Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-04-08
NELSON. 2:lO.

There has naturally during the sea-
son Just closed been deal of interest in
the performances of the three fastest
trotting stations on the turf-Palo AL
to, Allerton and Nelson. 1t has been a
fad with certain class of writers for
turf journals to endeavor by ridicule,
sarcasm and innuendoes to detract from
the merits of Nelson, a stallion that in
an ordinary year would have been the
glorified hero of the trotting turf as far
as entire horses are concerned. But it
is well known fact that although a
horse may be beaten head only for the
EPSON Derby, the classic event of the
running turf, his name will not be
spoken or thought of, while that of the
one which beat him a couple of inches
past the post is being shouted by thous-
ands of lips and telegraphed to all parts
of the civilized world. 1t is so IN any
place where competition is sharp and
the strife for place if fierce. The win
one who finishes scarcely an apprecia-
BILE distance behind him is forgotten.
All eyes are on the rising sun. 1t is
human nature, but there is a decided ell
ement of cruelty and injustice in it all.
just now, when trOtting stations are
talked about, nothing is heard of eX-
cept the 2:0Sa of Palo Alto and the
2.09i of Allerton. The California horse
is lauded to the skies by one set of men,
who, to hear them talk, must imagine
that his equal as trotter never existed.
Allerton's friends, on the contrary,
point to the indisputable and overwhel-
ming fact that he is racehorse trotter
OF the highest type, and the only one on
record that has started against two 9TH
er horses with records better than 2:l2,
which feat he accomplished last fall
when he met in successful races the ex-
champion Nelson, and a 2:ll4 trotter in
Delmarch. All this is true enough.
Palo Alto, with his game leg and thor
oughbred dam, kept pegging away at
the watch over the Stockton kite until
finally, after repeated efforts, every one
of which was creditable to him in the
extreme, he reached the goal with a
mile in 2:0Sa, and it made him the
champion among stations as far as
time trials were concerned. Allerton
had previous to this pegged away over
another kite-shaped track at Independ-
ence, Iowa, and after reaching the
1854 mark went out and beat two
worthy opponents in style that left
ties. In their respective spheres-trot-
ting against the watch and trotting
against other stallions-Palo Alto and
Allerton are at the top of the ladder
There is no doubt about that. But it is
always generous as well as best not to
overlook merit that fails only by hair
breadth of beng a winner. In 1890
Nelson trotted seven consecutive miles
against the watch that averaged trife
better than 2l2. This was feat that
had never been approached by any
other horse, much less equaed, and in
addition to it all he took to himself the
fastest stallion record, and the tastes {
record by trotter over half-mile
track. lie was unquestionably the
king. There was no argument, no
chance for an argument. This year he
was handicapped by wrenched ankle,
by dryer twenty pounds overweight,
and hardly up to the standard of ability
that should appear in sulky when any
horse is gong against the watch with
an idea of stepping mile in 2:lO or
better. In spite of these disadvantages
Nelson reduced his record to 2 10, and
as far as practical results are concerned
he is in speed qualifications, as demon
strated by his track performances, the
equal of Palo Alto or Allerton. As far
as looks go, as far as being an ideal
horse in color, size, conformation and
temperament are concerned, it Is the
almost unanimous opinion of horsemen,
and certainly that of the general public,
that the equal of Nelson has never been
seen. He is a picture of equine grace
and beauty. He is a horse of marvel
Gus speed, as he has yet to meet trot-
ter that in brush of quarter or half
mile could hold his own with the one
from the pine woods of Maine. He dem