Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-02-08

Gas by Duroc, son of imported Diomed.
BY tabulating the pedigrees of Nelson
and Sunrise Patchen 1t will be seen that
they are both not only considerably in
bred to the Morgan strain, but trace
several times to old Diomed. Either of
the above named crosses far outnumber
those of Messenger in Sunrise Patchen's
pedigree, which is very weak in the Mes
senger element. Nelson's pedigree con-
tains number of Messenger crosses, but
not nearly so many as either Knox Girl
or Susie Owen; yet, as he is so much fas-
ter than either of those, it can scarcely be
claimed that all his speed comes from the
Messenger fountain, particularly as his
sire, which had scarcely faint of Mes
senger, got record of 2:2l4 in race
against other horses.
Sunrise Patchen has neither Handle
tonian nor Mambrino Chief cross. He is
made up mostly of Clay, Morgan and
Diomed. He traces directly to Henry
Clay through his sire, yet the Morgan
crosses far outnumber those of any other.
The Morgan-Mambrino Chief combination
is not very common. One of the most
prominent examples of this is Kentucky
Prince, sire of Guy (2:12), Spofford
2:1SD, Company (2:l93), Fred Folger
(220d) and seven others with records of
2 80 or better. Spofford seems to have
been the best campaigner of Kentucky
Princes get His dam was by Despatch.
son of Rysdyk's Hambletonian, out of
Molly Whitefoot, by the strongly inbred
Morgan Young Morrill( q :3D.
The speed capacity of Sunrise Patchen
would seem to hint at the possibility of
excellent results by using the Morgan
strain as an outcross for the Clay family.
This calls to mind the fact that the
second dam of Hopeful (2:l4a), the fast
est of the Clay family, was by Whalebone,
a son of Sherman Morgan. The dam of
Hopeful, it is true, was by the Brigham
Horse, but the latter was not a trotter,
and no son or daughter of his ever trotted
fast, or, with the exception of Hopefuls
dam, ever produced trotter. The dam
of Hopeful produced other foals, but never
threw trotter by any other horse than
Godfrey Patchen. A little reflection will
convince every one that this Godfrey
Patchen was remarkable horse. He is
credited with nine in the 2 80 list, and
the most of them were from dams in
whose pedigree no trotting strains could
be found. The Messenger element was
very weak in his composition, yet he got
greater number Of 2 80 turf performers
by fifty per cent than Blackstone, Gideon
and Broken Leg combined, all of which
were by Rysdyk's Hambletonian, and all
thoroughly inbred to Messenger strains
through their dams. We have very
high appreciation of the great merit of
the Messenger element, but the fact
should never be lost sight of by any one
that there is merit in other trotting fami-
lies outside of either of those whose
founders trace directly to imported Mes
senger.
The most wonderful trotting progeni-
tor ever found on the Pacific coast was
The Moor by Clay Pilot. The Moor, as
was stated not long since, only got fifty
one foals all told. Six of that number,
nearly twelve per cent, have made records
of 2 80 or better. The dam of The Moor.
Belle of Wabash, was, as has often been
stated, from daughter of Vermont
Black Hawk, which was mated with her
own son, and Belle of Wabash was the
result.
Speaking of The Moor reminds us of a
bit of information concerning the breed
ing of his sire, Clay Pilot, that has lately
come to hand. Clay Pilot is registered
in the american Trotting Register" as
by Neave's Cassius M. Clay Jr. dam by
Pilot Jr.; second dam by Mambrino
Chief. Clay Pilot was owned for several
years by Randolph Huntington of Roch-
ester, N. Y, who writes under date of
the 10th inst, that the pedigree as given
in the Register is wrong. The second
dam of Clay Pilot, as stated by Mr.. Hun
tington, was by the thoroughbred race
horse Grey Eagle, and out of daughter
of the thoroughbred Bertrand, the grand
sire of Grey Eagle. This is putting in
the Diomed rather strong, but as Mr..
Huntington is no admirer of that strain
he cannot be charged with being led
astray by his sympathies.
Jack Spratt, one of the fastest trotters
In Maine, and the fastest of Tom Patchens
get by the records, was from mare
which every one who knew her pronounc-
ed of Morgan descent, owing to her form
and the strong Morgan characteristics
which she exhibited. 1t is known, too.
that she came from section of country
which was full of the Morgan element
Straws indicate the direction of the wind
and judging from the way the few which
have already been discovered point, it is
probable that the Morgan strain will
prove valuable outcross for the Clays.