 8 man about thirty-five years old, below the medium height, of spare build, beardless, has an eye like nawk, rarely if ever speaks unless spoken to, and withal problematical person. That he has shown rare judgment in the breed ing of gilt-edged stock, the fact that he is the only man who has ever had two three-year-
 oids that could trot in 2 20 will prove.
 Four years ago, says the Chicago Herald, Williams was a poor man, comparatively speaking. He owned dairy farm at Inde- pendence, Ia. Business in the butter and
 cheese line became dull, and he determined
 to enter into horses-breediny and racing. He wanted some brood mares. Of course not belng man of great means he found that prices for stock such as he wanted ruled high. Mares that were fashionably pred were rather expensive. But he would have only the best, and concluded to pur- chase mares of great individual excellence After looking about for 8 month or more Mr. Williams found a strain that suited his ideas, group of four mares by Mambrino Boy. He purchased them without ceremony. Mambrino Boy, as most turfmen are well aware, Is celebrated sire. He is g son of Mambrino Patchen, himself great horse. For two years Mr. Williams had devoted
 himself to the study of the pedigrees of the dlnerent trottinE families, their record as sires and producers of speed. After look ing over all the great trotting families he decided to breed into the Wilkes family
 Accordingly the mares were shipped to Lexington, Ky, where they were kept in
 stable on the agricultural fair-ground while hQ nrOCoo6a6 f4
 the different stock farms. AS MT. Will jams was anxious to breed into the
 Wilkes family he naturally went to Ash
 Grove, Ky, the home of George Wilkes,
 the founder of that popular family of broth
 CTS.
 After looking well over the field the
 horseman decided to breed one of his mares to Jay Bird, another to Onward. another to
 Baron Wilkes and the fourth to William L., . trotter which is 8 full brother to Guy
 Wilkes, 2:1514, at that time the fastest stall
 ion in the Wilkes family. He was very
 much attracted by the appearance of Will
 jam L., and was very anxious to breed to him, but as the colt was only wo-year-old
 the owner demurred. But Williams was persistent, and finally, as a personal favor, was granted it. The Mambrino Boy marc Lou was bred to William l.. She was then magnificent specimen of horsefesh, with perfect action, plenty of speed, muscle and endurance. The produce was Axtell The produce of the mare bred to Jay Bird was Allerton.
 Alter giving them every opportunity to become hardy Williams took the colts to his farm, broke them when they were year. lings, jogged them a little during the sum- mer and turned them out. Shortly after the colts became two years old WilliamS began to give them a systematic course of training. AS . result, in one of sis first races Axtell trotted g mlle on g half.mile track In 2:31A, which was the fastest two. year-old record on g half-mile track. He was subsequently trotted in several colt stakes, and last August was brought to Chicago and trotted mile for a cup af Washington Park. The mile was made, as history shows, in 2:4%. Then he partici, pated In one or two more small colt races: after which he was shipped to Lexington, Ky, to combat In the fall meeting of the Kentucky Breeders' Association. This was in October. Here Axtell started to beat his record. He did the first mile in 2:27, and and trotted mile, without skip or break, in :23.
 This extraordinary performance con- cluded Axtelps engagements for 1SSS He was shipped home, logged during the winter, was in service in the early spring. and early in July started at the Minnehaha Driving Park in Minneapolis to beat the three-year-old record, which was 2:1s. The colt did the mile in 2:151z. The following week at Hamline, Minn., AxteI essayed to beat his record, but only equaled it. Then he was sent to Cleveland, and started to beat his record of 2:15]<, trotting the mile in 2:141, which was his mark up to Friday. The three year old record prior to AxtelVs performances was that of Sable Wilkes 2:18, made on the Pacific slope. As a singular coincidence Sable Wilkes, which held the three-year-old record for two years, is & son of Guy Wilkes, brother of William |.
 Allsrton last year, as a'two-year- old, trot- ted mile in 2:401. This year he was in the stud and started in his maiden race at Minneapolis against a field of aged horses, winning in the third, fourth and fifth heats; obtaining . record for fifth heat of 2:24%. The following week at Hamline Al lerton started in a large field of aged horses again and reduced bis record to 2:2S That was his last effort prior to his engagements at Cleveland, where he encountered Lady Bullion and other horses, and although he did not win beat, tho colt was timed sep arately in his third endeavor in the race and marked at 2:2OH. Three days after ward he started again this time to beat his record, trotting mile in 2:19, the second half in 1:071.
 During the recent Washington Park meet ing Allerton trotted eight heats, winning six. He made the fifth heat in his first race at atWashington Park in 2:A and the third heat in the second race in 2:1SL.
 The mark is 2:13N, one-quarter of sec ond faster than Axtelrs. Maxey Cobb held the stallion record made in . trial 2:13L. Axtell would have wiped these all out had he kept his feet in the last fifty yards. It has been Williams theory to give his horses very little work between races and to feed them all they will eat Axtelli is at present eating eighteen quarts of oats a day.
 Allerton has been presented with . suit of horse clothes, made by J. H. Fenton, In commemoration of his recent victories at Washington Park by g number of his ad- mirers. The blanket and hood are made of tho finest quality of cadet blue broadcIoth, lined with lavender eiderdown, trimmed in heavyweight gold satins and Japanese gold cord. The trimming consists of satin two inches wide, running completely around the blanket and hood, edged with Japanese cord. There are six ornaments of elaborate 6>a;ov, ,,o do of I,,,t oprl{ound n, h>