Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-16
AXTFLI..

Frederick RemfngtOn.)
the Union track and the old Fashion course
on Long Island. As compared with the tracks
OF today those courses were like q sand bank
beside billiard table. The wagons of those days
were very much heavier, too, than those now
used, and this constituted another point of diff
ference to be considered. Maud S. has trotted
to sulky weighing 3S11 pounds. but Hiram
woodruff wouldn't have dared to get into q
sulky less than IS pounds in weight. This II
pounds made a great difference and. unques-
animals going at a high rate of speed.
More than twenty years ago Dexter was
credited with quarter mile in 81 seconds
This is at the rate of 2.04 to the mile. His
fastest full mile was made in PIT IA. Maud s.
has trotted quarter in 80 IA seconds. and her
time for a mile is 208 81. Now it is matter
to be carefully noted that, while the rate of
speed per quarter has increased only three
seconds to the mile, the mile rate has increased
s l-2 seconds. What does this illustrate? 1t
shows that the ratio of increased speed is
greater in mile than in quarter. 1t shows.
100, that the infusion of the thoroughbred
blood in a trotter does not carry with it an in
crease IN speed 40 much the the ability to
sustain a high rate of speed during prolonged
effort. In other words it gives endurance and
bottom
at is argued by some people that the running
morse falls OF more in a mile than the trotter
does, In proportion to his speed. For example:
len Brock ran mile in 1891 twelve years
ago, which is the fastest mile that has been
made up to this time. Now. the fastest re-
corded quarter mile has been run in 81 sec
onds, which is at the rate of 1.25 for mile.
Now. If the best mile on record is only 1899,
1T follows from this calculation that the
thoroughbred has fallen of just 14$I seconds in
the rate of speed per mile. Maud SIS fastest
quarter, 3Ol4 seconds, Is at the rate of 201 to
the mile, and is just ia seconds less than the
rate for her full mile, or falling off of exactly
seconds per mile less than the running horse
These calculations are interesting in view
OF the attention given by horse men all over
the country to the study of the possibilities of
the trotter beating the present record Now.
as matter OF fact, running horse doesn't
quit more than trotter. inst as horses go so
much faster 80 much more will their ratio of
speed to the quarter differ from the mile. 1t
is this great effort that will kill any horse. III
one horse trots mile in 2. 10 and another horse
trots mile in 2.0Ssl it is much easier to reduce
the time OF the 2.l0 horse 10 2085l than it is to
lower the time Of the 2.0SI horse to 2.0S. Here,
again, is the principle of geometrical progress
sion interposing with cumulative force the
lower you go in the record.
II should think that trotter, in order to
accomplish a mile in two minutes. should be
able to show quarter in 81 seconds at least.
If the fastest recorded quarter mile be 30A sec
onds and the mile 2.sh then it follows by sim
pie calculation that q two-minute horse should
do the quarter in 81 seconds less than Maud s.
has done it. Yet, here again occurs another
very singular question of ratio. II in the past
twenty years we have only made an in
crease in speed of q seconds in the quarter
mile time how long will it take to reduce the
time 81 seconds and thus attain the flight of
speed per quarter necessary for the two-mnute
trotter? Will it be sixty or eighty years a CEN
tnry? l wouldn't want lease Of life for any
longer period than would be given me if 1 were
assured of existence until the record had been
cut down to rs or even &C.