St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-15

ttrolled by any fancifql theory of breed e!
ing. His theories were simple, and his
first article of faith was to secure mares
of excellent Individuality, pure gait and
great vigor. His second was to breed
them to what he believed to be the best
stations, regardless of expense. He
bought four mares and went with
them to Lexington, KY; he stabbed
the mares and set out upon a
tour Of inspection among the bluegrass
farms. His study of the records ms
duced him to select the Wilkes family,
and he bred one to William l., one to
Jay Bird, one to Onward. He got three
stallion colts. The one by Onward is at
his farm doing stud duty, and he says it
is a trotter. The one by William L is
the world-famed Axtell, three-year-old
record 2:15115, and the one by Jay Bird
is the great colt Allerton, which last
week defeated a large field of aged
horses, trotting in the fourth heat to a
record OF 2:2434. 1t is possible there
are one or two breeders who have in
one year bred two foals which as three
year-oldS trotted in 2:25 or better. but it
is certain no other man ever did from
the three first colts he ever bred, and
many prominent breeders have expert
mented for years, and not only have
failed to breed three-year-old colt to
trot in 2:25, but have never produced an
aged horse to trot that fast. Every one
is familiar with AXtell'S career as two
year-old. and early in this season he
trots a half-mile track in 2:21%, and the
following week he completely skaters
the three-yearold record, breaking it at
one fell swoop by 2I Sec, while at the
same meeting his other colt, Allerton,
trotS a hard race and acquires record
of 2:2434.
If MIR. Williams is careful of Axtell it
is not at all unlikely that he may this
season beat the stallion record of 2:134,
for he is one of the most natural trOt-
tiers ever bord. He wears four-ounce
shoes in front and tWo-ounce shoes be-
hind, is eminently sensible and level
headed, and trOtted the first half
of his great mile in 1869.
The only information to be
derived OF subjects to be considered
from the phenomenal performance of
these great colts is the value of the
maxim, breed to the best stations and
to select mares of established brood
mare lines which are strong in nerve
force end constitutional vigor. The
skeptic on inbreeding is also confronted
with the significant fact that both these
colts are strongly inbred. AS to the
selection of the stations, Mr.. Williams
chose William l. because he liked the
horse, and he was full brother of Guy
Wilkes, 2:154, the fastest entire son Of
George Wilkes. He chose Jay Bird be-
cause he was a son of George Wilkes.
He liked his individuality. and he had
sired Eagle Bird. He selected the dams
of these colts as they were by one of the
best sons Of Mambrino Patchen, and
Wilkes blood in conjunction with that of
MambrIno Patchen had produced Guy
Wilkes and other first-class performers.
He also admired their marked individual
excellence, SoundneSS and vigOr. This
all seems very simple, but its very sim
plicity may be the cause of its strength.
The pedigree of AXtell has in it the
blood of the great sire of trotters.
the famous brood mare blood of Man,
brine Patchen, both through mares
which have produced a 2:15% trotter.
He has the blood of American Star
through the dam of 10 trotter. and a
remote cross of the noted Pilot .Jr.
brood mare blood through a son of
Mambrino Pilot. This is a powerful
concentration of potent brood mare ele-
ments through great individual
producers of speed, but from
the proved success of inbreeding
in the Patchen family we are
disposed to put great stress Oh the con-
centration or inbreeding of the blood of
the two great mares, Lady Bunker, dam
of Guy Wilkes, 2:154, and Lou, dam of
AXtell, 2:1515. The first is by MambrinO
Patchen and the second is by Mambrino
Boy, son of MambrinO Patchen. The
blood of this great brood-mare sire is
strong and has shown its adaptabiity to
close inDreeding, and we certainly be-
lieve astonishing success will result
from inbreeding in this line. The Star
blood is a potent and powerful element.
1t has often asserted its supremacy, and
frequently eXerted controlling influ-
ence in the conformation and character
isticS of the animal which inherited it,
but in this case it seems to have worked
tremendously and contributed its share
to an ideal trotter.
AIlerton is by Jay Bird, a son of
George Wilkes, whose dam was by
MamOrino Star. The dam of AIlerton
dam is by George Wilkes. He is doubly
George Wilkes, then he inherits a
double cross of Mambrino blood, and
that is practically the sum total of blood
inheritance. 1t is strong case of in
breeding of strong and speed-producing
blood. He is an excellent horse, some,
what more of the Wilkes type than is
AXtell. He is a pure-gaited horse, and
we shall be surprised if he does not in
his three year-old form trot in 2:2o OF
better. The breeding of these colts is
worthy of considerable study.