Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-02
MERRY ON THE RACE
He Reviews the Great Four
Cornered TrOt.
An Impartial Statement of the
Situation.
Old Time Incidents Recalled About
Old Timers.
Captain Merry on the Mckinney Trot.
He Objects to Be C!sssed Among
the Kickers-Some Interest
ing "Reminiscences.

Captain Tom Merry, the editor OF the
San Francisco Breeder and Sportsman,
attended the recent successful meeting
of the Los Angeles association. In the
current number much space is given up
to Los Angeles. The result OF the great
four-cornered race between Wanda, Me-
Kinney, Frank M. and Silas Skinner
has attracted such widespread attention,
and the views expressed by interested
parties have been SO opposite, that the
following extract from the San Francisco
paper will be read with interest:
/ don't altogether like the way in
which the Chronicle man puts me down
as one of the kickers over the result OF
the great trot at Los Angeles, especially
as he had not seen hair or hide OF me at
the time he wrote his article, in which
he included me among the malcontents.
/ had not dollar bet on the race, and
its result was matter of the utmost in
difference to me. Moreover, l have
gotten over any desire | ever had to re-
view the action OF Judges in any race.
1t does not pay. The men in whose be-
half you clamor for justice soon forget
the service you render them, and those
in whose behalf job is to be lugged
through hunt you down to the door OF
the almshouse with rods and axes in
their hands. The man who undertakes
any such mission needs longer purse
and one better filled than mine.
x*x
l will lust state both sides OF the case
and let readers think for themselves.
The advocates of Frank M. state that
there was no collusion between the
driver of that horse and anybody; that
he went to the front in each one OF the
four heats and was never headed except
in the second heat and the third; that
he won the first heat easily, and the
fourth equally so, and that he should
have been given the fourth heat, which
would have then put him on an equality
with Mckinney. Then if darkness pre-
vented decision being reached on that
day, the race should have been post
poned till the Monday following, and
let the best horse take the money. But
they say that it was case of now or
never" with Mckinney, who was very
lame and had badly swollen hook, and
that postponement till Monday meant
a certain victory for Frank M. and the
carrying out of Los Angeles of not less
thdh YIVfooO III pun
wv
On the other side, the Mckinney
hackers claim that their horse, which
laid up in the first heat. finding he
could not reach the leaders, afterward
trotted three heats and won them
against combination which designated
Frank M. as the pool-horse because
they believed him to be the gamest OF
the three; that Frank carried the money
of the other two drivers, who did not
back their own mounts that Mckinney,
being the slower starter, was carried out
on the turn in every heat by Wanda
and Silas Skinner, to prevent his over
taking the leader; that he was fouled by
Frank M. at the quarter-pole in the
fourth heat; and that he trotted from
thirty to forty yards over mile in each
heat, by reason OF being showed to the
outside of the track through the agency
of these two helpers. These are the
reasons on which he was given the race,
so state the friends of Mckinney.
Hence they gave him the race. Having
stated both sides of the case without
partiality, l leave others to draw their
own conclusions.
NV
This shows Mckinney to be most
extraordinary colt, whether the reader
indorses the action of these judges or
not. 1t is now matter OF history that
within the short space of six months
he trotted and won two races in which
there were nine heats trotted, the slow
est of which was 2:20 fat, by Glendine.
His own six winning heats in these two
races total up an aggregate OF which an
average is :1S14 for the heat. When you
add to this the fact that he is obviously
curbed and that his lameness increased
most perceptibly from one heat to an
other, he certainly must be regarded as
great performer, as he went out OF last
season with record of 2:27 which he
has since beaten two times within
single week. Add to this the fact that
he is beautifully bred and highly formed,
and you cease to wonder why he is now
installed as the popular idol in the
place occupied by Stamboul four years
ago.
The 2-year-old trot, which virtually
concluded the meeting, was the means
of bringing together two as handsome
fillies as l can remember to have seen
in this state. One was Mr.. Roses brown
filly Vera, by Stamboul out of the Gar
TetG udTt, WOil-hhoWh PAOouCOi VI
speed. The other was DR.. K. ID. Wise's
bay flly Adelaide McGregor, by Bonnie
McGregor q 1870 out of Adelaide (2:1S).
The dam of this filly was a great per-
former in her day, and won many
desperately contested race in the earlier
days of the grand circuit. Los Angeles
is going to dispute the palm of su-
premacy with the northern counties
when this kind Of mares begin to join
the breeding ranks.
x%s
Mckinney, the 4-year-old son OF Al
cyone, not only lowered his record half
a second-to 2:17-last Saturday at Los
Angeles, but demonstrated that he was
a race horse Of the first water when he
beat such great field OF horses as were
opposed to him. In fact, as 4year-old
campagner it would be hard to find his
equal in America.
x**
I have had my "Under the Pines" at
San Jose and my "Under the Oaks" at
Napa; and as the pepper trees are
larger and thicker at Los Angeles than
any / have ever seen, therefore use
them as the caption OF this article.
Their graceful tendrils Intervene a
net of beauty between the earth and
sky; and the balmy odor OF their nearly
ripe berries fills the air as you sit be-
rao+b thar grateful shade and watch