The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-11
Is NANCY IN DANGER?
Mr. Bonner Thinks He VIII Lower
Her Record.
Although Maud S. Is Eighteen Years Old
She Is Free from Blemish-Why He
Expects to Lower Nancy
Hanks Record.
[coPYK1GHT. 1921

"While do not in any way wish to dis
parage the performance of Nancy Hanks
in obtaining her unparalleled record
of 2:04," said Mr. Robert Bonner, at his
home, No. West Fifty-sixth street, to
me last evening, 81 believe Maud s., to
a bicycle sullzy, upon the modern kite
shape track. would be the fastest trot-
ter the world has ever seen, and in
order to test this l have determined to
put Maud s. in training, and see if she
cannot lower the record of Nancy
Hanks.
"A year ago, as you remember" con-
tinued Mr.. Bonner, 81 made an offer of
s, 900 to the owner of horse who trot-
ted mile in 2:O5 within two years on
any of the grand circuit tracks from
Cleveland TO Hartford. That offer was
included in a letter which l wrote to
Gen. B. F. Tracy just year ago. 1
further said" reading from the letter,
lone gentleman has stated that viii
undoubtedly have to pay it, to which 1
replied, / do not believe Gen. Tracy
himself thinks so.
''In his reply said Mr.. Bonner, ''Gen.
Tracy says: I have long believed that
horse would yet appear that would trot
mile in two minutes, but have never
set any time within which | thought
that performance would be made. 1t is
not likely that you or | will live to see
it, although I hope we may The in
terviewer said, you thought an ultimate
speed at the trotting gait was 200 or
2:05, have forgotten which, and l re-
piled that l believed that would be
beaten in five years. l have never said
1t would DO beaten in two years, and,
Notwithstanding Arion's great perform
ance. | doubt whether he can reach that
figure, while am obliged to admit that
he may. ! do not believe that he will
trot in 2:05 in the next two years.
when l made the offer of s5,00eI did
not intend it as an induceInent to an i'm
provement in mechanical devices. / in
tended it simply as an incentive to pro-
duce finer stock. | do not believe that
Nancy Hanks ever saw the day that on
a grand circuit track before a regula-
ton sulky, like that used to July last,
she could trot in 200. l may be mis-
taken, but that is my belief. l believe
now that we are much more likely to
see two minutes on lite-shaped track,
before bicycle sulky, than we were at
the time made my offer to see 2:05 be-
fore the suliy used, as L said, to July
last.
THE bicycle sulky is acknowledged
TO be at least four seconds faster than
the old regulation sulky, and the kite
shape track is known to be from ~ to
8 seconds faster than the regulation
or grand circuit tracks. Look at the
number of horses that have trotted be-
low 2:20 this year 1t is unparalleled in
the history of the turf. Even second
class horses, when put before a bicycle
sulky, have been able to knock off from
three to eight seconds from their record.
The track at Terre Haute. on which
Nancy Hanks made her time of 2.O4,
owing to the elasticity of the prairie
soil, is at least minute to a minute and
a half faster than the grand circuit
tracks. Taking Nancy Hanks time of
2:O4 and adding a minimum of five sec
onds, which is an allowance for the BIZ
cycle suIky and Terre Hautc track, you
have 200 flat.
1T is true" said Mr.. Bonner, that
Maud S. is eighteen years old. but. as
you know, she has had the very best Of
care, and | believe has still strength
and stamina to stand training. L have