Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-10-18

point of time, yet 1t Is almost unani-
mously agreed among turfmen that the
Cleveland mile is not to be talked about
in the same day with the former effort.
Indeed, men are not lacking-and men
whose experience gives weight to their
opinions-who deliberately declare that
no performance ever made by stallion
neither the 2:13a of Phallas nor the
2:134 of Make Cobb-is, all things con-
sidered, equal to the Minneapolis record
of this marvellous three year-old colt
Soon after the Cleveland performance
Axtell was shipped to Chicago to fill his
next engagement at the meeting of the
Northwestern Breeders association, Au-
gust 10 to %. There was little ex-
pectation of a phenomenal mile at this
place, because the track, which was
built and is used for running meetings
expressly, is not classed as one of the
"record-breakers," even when it is in
the best possible condition. But when
the colt showed what grand form he was
in by going to the half-mile pole at
2:1l4 gait on Wednesday, August 81,
and then coming home almost in jog in
2 :154, it was determined to send him along
in earnest couple of days later-wth
what result everybody already knows.
A mile in 2:l4 trotted by three-year-
old stallion, with scarcely any of the
conditions favorable to fast time, is a
/ rffv 1aIn
unapproached in the annals of colt-trot-
ting that one is almost inclined to accept
as true the enthusiastic declaration of
one of the crowd which surrounded AK
after his supreme effort at Washington
Park on that day, "There goes not only
the fastest stallion that ever has lived,
gentlemen, but the fastest that ever will
live" The first part of this statement
is unquestionably true. But there is
every reason to believe Axtell Will him
self disprove the latter portion by string
a colt that is even faster than he is.
The curby-hocked yearling of two
years ago has improved in makeup and
appearance almost as much as he has in
speed. To-day he is one of the best
formed stations from his nose to his
hooks that ever saw. Not only is his
head handsome when he is animated, but
his countenance is likewise the most in
telligent imaginable. The surprising
breadth and fullness of forehead, the
pricked ears, and, above all, the inquisi-
tive expression of the eyes and the whole
face, indicate an animal of far more than
average intellect. His neck is Just the
mold that one likes to see on a stallion
of good length, and masculine in full.
ness without being the least bit gross
His chest and shoulders, too, are such
as l never remember having seen three.
year-Old carry; remarkable in depth and
fullness at the brisket, splendidly mus
cled, loosely laid and very we'll sloped
His middle-piece is perhaps his best
point. Deep through the heart, CRANE
in its length, and hoped in by we'll
, sprung ribs, it indicates most clearly the
> big feeder and hardy animal that Axtel
is. Over the back, lion and hips there
is remarkable breadth and power with
all the smoOthness of outline which i;
indicated in Whitney's sketch. Hi;
quarters and STILES are massive ant
broad, strangely so for a colt of his age
7 and they plainly show where his pro-
pelling power comes from. His hooks
it's too bad to say it, but they mar the
symmetry of an otherwise perfect form
They are not unsound. No man car
say with truth that Axtell is curbed OF
, otherwise blemished at this point. The
back tendon at the curb place is as clear
3 as whipcord in fact, but the side-bone.
of the hook extend so far back that on,
e is almost ready to swear at first glanc,
r that the colt is curbed. Then the Join
q is more than ordinarily angular, ant
l just below it the cannons have the APP
b, pearance of being light, an effect caused
t by the peculiar formation of the hook
t This is tremendously speedy rmatlon
r but it is likewise considered extremel,
1 dangerous and liable to curb. As vet
: however, and the most dangerous periot
of colthood is now past, Axtell is with
S out the unslightly engagements. An,
: perhaps this is so because of the addet
strength given the angular joint by tn
: side-bOnes extending back as far as the,
n do. Otherwise his legs are without de
It feet or fault, strong. jointed, good-boned
:. and remarkably free from evidence o
: training. His feet are just about model
:, in form, size and texture; long at tn
Y toe, without being narrow, and open an,
: low at the heel. They are neither shell,
d nor spongy, but dark, close-grained an,
e dense. With the single exception of hi
t unslightly-not unsound-hind legs, AK
s tell could scarcely be bettered in physi
+ cal structure.